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Jeff Legwold joins Kreckman and Lindahl 12-1-25 · Jeff Legwold ESPN Broncos Reports

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  Speaker 1: All right, let's talk to Jeff Lagweld here on a
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  Speaker 1: Monday afternoon. Jeff Lagwald brought to you by the International
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  Speaker 1: Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ibe W Local sixty eight. Start
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  Speaker 1: with the job, you end with a career, Leggy, the
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  Speaker 1: Broncos man. They just keep figuring out ways to be
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  Speaker 1: the cardiac kids out there and win these insane football games.
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  Speaker 1: Another game one on the final play of the contest
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  Speaker 1: last night. Uh, they do it with Nick Benito. But
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  Speaker 1: that game in particular, what were the traps that Denver
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  Speaker 1: could have fallen into and how did they rise above
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  Speaker 1: and come out with a W on the road last night?
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  Speaker 2: Well, Mat, I think Washington made the clear decision on
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  Speaker 2: both sides of the ball. It was gonna be less
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  Speaker 2: about strategy and more about power. Like they they kept
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  Speaker 2: the Broncos defense in the base defense on purpose got
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  Speaker 2: the ball out of the quarterback's hand, but they stayed.
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  Speaker 2: They stayed big, multiple tight ends. You know it's you know,
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  Speaker 2: Mike Shanahan always used to say, if you want to
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  Speaker 2: calm down a pass rush and find make it easier
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  Speaker 2: for your quarterback to find the extra rushers in the formation.
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  Speaker 3: Balance it out with tight ends.
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  Speaker 2: And go bigger, force them to stay in that base
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  Speaker 2: personnel because there's you know, just watch the Broncos play.
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  Speaker 2: When they get in the nickel in the dime, they
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  Speaker 2: can vance Joseph dials up all kinds of things in
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  Speaker 2: the rush. That's why so many different guys have sacks,
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  Speaker 2: but a lot harder to do that in the base.
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  Speaker 2: And I thought Washington two things they did better than
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  Speaker 2: any other offense despite their struggles this year. They isolated
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  Speaker 2: hufanga and coverage more than anybody else has. By being
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  Speaker 2: going against the base defense, they forced them to have
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  Speaker 2: to cover, and and they just stayed big on both
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  Speaker 2: sides of the ball. And I think I think the
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  Speaker 2: Broncos Sean Payton even said after the game they didn't
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  Speaker 2: expect some of what Washington did on defensively. Dan Quinn
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  Speaker 2: had a pretty good plan, Like Sean Payton, went with
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  Speaker 2: a lot of his substitutions, you know, tons of three
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  Speaker 2: wide usually, and the Washington didn't sub you know, they
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  Speaker 2: just stayed in the big physical looks.
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  Speaker 3: Uh.
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  Speaker 2: And it took the Broncos out a lot of their
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  Speaker 2: run game plan that they had, you know, for the game,
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  Speaker 2: so they had to kind of switch things around. But
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  Speaker 2: those are the two things that stuck out to me
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  Speaker 2: and that that will get noticed I think by the
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  Speaker 2: teams they play here over the final few weeks. And
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  Speaker 2: you know, even if the playoff games come to fruition
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  Speaker 2: as they hoped for, I think you'll see some of
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  Speaker 2: that stuff again from people with better personnel.
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  Speaker 3: To do it all.
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  Speaker 4: Right, What was the key to springing Evan Ingram for
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  Speaker 4: his best game of the season.
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  Speaker 2: I think, Andy, that's what you know. The old defensive
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  Speaker 2: thing is, you can't you can't hide everything, can't cover everything.
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  Speaker 2: There's always going to be holes. And when they play
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  Speaker 2: you know, Dan Quinn's always played tons of zone defense.
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  Speaker 2: When you play that much zone, the Titans in the running.
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  Speaker 3: Backs are going to have to make catches.
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  Speaker 2: And Ingram finally had a coverage look where he could
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  Speaker 2: settle down in some of those spots as a veteran.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, on the big play, I think he
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  Speaker 2: just beat Bobby Wagner, you know, which hasn't happened often
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  Speaker 2: and Wagner's career, but you know, score one for Ingram there.
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  Speaker 2: But he he was really successful against their zone stuff underneath,
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  Speaker 2: and you know they need him, they need that element
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  Speaker 2: they would have been pretty lost last night if he
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  Speaker 2: had not been.
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  Speaker 3: Been there for them in some big situations.
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  Speaker 1: Talking to Jeff Legwelt here, it is a Monday. The
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  Speaker 1: Broncos are ten and two. They are for the moment,
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  Speaker 1: the one seed in the AFC. We'll see if New
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  Speaker 1: England can get a victory tonight over the Giants. We'll
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  Speaker 1: have Monday Night football for you here on Altitude Sports Radio,
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  Speaker 1: courtesy of our friends over there at Westwood One. Jeff
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  Speaker 1: the the game plan for Denver coming out of the
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  Speaker 1: by anecdotally, I thought they generally were getting to the
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  Speaker 1: line of scrimmage faster last night. There weren't a ton
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  Speaker 1: of rushed snaps late in the play clock. Did you
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  Speaker 1: find that to be the case? And do you think
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  Speaker 1: that was intentional on the part of the Broncos.
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  Speaker 2: But sure felt that way. You know, they don't admit
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  Speaker 2: much when they've you know, when a complaint that's been
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  Speaker 2: so public it is addressed by them. I don't think
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  Speaker 2: they always liked acknowledging. You know, yeah, other people were right,
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  Speaker 2: but they.
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  Speaker 1: Didn't want to give a given the satisfaction is what
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  Speaker 1: it is, Jeff.
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  Speaker 2: Or any of us for that, you know, you know,
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  Speaker 2: I quoted another longtime quarterbacks coach in the league that
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  Speaker 2: he just felt like the whole thing was making knicks
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  Speaker 2: play rushed, even when they were not in tempo, you know,
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  Speaker 2: and that that that's what's squeezing him in the play
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  Speaker 2: clock was doing to him. So I think he's looked
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  Speaker 2: more settled. You know that Washington came into the game
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  Speaker 2: statistically one of the worst defenses in the league, so
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  Speaker 2: you got to temper some of what was done. But
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  Speaker 2: now they I thought Nick's set his feet and made
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  Speaker 2: more throws the way he should and when he does that,
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  Speaker 2: he's very productive, as you saw once again, and you know,
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  Speaker 2: the touchdown throw is just another example.
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  Speaker 3: You know. The one to Sutton is if he can get.
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  Speaker 2: The routine stuff more routine, then those moments only mean
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  Speaker 2: more when he can do things that a lot of
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  Speaker 2: other people can't. And that's a tough, tough play to make,
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  Speaker 2: and there are very few guys that could have made it,
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  Speaker 2: you know, and he has that element to him, and
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  Speaker 2: it's just getting the rest of it to come along
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  Speaker 2: and when you can, when they can combine it, you know,
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  Speaker 2: he has a three hundred yard day. That's just how
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  Speaker 2: it's gonna look when you give him the easy stuff
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  Speaker 2: and he performs how he should in those moments, then
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  Speaker 2: he'll be there for you most often in the two
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  Speaker 2: minute in an overtime, you know, when you need him
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  Speaker 2: to do other things.
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  Speaker 4: All right, you'd already said your first answer, how Washington
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  Speaker 4: went big and that altered some of the run game plans.
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  Speaker 4: What did you think of the backs? Though we got
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  Speaker 4: an even mix of a lot of the they all
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  Speaker 4: seemed to be we seem to go back to this
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  Speaker 4: even distribution of the snaps. Is Harvey getting a better
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  Speaker 4: feel for like again, Jeff, I'll tell you with my eyes.
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  Speaker 4: I felt like there were a couple times where I thought,
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  Speaker 4: to myself, I think Dobbins would have cut it back
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  Speaker 4: there or would have done something else there, Which I
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  Speaker 4: get it. Dobbins is a long time vet and Harvey isn't.
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  Speaker 4: But do you think Harvey's starting to get a better
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  Speaker 4: feel or are they just gonna have to go with this,
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  Speaker 4: you know, even snaps for everyone approached the rest of
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  Speaker 4: the year.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I think they'd like to lean on
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  Speaker 2: him more Andy, you know, and probably will. I just
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  Speaker 2: think the run game snaps went away, especially when they
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  Speaker 2: were in some of their looks for they thought they'd
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  Speaker 2: be running against nickel and dime defenses and they weren't.
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  Speaker 3: Suddenly.
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  Speaker 2: I think that caused them to adjust snaps they wouldn't
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  Speaker 2: have done had they gotten the looks they expected, then
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  Speaker 2: I think Harvey would have gotten more more touches. But
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  Speaker 2: I think, you know, I think it also was clear,
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  Speaker 2: you know, they're not very big at running back now,
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  Speaker 2: and they're gonna have to carve room out to get
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  Speaker 2: those guys free. I mean, uh, you know, Harvey's two
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  Speaker 2: oh five and he's the big back suddenly in the
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  Speaker 2: in the offense. Uh, And I thought.
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  Speaker 3: It was very telling.
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  Speaker 2: There was one single setback snap last night where Adam
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  Speaker 2: Prentiss was the loan running back, and that's almost a
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  Speaker 2: concession to we don't have any size at the position
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  Speaker 2: on the roster to run this play. So uh, you know,
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  Speaker 2: I don't think the Commanders woke up yesterday thinking they
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  Speaker 2: were gonna have to shut down Adam Prentiss in the
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  Speaker 2: run game. And you know, there he was was the
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  Speaker 2: loan setback. So I think that is something they're gonna
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  Speaker 2: have to figure out, because again, you're not just gonna find,
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  Speaker 2: you know, great size and physicality at running back on
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  Speaker 2: the street.
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  Speaker 3: Right now, you're just not going to get those players.
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  Speaker 2: So they've they've got to make this happen with who
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  Speaker 2: is on the roster. And I still think all three
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  Speaker 2: running backs can be more decisive.
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  Speaker 3: I don't.
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  Speaker 2: I don't think Julia McLoughlin in particular has been as
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  Speaker 2: decisive as he has been.
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  Speaker 3: In the past sometimes.
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  Speaker 2: And I think sometimes when you haven't played much or
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  Speaker 2: you're not you know you're not going to get a
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  Speaker 2: ton of carries, you start trying to make every carry
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  Speaker 2: be perfect. And I think it plays with a young
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  Speaker 2: player's you know, mindset sometimes when they have the ball,
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  Speaker 2: so they start hunting around for the big play instead
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  Speaker 2: of just taking the six yard game that's there if
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  Speaker 2: they do cut it up like JK.
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  Speaker 3: Dobbins did.
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  Speaker 2: I think Dobbins's greatest strength was when there was a
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  Speaker 2: five yard run there. He got the five yard run,
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  Speaker 2: you know, it didn't turn into a one yard run
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  Speaker 2: or a no gain because he was looking for something more.
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  Speaker 2: He he took what was blocked and that resulted in
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  Speaker 2: some big plays.
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  Speaker 1: Jeff, I'm gonna ask you a and I know you
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  Speaker 1: love questions like this, I gotta I gotta ask you
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  Speaker 1: a Vibes question, Okay, and you know you know me again,
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  Speaker 1: I just lean into this stuff.
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  Speaker 3: He's a Vibes guy.
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  Speaker 1: I'm the total We're both just Vibes guys, Leggy, So
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  Speaker 1: from one ViBe's guy to another. Whatever it was that
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  Speaker 1: the twenty fifteen team had, does this team in twenty
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  Speaker 1: twenty five does it have it?
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  Speaker 3: It's hard to argue they don't. They've trailed. Look, this
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  Speaker 3: is my fortieth season. I haven't seen anything like this.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean they've They've trailed in all ten of
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  Speaker 2: their wins.
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  Speaker 4: They're not just getting lucky, right.
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  Speaker 3: The teams aren't just hating them the games.
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  Speaker 4: They've got to make plays.
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  Speaker 2: You can't say this is luck anymore. This is a
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  Speaker 2: this is a trait of this group.
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  Speaker 1: Uh.
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  Speaker 2: You know, maybe if you pulled two guys out of
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  Speaker 2: the locker room, it's not the same. You know, maybe
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  Speaker 2: it's just not the same in some fashion, you know,
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  Speaker 2: and maybe that delicate.
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  Speaker 3: I have no idea, but I do know.
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  Speaker 2: You don't win ten games you trailed just because because
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  Speaker 2: it's your year, because you're you know, it's you know,
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  Speaker 2: your karma's good or whatever. You know, you got good
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  Speaker 2: incense in the locker room. It's just not gonna happen
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  Speaker 2: that way. I mean, they they played six walk off games.
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  Speaker 2: You know, they're four and two in those games, and
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  Speaker 2: that that kind of stuff isn't you know, an accident.
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  Speaker 2: They've they've assembled a bunch of players who really believe
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  Speaker 2: if there's any time on the clock, they got a shot.
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  Speaker 2: And look, you know, the old saying is, and it's
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  Speaker 2: the oldest of sayings, defense travels, and that's a way
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  Speaker 2: of saying saying defense will keep you in the mix
• 12:03
  Speaker 2: all the time. So if you do figure out something
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  Speaker 2: good you can do, you'll get the win because the
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  Speaker 2: defense kept you close enough for a field goal to matter,
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  Speaker 2: for a batted pass to matter, for a sack to matter.
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  Speaker 2: The defense keeps you in that narrow lane where you
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  Speaker 2: can escape, you know. And I think they're good enough
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  Speaker 2: on defense, especially in big moments. I mean, look, you know,
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  Speaker 2: Bans Joseph didn't bring as much pressure last night as
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  Speaker 2: he has in some other games, but when he did,
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  Speaker 2: it affected things.
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  Speaker 3: Even his timing right now is right on the money.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, Benito makes a Benito's unblocked if you're
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  Speaker 2: the Washington Commanders and you're looking at that today, you
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  Speaker 2: really are asking yourself, how in the hell did we
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: leave Nick Benito unblocked with the game on the line.
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  Speaker 2: But watch how that pressure is constructed the tackle the
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  Speaker 2: left tackle. Tunsel has no choice but to leave Benito
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  Speaker 2: alone because he's he's the least quote unquote dangerous in
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  Speaker 2: the situation because he's out so wide at the wide nine,
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  Speaker 2: and you know he's unblocked and gets a free run
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  Speaker 2: to do whatever he can to stop the play. But
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  Speaker 2: you know, back to your question, you don't win ten
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  Speaker 2: games of trailed because you're just like a lottery winner.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's this team, is they They They make
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  Speaker 1: a lot of their own luck, There is no doubt
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  Speaker 1: about that. And they do it through good clock management
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  Speaker 1: and simply playing to their strengths, which is on the
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  Speaker 1: defensive side of the ball. He's Jeff Legwald. Everybody ESPN
• 13:52
  Speaker 1: dot com, that's where you read his stuff. It is
• 13:55
  Speaker 1: the best. Like you will talk to you Friday, Thanks dude,
• 13:58
  Speaker 1: Thanks Fellows.