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Football at Four: Assessing Eagles Matchups vs. Vikings · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

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  Speaker 1: Football four powered by the Inside of the Birds Podcast.
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  Speaker 1: a Armor Township. I always marvel at the fact that
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  Speaker 1: how are you sir? Uh, there's a full bar here
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  Speaker 1: at four four o'clock. The there's not one seat available
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  Speaker 1: all these people, Well, you got two more hours to go.
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  Speaker 1: These teams are driving these people to drink. That's that's
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  Speaker 1: what they're Dave Dombroski and Rob Thompson drove people to drink.
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  Speaker 1: Our text board lighting up today, Let's get into Football
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  Speaker 1: at for Adam Kaplan, who I know was listening to
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  Speaker 1: Dave Dombroski today. Uh, but the Eagles got their own
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  Speaker 1: problems getting ready for the Minnesota Vikings. It's today's Football
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  Speaker 1: at four with Adam Kaplan for the Inside the Birds Podcast. Adam,
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  Speaker 1: how are you good?
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  Speaker 2: Mike? You know if the Eagles don't win at this
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  Speaker 2: particular time, they'll lose three in a row.
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  Speaker 1: You can't have that. Yes, indeed, well, did you know
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  Speaker 1: that the Dodger pitchers are really good.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, he's a good GM, there's no question. But my goodness,
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  Speaker 2: could you just acknowledge that the guys didn't hit Oh
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  Speaker 2: I love what we said. Oh well they went against
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  Speaker 2: great pitching. No kidding, yeah, no kidding. I mean, it's
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  Speaker 2: just it's sometimes he's just not realistic, but it is
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  Speaker 2: what it is.
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  Speaker 1: Well, what's realistic is the Eagles need to win here,
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  Speaker 1: because Adam, I'm looking at the NFC right now, I
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  Speaker 1: got three teams in the West at four and two.
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  Speaker 1: I got every team in the North with a winning
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  Speaker 1: record right now. You know, obviously Philadelphia has a winning
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  Speaker 1: record at four and too. But a loss here, if
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  Speaker 1: Washington wins against Dallas, I mean they could be out
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  Speaker 1: of the playoffs potentially with a loss this week. So
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  Speaker 1: let's assess the Eagle chances of winning against a Vikings
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  Speaker 1: team that is very creative defenses here, But what is
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  Speaker 1: something that they have struggled against defensively?
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  Speaker 2: This surprised me. Now let me rephrase this. Javon Hargreaves
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  Speaker 2: is a part of this. Javon hargrave before an Eagle
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  Speaker 2: defensive tackle, was released by the Niners this offseason and
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  Speaker 2: he signed with the Vikings know they're going with this
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  Speaker 2: older defensive front. Jonathan Allen, former first rund pick for
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  Speaker 2: the Commandos. He's there as well. They're not stopped the
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  Speaker 2: run really well. In fact, Vijah Robinson, Tyler Algier you
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  Speaker 2: might have seen this week run very well, and they'll
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  Speaker 2: win against Buffalo. They went for two hundred and nineteen
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  Speaker 2: yards on the ground those two against the Vikings earlier
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  Speaker 2: this season, two weeks ago. This stunned me. Kenny Gamwell's
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  Speaker 2: best game is professional came against those Vikings ninety nine
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  Speaker 2: yards on the ground. Kenny Gainwell, yes, that's Sam Kenny
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  Speaker 2: Gainwell and Quinnjohn Jenkins the first round as if he
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  Speaker 2: second round pick for the Browns ran for one ten
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  Speaker 2: against him. So they've shown a vulnerability against the run.
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  Speaker 2: Now we know the Eagles have been awful, horrendous run
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  Speaker 2: in the football. As we outline Mike on inside the
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  Speaker 2: tape with Gret Coseell, it's not a Saquon Barkley issue.
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  Speaker 2: It's an offensive line problem and they've not blocked well
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  Speaker 2: at all. It's hard to believe we didn't know this
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  Speaker 2: coming into the season. It is what it is. The
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  Speaker 2: tape shows that they're struggling physically, a lot of a
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  Speaker 2: lot of physical errors by the way, and they've got
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  Speaker 2: to get this thing that they're going to have to
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  Speaker 2: do it. I mean, it's it's it's something they've got
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  Speaker 2: to get done here on the carpet, on the field
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  Speaker 2: turf in Minnesota. So this is something you're gonna have
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  Speaker 2: to do and they've got to make a commitment to it,
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  Speaker 2: and I expect them to try to do that in
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  Speaker 2: this game.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess one question I would ask is is
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  Speaker 1: this performance related in terms of health downgrade in you know, talent?
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  Speaker 1: I mean, what do you make of why the offensive line?
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  Speaker 1: Because you know they only switch one guy and most
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  Speaker 1: people you talk to would say, you know, Steve's been okay,
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  Speaker 1: It's not like he's been an Albatrosz there. So why
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  Speaker 1: is the offensive line and is it? Is it something
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  Speaker 1: that is fixable? All right?
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  Speaker 2: Left or right? Jordmilatta has not had a good season.
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  Speaker 2: It's just every game there there's a handful of plays
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  Speaker 2: where he just doesn't block as well as you would
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  Speaker 2: like him to. That that has been a problem. Alnon
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  Speaker 2: Dickerson's health obviously has been a major issue with the
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  Speaker 2: left ankle injury. They're optimistic for this week, but he's
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  Speaker 2: not been quite what we're used to Cam Jurgen's coming
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  Speaker 2: off back surgery, not what we're expecting from now. He
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  Speaker 2: admitted that it's like he doesn't feel one hundred percent
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  Speaker 2: back from the back surgery. And remember he didn't he
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  Speaker 2: didn't do anything in the off season at a limited
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  Speaker 2: training camp, no preseason. He's not himself right now. Right
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  Speaker 2: guard Tyler Stein's been up and down. We asked Greco
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  Speaker 2: sell that. I asked him that on our show this
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  Speaker 2: week we broke down the offense, which you could find
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  Speaker 2: on YouTube where you can listen to it if you'd
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  Speaker 2: like on pod version. And Lane Johnson look lean is
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  Speaker 2: still really good. He has been quite himself. And then
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  Speaker 2: the bizarre part about this, Mike and I wish the
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  Speaker 2: reporters I not that I Kevi Pattilla is a little
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  Speaker 2: bit more upfront than Siriani is. I would love them
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  Speaker 2: to ask, why are you not running the ball outside?
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  Speaker 2: That is bizarre to me. They rarely do it. They've
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  Speaker 2: never been a big outside team, but this is absurd.
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  Speaker 2: The lack of outside runs very noticeable. Mike, It's not acceptable.
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  Speaker 2: Now it goes to your point, are they physically not right?
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  Speaker 2: I think it's I think it's because of the healthy
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  Speaker 2: of the offensive line. That would be my hypothesis. Now
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  Speaker 2: we still don't know the answer to that. But it's
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  Speaker 2: got to get better, Mike. They got to diversify this
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  Speaker 2: run game. This is ridiculous already.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, they are struggling running the ball. But as you
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  Speaker 1: you know, look at some of the running back backs
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  Speaker 1: against the Vikings, Bijon and Algier. We just watched that
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  Speaker 1: game two nineteen. Gain Well the former Eagle, he had
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  Speaker 1: almost one hundred yards in the game, and you mentioned
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  Speaker 1: Judkins with one ten. All right, well what about Jalen Hurts?
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  Speaker 1: Hey man, you might have to throw the ball this week?
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  Speaker 1: How does that look?
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  Speaker 2: You know, it's funny that one thing about the Vikers.
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  Speaker 2: For a long time, they had one of the best
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  Speaker 2: run defenses. Not anymore now. Quarterback wise, they'll see Isaiah Rogers.
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  Speaker 2: I mean they're going to see him in Byron Murphy.
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  Speaker 2: Rogers has had a nice now, he's made a number
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  Speaker 2: of big plays see the Eagles. And my understanding was
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  Speaker 2: when they did the when they made him their offer,
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  Speaker 2: they they they gave him sort of Now that the
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  Speaker 2: Vikings offer was better. I mean I know that for
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  Speaker 2: a fact. In fact, the second year they gave some
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  Speaker 2: guaranteed money. The Eagles contract was like it was kind
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  Speaker 2: of like they had one foot in, not both, and
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  Speaker 2: that that was part of the problem. But Rogers a
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  Speaker 2: smaller corner, no doubt about it. I'd like to see
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  Speaker 2: if I'm the Eagles. You can't be bashful, man. I
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  Speaker 2: know he's having the best year risk career, but you
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  Speaker 2: got to go after him. And Byron Murphy is a
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  Speaker 2: good player. He's number seven come from the Cardinals. Now,
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  Speaker 2: none of these guys are what we call number one corners.
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  Speaker 2: They're more of number two's. You could go after those
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  Speaker 2: guys and another it's really interesting, like you know he
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  Speaker 2: started they play at thirty four. You know, you know
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  Speaker 2: he started inside backer. Old friend Eric Wilson, you might
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  Speaker 2: remember him. He did not play well here with the Eagles.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Yes, I do kind of remember him not
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  Speaker 1: playing well. That's what I remember out of Gavin football
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  Speaker 1: for you.
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  Speaker 2: Ahead, Now, I was gonna say fight when they passed.
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  Speaker 2: The only receiver to really do well against them and
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  Speaker 2: he got them is dk Metcalff did very well one
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  Speaker 2: twenty six and a touchdown a week four against the
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  Speaker 2: Vikings and metcalf and his first year or the Steelers.
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  Speaker 2: But the thing that you have to do, though, Mike,
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  Speaker 2: is you have to protect doubt. You're gonna see Dallas Turner,
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  Speaker 2: our first round pick last year. Jonathan Gridard is terrific
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  Speaker 2: coming over from the Texans. Very underrated edge rusher. You
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  Speaker 2: mentioned Hargrave. We know one thing he does well. He
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  Speaker 2: rushes the passer really well. So mil Blitz and Listen,
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  Speaker 2: Hurts and the offensive line they've got to be they've
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  Speaker 2: got to be on point because Bryan Floyd is one
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  Speaker 2: of the most sophisticated defense. He's very unpredictable. You never
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  Speaker 2: know quite what he's going to do. You might remember
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  Speaker 2: two years ago when they played at Philly, he decided
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  Speaker 2: to have one of the lightest boxes that you'll ever
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  Speaker 2: see against Hurts and the Eagles, and they got runovers
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  Speaker 2: really weird. He didn't adjust in that game. Now since then,
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  Speaker 2: he's been great Ryan Flores, but they're also their defense
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  Speaker 2: has not been lights out either, so and then josh
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  Speaker 2: Mittallis is there sort of like their wild card safety
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  Speaker 2: number forty four. He's a really good player. Theo Jackson,
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  Speaker 2: by the way, number twenty six was a special team
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  Speaker 2: and now he starts in safety when needed. But Ann
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  Speaker 2: Harrison Smith, of course is you know, he's thirty six
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  Speaker 2: years ald at safety, Mike, that's hard to believe.
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  Speaker 1: All right, Well, that's a look at the Vikings defense,
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  Speaker 1: which I would imagine. You know, this is a very
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  Speaker 1: difficult defense to go against in terms of the looks
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  Speaker 1: you'll get. But there is some meat that you can
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  Speaker 1: peel off the bone there. You can run the ball
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  Speaker 1: against this team, but they are good against the past.
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  Speaker 1: We'll see. What about flipping it the other side of
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  Speaker 1: the Eagles defense, especially if Quinnion Mitchell is not ready
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  Speaker 1: to play, that could be a problem. But the Vikings
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  Speaker 1: perpetually off of the line issues.
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  Speaker 2: Now here's what happened, Mike. They've been starting a number
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  Speaker 2: of backups lately. That certainly has been a problem. Dash
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  Speaker 2: All's back at left calc A number six. Everyone from
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  Speaker 2: the ACL injury. Brian O'Neil, the right tackle's got a
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  Speaker 2: knee injury. He's starting to work this week, so they're
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  Speaker 2: optimistic there. Ryan Kelly, their center is out, second cushion
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  Speaker 2: he's on. I are there the backup did not play
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  Speaker 2: last week, but they are more optimistic that that kid
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  Speaker 2: will play, and they they have a new left guard.
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  Speaker 2: So this is where Look, we know the Eagles pressure
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  Speaker 2: has not been great. We got a Jalleen Carter is
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  Speaker 2: going to play. It's just could he be himself. That's
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  Speaker 2: another problem with this defense. But Carter's played, He's not
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  Speaker 2: played to the level of last year because he's been hurt.
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  Speaker 2: He's had the shoulder injury, recurring issue pops up since college,
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  Speaker 2: since Georgia and the heel injury. He was not ready
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  Speaker 2: last week. He made it pretty clear when he talked
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  Speaker 2: to the media. And Andrew Decheco was in the locker room.
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  Speaker 2: He Andrews said that when he was talking to him.
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  Speaker 2: So that's the deal here. But they have a vulnerable
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  Speaker 2: offensive line the Vikings do. This is where the Eagles
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  Speaker 2: have to win because Mike, as you mentioned, if Quinnion
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  Speaker 2: Mitchell cannot play. I know he's working again today, but
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  Speaker 2: he's not taking the majority of the reps. He's got
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  Speaker 2: to be able to play. It. Tomorrow is a big
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  Speaker 2: day for him. I mean, this could get super ugly. Heale,
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  Speaker 2: Ringo and Jackson will be your starters. Now exactly. I know.
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  Speaker 2: I know, Mike. I joked on our post game show
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  Speaker 2: with jeff and I I said, listen, he's going for
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  Speaker 2: one fifty two hundred justin Jefferson. That's happening.
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  Speaker 1: And they've done a good job against him generally in
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  Speaker 1: the past.
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  Speaker 2: I know, but exactly, I know that, But this is
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  Speaker 2: different though you always contact matters. Look who jaris slave
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  Speaker 2: is no longer here? Absolutely, I man, deal, Mike, it's
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  Speaker 2: this could be an absolute nightmare. You Adam feelnz back
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  Speaker 2: as a slid receiver. Hockinson's good Asson's really good. You
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  Speaker 2: know they're going to run. They'll they'll bounce back from
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  Speaker 2: twelve to eleven personnel. They're really deep at tight end receiver.
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  Speaker 2: But they're an absolute nightmare, Mike, I this could get
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  Speaker 2: super ugly. Now. Mac mcgillings one more thing before I
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  Speaker 2: get out of here. He didn't play last week. He's
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  Speaker 2: they got to have him up. I mean, he's a
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  Speaker 2: smaller guy. He had a very good training camp. What
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  Speaker 2: they need to start taking a look at that guy.
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  Speaker 2: He's a he's a player. Yeah, I like them for Nickel,
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  Speaker 2: but he's got to play.
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  Speaker 1: I agree there. I like Mac McWilliams, and we're surprised
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  Speaker 1: that he's been inactive and hasn't helped out with this,
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  Speaker 1: especially with the problems they have. Next week they might
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  Speaker 1: get Jacorey and Bennett back. Some of these injury guys
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  Speaker 1: could be back with a practice field next week, so
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  Speaker 1: that could give them some help. But tough game this
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  Speaker 1: week against You think it's gonna be Carson Wentz or McCarthy.
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  Speaker 2: Nothing official, more Wentz than than McCarthy. But here's the thing, though,
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  Speaker 2: Wentz has he left shoulder injury. He finished, He played great,
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  Speaker 2: by the way against the Browns. He finished with he
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  Speaker 2: left like he he's got hurt early in the third
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  Speaker 2: quarter or late the sect where I can't remember, but anyway,
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  Speaker 2: he finished the game. But he's taken more of the
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  Speaker 2: first team reps so far than McCarthy. Will see what
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  Speaker 2: today's practice is. In fact, the Vikings said their practice
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  Speaker 2: after the Eagles do. So we want to have their
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  Speaker 2: entryport for a little bit, all.
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  Speaker 1: Right, Adam kapin Football at four powered by the Inside
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  Speaker 1: of the Birds podcast Inside the Birds dot com. You
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  Speaker 1: We'll be on tomorrow's show. Adam, thanks for popping on today.
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  Speaker 2: You gotta test