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Football at Four: The Eagles Locker-room Feel for Sunday vs. Raiders · Inside the Birds: A Philadelphia Eagles Podcast

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  Speaker 1: Football and four powered by the Inside of the Birds podcasts.
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  Speaker 1: It is brought to by the Fanatic Sports Book at
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  Speaker 1: Ocean Casini Resort in Atlantic City, and of course, the
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  Speaker 1: Eagles getting ready for the Raiders back at one o'clock
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  Speaker 1: on a Sunday feels right. Don't discount what the Eagles schedule.
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  Speaker 1: It's been be bopping them all over the place. A Friday,
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  Speaker 1: a Monday night, a Sunday night. You know, they just
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  Speaker 1: have not played a Sunday one o'clock game. Can they
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  Speaker 1: get back in the rhythm? Andrew de Checko Football at
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  Speaker 1: four from the Inside the Birds podcast joins us now
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  Speaker 1: and Andrew. Obviously, after the Monday night game, kind of
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  Speaker 1: a short week here, they're back in getting ready for
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  Speaker 1: the Raiders. Does it feel like there's some normalcy around
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  Speaker 1: the Novercare Complex. Does Jeordis still feel kind of the
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  Speaker 1: the aftershock of losing that Monday night game in their
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  Speaker 1: third straight loss.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think the away uneasiness, at least in my estimation,
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  Speaker 2: Mike is on the outside. This team is not waivered.
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  Speaker 2: The messaging has been consistent. They've banded together. There's been
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  Speaker 2: no finger pointing, and I think that's important to note,
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  Speaker 2: because obviously, to lose three games in a row, that's
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  Speaker 2: not something that a lot of teams are equipped to handle.
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  Speaker 2: But for the Philadelphia Eagles, they've been there before. They
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  Speaker 2: know what it takes to win, and I believe that
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  Speaker 2: that they believe that they're close to really clicking on
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  Speaker 2: all cylinders, and they're sort of I don't want to
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  Speaker 2: say it's them against the world, but they're sort of
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  Speaker 2: banding together and not necessarily paying attention to the outside noise.
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  Speaker 2: And they have a game in which favors them pretty
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  Speaker 2: significantly this weekend against the Raiders, so they're gonna have
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  Speaker 2: to go out there and take care of not one
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  Speaker 2: for style points. That doesn't really do anything for me,
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  Speaker 2: but you want to see certain things cleaned up in
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  Speaker 2: terms of turnovers, execution, and things of that nature.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, no doubt.
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  Speaker 2: One thing.
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  Speaker 1: We were playing some of the audio from Nick Foles podcast,
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  Speaker 1: and one thing he said was, you know, fundamentals has
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  Speaker 1: really hurt this team, and that is something over the
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  Speaker 1: last one three, four to five weeks, even in a
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  Speaker 1: couple of wins. Do you look at this team as
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  Speaker 1: you know, I don't say fundamentally broken, but that just
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  Speaker 1: a couple fine tunings. Is all this team needs or
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  Speaker 1: is it a bigger picture than that.
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  Speaker 2: No, I mean it is always bigger picture than that.
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  Speaker 2: I think it has to do with more more than
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  Speaker 2: just losing sight of the details that they pride themselves on.
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  Speaker 2: To Nick Sirianni and his coaching staff really harp on
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  Speaker 2: they're they're not getting the good play from their quarterback
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  Speaker 2: right now, and he's in a little bit of a slump.
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  Speaker 2: The running game, I thought showed signs of bombis with
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  Speaker 2: Sakuon Barkley. Now, fifty two of those yards came on
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  Speaker 2: that fake push push play, but I thought that there
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  Speaker 2: were a lot there were some positives to take away
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  Speaker 2: from that game in terms of I saw some more
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  Speaker 2: advanced concepts. I think that they were getting comfortable being
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  Speaker 2: uncomfortable and trying some different things offensively, utilizing the middle
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  Speaker 2: of the field. Jayalen Hurst was fitting some balls into
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  Speaker 2: tight windows. But I think by and largely, look at
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  Speaker 2: the offense, it's not just the penalties, it's overall execution.
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  Speaker 2: It's finding a rhythm in terms of Kevin Patulo calling plays,
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  Speaker 2: and the quarterback play needs to improve as well. So
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  Speaker 2: it's there's a lot of different variables here when you
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  Speaker 2: look at the offenses that they need to get right
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  Speaker 2: and they have a handful of opportunities to do it
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  Speaker 2: before the postseason.
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  Speaker 1: One of the things we're talking with Andrew to check
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  Speaker 1: out for Football four. Don't forget to check out Andrew
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  Speaker 1: and all this guys stuff over at inside the Birds
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  Speaker 1: dot com. What are the things full says? He said,
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  Speaker 1: the Eagles don't have an offense. They just run plays.
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  Speaker 1: When you look at this offense now, Jeff It talked
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  Speaker 1: about on Football four on Tuesday that, yeah, they did
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  Speaker 1: try to open up the offense a little bit on
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  Speaker 1: Monday night. What do you make of what they do
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  Speaker 1: offensively and what they try what they want to try
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  Speaker 1: to be offensively.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I mean they're striving for balance and they're trying
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  Speaker 2: to make it a little bit more advanced. Now the
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  Speaker 2: offense has been pretty basic. I think all of us
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  Speaker 2: with I said watch the Eagles this season can attest
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  Speaker 2: to that. But when the offense isn't going well, Mike,
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  Speaker 2: you have to try and find different things that you
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  Speaker 2: can do, whether that's different types of personnel, you go
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  Speaker 2: maybe have more eleven personnel, maybe you're implementing multiple different
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  Speaker 2: running backs and getting them in the mix, or they're
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  Speaker 2: looking at the tight end position right, maybe cam Latsho's
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  Speaker 2: getting more involved. There's always so many things you can
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  Speaker 2: turn to at this point in the season, but clearly
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  Speaker 2: what they were doing week in and week out wasn't
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  Speaker 2: being efficient enough, not for the talent that they have
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  Speaker 2: on that side of the ball. So I think that
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  Speaker 2: they were trying some different things to see if it
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  Speaker 2: was going to work. Sometimes it did, but more often
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  Speaker 2: than not. Monday night, as we all know, it did
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  Speaker 2: not five turnovers from the quarterback and aj Brown, let's
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  Speaker 2: not forget three critical drops. I thought he was very
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  Speaker 2: accountable post game in the locker room at SOFI Stadium,
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  Speaker 2: and it was just just I think there's some things
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  Speaker 2: that they were trying to implement in that game that
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  Speaker 2: we're encouraging. I'm curious to see if they choose to
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  Speaker 2: move forward in that direction, because I do feel like
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  Speaker 2: there were some plays, some shows, some signs of promise,
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  Speaker 2: although they weren't able to come out of that game
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  Speaker 2: with the win.
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  Speaker 1: So you know, obviously Hurts is getting a lot of
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  Speaker 1: there's a lot of outside noises you said they're not
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  Speaker 1: listening to. It is the criticism, I don't. I think
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  Speaker 1: it's ludicrous to suggests playing Tanner McKee or Benching Hurts.
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  Speaker 1: But do you look at Hurts as in a slump struggling?
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  Speaker 1: Do they call plays because of things that Hurts can't do?
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  Speaker 1: What do you make of this stretch that hurts his
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  Speaker 1: almost admittedly has struggled in.
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, and to the first part of what you said, yeah,
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  Speaker 2: it's absolutely absurd, absurd for anyone to even consider that
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  Speaker 2: or or or have that thought. But I look at
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  Speaker 2: Jalen Hurts and he is in a bit of a slump.
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  Speaker 2: He hasn't had a standout season compared to what we've
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  Speaker 2: seen him be able to do. And he's the first
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  Speaker 2: one to mention that he often talks about execution. It
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  Speaker 2: starts with him, he always says, I, and he points
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  Speaker 2: the you know, points the finger inward, which is the
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  Speaker 2: first step of being a leader. But I think that
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  Speaker 2: there's plays that he's leaving on the field. He wasn't
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  Speaker 2: seeing the field well at all on Monday night, And
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  Speaker 2: I just think that there's been a lot of those
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  Speaker 2: instances throughout the season where yes, you can look at
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  Speaker 2: the play calling, Yes you can look at the offensive line,
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  Speaker 2: which by the way, I think has done a really
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  Speaker 2: good job in pass protection. But it all starts with
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  Speaker 2: the quarterback. He touches the ball on every play, and
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  Speaker 2: he hasn't been efficient enough when the Eagles have needed
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  Speaker 2: him to relative to what we've seen him do and
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  Speaker 2: elevate his play on the largest stages and critical moments.
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  Speaker 1: Andrew, one of the things with this offense is, you know,
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  Speaker 1: you talked about the how basic it is and how
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  Speaker 1: simple it is, and you talked about the run game
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  Speaker 1: a little bit here, but one of the things that
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  Speaker 1: Foles talked about was the lack of the screen game.
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  Speaker 1: And one of the observations I made last hour is
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  Speaker 1: the screen game almost seems non existent. And how is
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  Speaker 1: that like a Johnny Wilson, Like how you don't think
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  Speaker 1: about these little things like Ben Van Summer and getting hurt. Yeah,
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  Speaker 1: that almost seems like, Eh, who cares Ben Van Schumer?
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  Speaker 1: And but like do you have to rip a page
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  Speaker 1: out of the playbook because he was the full back?
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  Speaker 1: And then the screen game not having a guy like
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  Speaker 1: Johnny Wilson almost feels like that is such an afterthought
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  Speaker 1: because like no one cares about him in the passing
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  Speaker 1: game until like decent. Do you think something like that
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  Speaker 1: is not looked at enough?
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  Speaker 2: You know, it's a great question. I'm glad you brought
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  Speaker 2: that up, because on the surface, I'm sure a lot
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  Speaker 2: on the outside didn't make much of Johnny Wilson and
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  Speaker 2: Ben Van Sumern, you know, being out for the season,
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  Speaker 2: but it was always critical for those of us who
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  Speaker 2: cover the team, and you know you pointing it out.
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  Speaker 2: Obviously you noted it as well, because they provide a
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  Speaker 2: lot of different things that don't necessarily show up on
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  Speaker 2: the box score. Van Sumern as a blocker on special teams,
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  Speaker 2: one of the best athletes on the team. Johnny Wilson
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  Speaker 2: does a lot of that dirty work. Now they've tried
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  Speaker 2: to find a couple of players to fulfill that role
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  Speaker 2: in Darius Cooper, who I think has done a solid job.
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  Speaker 2: He had a really good block on that fifty two
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  Speaker 2: yard Saquon bark We run. And I think Cam Latu
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  Speaker 2: has done a nice job as a fullback when they
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  Speaker 2: call upon I mean only average is about five snaps
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  Speaker 2: or so a game, but he's been an absolute force
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  Speaker 2: on special teams. So it just shows you how important
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  Speaker 2: those roles are for the overall functionality of this football team.
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  Speaker 2: But Mike, the screen game has never been a part
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  Speaker 2: of this offense under Jalen Hurts. For whatever reason. It's
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  Speaker 2: not something that I don't know if he doesn't feel
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  Speaker 2: comfortable with it, or if it's just something that they
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  Speaker 2: scrap because for various reasons. But it's funny because in
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  Speaker 2: training camp that's something that you often see. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: Will Shipley must have caught thirty Will routes sa Quon
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  Speaker 2: Barkley the same thing, and they were winning consistently. And
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  Speaker 2: even then the checkdown game, Will Shipley was peppered with
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  Speaker 2: targets in the summer. But as we've seen, whether it's
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  Speaker 2: DeAndre Swift a few years ago, a couple of years ago,
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  Speaker 2: sa Kwon Barkley last summer, or even this past summer
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  Speaker 2: that we just had, I mean, it just never manifested
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  Speaker 2: into the regular season for whatever reason.
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  Speaker 1: So a couple you've heard all the comparisons to twenty
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  Speaker 1: twenty three. Everybody has been saying, oh, you know, there's
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  Speaker 1: a lot other than the defense. This time it's the offense.
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  Speaker 1: And the game that really was the backbreaker was that
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  Speaker 1: Cardinal game. Oh, they play the Cardinals and they got
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  Speaker 1: waxed by that Cardinals team. Everyone feels like this Raiders team.
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  Speaker 1: It's the Raiders. But is there something that worries you
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  Speaker 1: about this particular game. This is a Raiders team that
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  Speaker 1: I believe has lost seventh straight. They are banged up,
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  Speaker 1: they have one of the worst offensive lines in the league.
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  Speaker 1: They don't do much of good of anything. So is
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  Speaker 1: there something about this game would wear you or if
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  Speaker 1: they lose this game with the worry beyond.
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  Speaker 2: Well, they do have Max Crosby, who's one of the
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  Speaker 2: more preeminent pass rushers in the league, but you're right, Mike,
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  Speaker 2: outside of that, they are absent of a lot of talent.
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  Speaker 2: And if you can't protect in the trenches, I mean
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  Speaker 2: you're not able to play offense. And so I think
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  Speaker 2: they're getting an upgrade in quarterback this week and Kenny Pickett.
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  Speaker 2: And you never want to take any team lightly, and
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  Speaker 2: Eagles certainly are not. But I think that this game.
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  Speaker 2: I don't draw the same comparison to the Cardinals game
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  Speaker 2: of last season because I maintained that this season is
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  Speaker 2: not like the twenty twenty three season where both units
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  Speaker 2: sort of unraveled down the stretch. I say the offense
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  Speaker 2: as well, because they were going off script in Seattle
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  Speaker 2: and they just weren't. You know, it wasn't. This togetherness
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  Speaker 2: on both sides of the ball of the defense has
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  Speaker 2: carried the Eagles through many of these games this season
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  Speaker 2: and deserve a lot of credit for that, and they
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  Speaker 2: did not have that to hang their hat on in
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  Speaker 2: twenty twenty three. But I look at this game and
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  Speaker 2: if they were to lose it, yeah, that's concerning, because
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  Speaker 2: the Raiders are among the worst teams in football, and
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  Speaker 2: this team is far too talented. I know we keep
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  Speaker 2: saying that, but it is far too talented to lose
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  Speaker 2: to a team like the Raiders. But any given week
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  Speaker 2: this season has been weird because you see whether it
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: was the Giants taking the Lions down the wire, you know,
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  Speaker 2: a few weeks ago, four weeks ago, or countless times
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  Speaker 2: throughout the season, you see teams that are winning games
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  Speaker 2: that probably shouldn't. I don't think that that's gonna happen
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  Speaker 2: this week. I think Veagles will take care of business.
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  Speaker 2: But if they don't, Mike, yeah, that is concerning.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you lose a game to the Raiders, I think
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  Speaker 1: all any fears of what's what this team might end
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  Speaker 1: up being or legitimate. You can't lose this game at all.
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  Speaker 2: And if you win this game, lose this game.
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  Speaker 1: No, And it's almost Andrew, if you win this game,
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  Speaker 1: it almost does no goodwill because it's the Raiders. So
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  Speaker 1: and by the way, they played the Commanders twice down
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  Speaker 1: the stretch, so it's really gonna be a hard, uh,
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  Speaker 1: you know, thing to figure out who this team is
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  Speaker 1: over these last four weeks. However, they do have the Raiders.
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  Speaker 1: It is one o'clock. You happy about the Sunday one
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  Speaker 1: o'clock game being back in the mix.
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  Speaker 2: Mike, I am over the moon with that one o'clock start, man,
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  Speaker 2: I gotta tell you. And it looks like we're gonna
• 11:46
  Speaker 2: get a little snow in the morning right here. Oh yeah,
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: so it should stop about noon based off of the
• 11:52
  Speaker 2: most recent weather report I was looking at. I was
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  Speaker 2: talking to Britain Covey yesterday and right away he was like, yeah,
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  Speaker 2: twenty six mile an hour wins like he's he's already
• 12:00
  Speaker 2: his mind is already there in terms of the weather
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  Speaker 2: and the environment, so that he can sort of get
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  Speaker 2: his mind right and base it all around that. So
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  Speaker 2: that kind of tells you what the weather is gonna
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  Speaker 2: be what We're gonna be in line for Sunday afternoon
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  Speaker 2: at one o'clock.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 2: Man.
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  Speaker 1: By the way, Brittain Covey is one of the great
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  Speaker 1: conversations to have. He's such an open he's so open
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  Speaker 1: and honest. It was almost two sometimes right.
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  Speaker 2: He's tremendous. He is absolutely the best. I just wrote
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  Speaker 2: a story about him and his return to the mix
• 12:29
  Speaker 2: and how he prepares and everything on inside the Birds
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  Speaker 2: dot Com. Always enjoy my conversations with Britain.
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  Speaker 1: I always enjoyed my conversations with you, Andrew to check
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  Speaker 1: o everybody, Eagles and the Raiders one o'clock right here
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  Speaker 1: on ninety seven three es Ben, all right, Bud, take care.
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  Speaker 2: Mike had a great weekend, man,