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Jeff Legwold joins Kreckman & Lindahl 10-7-24 · Jeff Legwold ESPN Broncos Reports

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: Jel Langwald is our Broncos insider Altitude Sports Radio ninety
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  Speaker 1: two five Pro Football, the insider I've covered the while
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  Speaker 1: Chef Legwall.
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  Speaker 2: He's the balloon popper. He doesn't blow it up.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
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  Speaker 1: i BDW Local sixty eight. Start with the chomp and
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  Speaker 1: with the career. It's Leggy on Altitude Sports Radio ninety
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  Speaker 1: two five. At a moment just now, I was looking
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  Speaker 1: up Pro Football Reference, I was like, how many career
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  Speaker 1: interceptions does Patrick Sir Tan have? And I was like, huh,
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  Speaker 1: thirty seven. That feels really really high. That was his dad.
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  Speaker 1: Oh there you go. Yeah, you gotta make sure you
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  Speaker 1: got the right Patrick, Sir Tan. That's absolutely critical. He's
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  Speaker 1: up to a nine career interceptions now after two yesterday,
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  Speaker 1: including a one hundred yard pick six in the second
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  Speaker 1: quarter that saved the game, may have very well saved
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  Speaker 1: the Broncos playoff chances here in twenty twenty four. Whenever
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  Speaker 1: he win is so critical. Jeff Legwald was there to
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  Speaker 1: cover it all for ESPN, and he joins us right
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  Speaker 1: now here on Altitude Sports Radio ninety two five. All right, Jeff,
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  Speaker 1: so It's so funny because when you talk about awards,
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  Speaker 1: people are always like, ay, you need stats to be
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  Speaker 1: able to cite, you need stats. I've been citing the
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  Speaker 1: stats uncertain of how much he has shut down number
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  Speaker 1: one receivers on opposing teams. But hey, a one hundred
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  Speaker 1: yard pick six is absolutely going to turn some heads.
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  Speaker 1: You've been an awards voter in the past. You know
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  Speaker 1: how tough it is for corners to be able to
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  Speaker 1: beat out the pass rushers when it comes to Defensive
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  Speaker 1: player of the Year. But five games in this Denver
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  Speaker 1: defense is turning heads and it's pretty obvious er Tan
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  Speaker 1: is the best player here.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, And I think sometimes we forget maybe the best status.
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  Speaker 2: Are you really good?
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  Speaker 1: You know?
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  Speaker 3: And I just I know we love to sort of
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  Speaker 3: wrap the game in as much, you know, numerology as
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  Speaker 3: we can, to explain things, to rank things, to differentiate
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  Speaker 3: one team, one player, one coach from another. But sometimes
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  Speaker 3: in athletics, you know, just that the goodness quotient, I
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  Speaker 3: guess is what I think is important. And you know,
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  Speaker 3: in my mind it's not, you know, just because he
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  Speaker 3: plays here, but he's the best at what he does
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  Speaker 3: at his position. Yeah, And I'm not sure you could
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  Speaker 3: make too long a list of players who are better
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  Speaker 3: than him on defense in the league. Again, you know,
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  Speaker 3: I think that's just a fact. And you know, we
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  Speaker 3: I know, a few of our people have done sort
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  Speaker 3: of their you know, quarter quarter of the season MVP,
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  Speaker 3: you know, on offense and defense, and he hasn't appeared
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  Speaker 3: that much. And I just think that's an oversight you
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  Speaker 3: can't explain to me. But those are conversations for later
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  Speaker 3: in the year. And there's still a ton of games
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  Speaker 3: for him to do plenty of things. But how difficult
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  Speaker 3: is it for a corner You know, I watched Champ
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  Speaker 3: Bailey intercept ten of roughly thirty five passes thrown his
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  Speaker 3: way that season, and he did not win Defensive Player
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  Speaker 3: of the Year.
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  Speaker 4: Oh good, Cool, It's been that way for a while, Jeff.
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  Speaker 4: Your biggest takeaway from yesterday's game, I thought.
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  Speaker 2: The defense responded.
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  Speaker 3: It was the first time they had really been scouted
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  Speaker 3: and people really hammered away at something they considered a deficiency,
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  Speaker 3: Like they attacked the inside linebackers pretty hard in the
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  Speaker 3: run game early on, you know, one hundred and ten
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  Speaker 3: yards rushing in the first half for the Raiders, a
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  Speaker 3: lot of that on that first the first two drives,
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  Speaker 3: and they rushed for five yards in the second half,
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  Speaker 3: and I think that's yeah, they didn't run it as
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  Speaker 3: much because the Broncos had things going, but the Broncos
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  Speaker 3: gave their offense nothing but short fields and turnovers and
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  Speaker 3: a good position for the second half.
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  Speaker 2: And look what it did for the Denver offense.
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  Speaker 3: So I think their ability to adjust on the fly,
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  Speaker 3: that was the first time they've really had to take
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  Speaker 3: a part that the game plan that they hoped for
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  Speaker 3: because they didn't get the results they wanted and they
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  Speaker 3: made it work, you know, but I think it is
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  Speaker 3: something to watch. I think that the Raiders had decided
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  Speaker 3: they were going to attack Sternad in the run game
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  Speaker 3: and when he played before as a rookie in the defense,
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  Speaker 3: that was a concern then and a big reason that
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  Speaker 3: they made a switch eventually from him. But I think
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  Speaker 3: he's a better player now than he was then. And
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  Speaker 3: their their ability to put things around and attack differently
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  Speaker 3: into the gaps, I think really was was my takeaway,
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  Speaker 3: and just that if they just settled down a little
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  Speaker 3: bit on offense, they can move the ball, and you know,
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  Speaker 3: Javonte Williams has gotten better the more they've tried it,
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  Speaker 3: And yeah, the numbers weren't good, but that's the run game.
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  Speaker 3: Sometimes you have to keep hammering the nail and just
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  Speaker 3: see and they've been a little more willing to do it.
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  Speaker 1: Jeff Legwald is with us here on a Monday after noon,
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  Speaker 1: breaking down a Broncos victory, a convincing Broncos victory. Jeff
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  Speaker 1: Legwald brought to you by the International Brotherhood of Electrical
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  Speaker 1: Workers IBW Local sixty eight. You start with a job,
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  Speaker 1: you end with a career, Jeff, how much has Sean
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  Speaker 1: Payton had to evolve his game plans and his coaching
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  Speaker 1: and the way that he's coaching this offense given just
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  Speaker 1: how good his defense is to make sure that this
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  Speaker 1: team is playing the right kind of complimentary football to
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  Speaker 1: be able to win games, Because it really does seem
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  Speaker 1: like game plan wise, he's really kind of found to
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  Speaker 1: groove with the kind of games that this team has
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  Speaker 1: to win. Right now.
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  Speaker 3: Well, I think it's, you know, it's still a work
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  Speaker 3: in progress, but I agree with you. I think he's
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  Speaker 3: he's slowly, you know, somewhat begrudgingly, you know, sort of
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  Speaker 3: discovering that they can go low risk on offense. They
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  Speaker 3: can just use a few more of the bigger sets.
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  Speaker 3: You know, we saw a lot of two back yesterday,
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  Speaker 3: some three tight end sets.
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  Speaker 1: Uh.
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  Speaker 3: You know, we saw just more of those things in
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  Speaker 3: unusual down in distance, like on first down, they use
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  Speaker 3: some of those things. So I think he's been a
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  Speaker 3: little more willing. But you know, I don't think we
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  Speaker 3: should ever think in his perfect world he doesn't want
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  Speaker 3: to just open it up a little more and let
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  Speaker 3: it rip. But that hasn't worked. So I think he's
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  Speaker 3: trying to find that balance of what he can sort
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  Speaker 3: of live with and what works the best. And uh,
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  Speaker 3: you know, the defenses, the three defenses they've beaten have
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  Speaker 3: cooperated a little bit, uh as well. You know, they've
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  Speaker 3: they've tried to come after Nicks and they haven't gotten
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  Speaker 3: the pressure on him. The first two defense you know,
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  Speaker 3: Seattle and Pittsburgh did.
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  Speaker 2: Uh, they have not.
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  Speaker 3: You know, nobody's had the success since Now this is
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  Speaker 3: a battered offensive line once again.
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  Speaker 2: And I think now the next couple of weeks.
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  Speaker 3: Here, or at least until mcglinchee gets back, Uh, I
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  Speaker 3: think they're going to be very telling and how willing
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  Speaker 3: Peyton is to to dial it back a bit.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, where are we at on those O line injuries?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah? I think today he was not very forthcoming about it.
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  Speaker 1: But oh no, no, did you know have you ever
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  Speaker 1: had an issue with him injuries before? Joe?
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  Speaker 3: No, I just I think, you know, I want to
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  Speaker 3: remind people that it's he finds it somewhat distasteful to
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  Speaker 3: talk about injuries. So I'm just gonna but you know,
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  Speaker 3: they those guys, Uh, we're not looking very spry after
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  Speaker 3: the game, so I wouldn't think, you know, you're just
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  Speaker 3: gonna come whipping back from from either one of those.
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  Speaker 3: And you know, when when Wattenberg went down, you know
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  Speaker 3: when it when your teammates taken knee immediately after the play,
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  Speaker 3: you're you're the concern is real.
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  Speaker 2: So I always take that as a little bit of
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  Speaker 2: a gauge too, all.
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  Speaker 4: Right, Jeff, I don't know how to ask this question,
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  Speaker 4: so I'll do the best that I can. But just
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  Speaker 4: to mix it up a little bit, Uh, why is
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  Speaker 4: the white cornerback still kind of a funny thing to
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  Speaker 4: talk about? I heard the cut from certain in post game,
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  Speaker 4: and you know, I know, but it just had me
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  Speaker 4: kind of laughing because Pat was trying to figure out
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  Speaker 4: a way to just say it, and then he finally
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  Speaker 4: just goes, look, man, he's a white cornerback.
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  Speaker 1: I don't know, he's beating the odds.
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  Speaker 4: Why is it still so funny all these years later, Jeff.
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  Speaker 1: Is just because tough coverage, pretty coverage.
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  Speaker 2: Possession receiver scrappy.
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  Speaker 3: No, you know, I'm at least glad we don't do
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  Speaker 3: this at receiver anymore. That like, I don't hear scouting
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  Speaker 3: reports on guys that are truly fast as if they're not.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, Riley Moss is a great athlete if he's purple.
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  Speaker 3: I mean, the guy is a phenomenal athlete. So that's
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  Speaker 3: how the players approach it. I mean I can I
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  Speaker 3: can honestly tell you every player I know in the
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  Speaker 3: league wouldn't give a rats ass if a guy was
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  Speaker 3: you know, fuchia. If he can run and cover and
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  Speaker 3: tackle and help them win.
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  Speaker 2: They're on board.
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  Speaker 3: But you know, it's it's I think it's still just
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  Speaker 3: one of these things in twenty twenty four that peaks
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  Speaker 3: our interest. But you know, I just I want to
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  Speaker 3: express the people that Roley Wats is a phenomenal athlete
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  Speaker 3: He's a better athlete than a lot of guys playing corner.
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  Speaker 3: And that's that's why the Broncos defense looks the way
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  Speaker 3: it does.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, right now, is the secondary the reason that this
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  Speaker 1: thing is so damn special? Like in, Zach Allen's having
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  Speaker 1: a very good year, Jonathan Cooper's up to four sacks now,
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  Speaker 1: Benito Is has obviously been a playmaker. But like these
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  Speaker 1: guys are, they're nobody's idea of TJ. Watt out there
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  Speaker 1: on the edge, or you know, nobody confuses Zach Allen
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  Speaker 1: with Aaron Donald or anything else like that. Like how
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  Speaker 1: much is the secondary creating a situation where the Broncos
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  Speaker 1: can have this kind of pressure?
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  Speaker 3: Well, I will tell you other teams, personnel executives, the
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  Speaker 3: guy guys can get paid to evaluate everybody else's roster. Ah,
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  Speaker 3: they think Zach Allen's having a phenomenal year to start
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  Speaker 3: just hime moder and just crushing it and getting them
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  Speaker 3: as getting a lot more single single looks than he
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  Speaker 3: did last year. You know, he had a lot more
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  Speaker 3: double tea last year, and he's is he is crushing
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  Speaker 3: single blocking right now.
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  Speaker 2: But it does start with the secondary.
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  Speaker 3: It's a Russian cover league right now, and the Broncos
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  Speaker 3: have two of the most difficult players to fined in
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  Speaker 3: today's draft universe.
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  Speaker 2: A top level nickel and a the alpha corner.
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  Speaker 3: Those are the two other than quarterback franchise quarterback. Those
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  Speaker 3: may be the two most difficult players to find in
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  Speaker 3: the draft landscape. Is a true alpha at corner and
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  Speaker 3: the nickel corner who can tackle in the run like
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  Speaker 3: a safety and cover like a corner in the in
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  Speaker 3: open space. And the Broncos have both in Sir Tanna McMillan.
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  Speaker 3: And you throw in Moss that is that's a ton
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  Speaker 3: of size, that's a ton of catch radius, that's a
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  Speaker 3: ton of passing lane difficulty.
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  Speaker 2: They're just hard to throw against.
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  Speaker 3: And if those three guys stay healthy, they can mix
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  Speaker 3: and match so many things other people can. And Brandon
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  Speaker 3: Jones has been a good acquisition, and I think he's
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  Speaker 3: spent pretty good with the additional responsibilities. The Dolphins didn't
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  Speaker 3: ask him to do nearly as much as the Broncos are,
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  Speaker 3: and he's he's kind of flourished.
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  Speaker 1: You get a bow nixt question, Come on, somebody asking
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  Speaker 1: your question, Come on, what do you want to ask? Jeff?
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  Speaker 1: How's he playing? Okay, right now, like he's five games
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  Speaker 1: into this thing, he's progressing as a pro quarterback. He's
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  Speaker 1: not making big mistakes, he's getting into a sideline tip
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  Speaker 1: with his head coach. Break it down for us right now,
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  Speaker 1: How is he doing in terms of a week to
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  Speaker 1: week progression of getting to a place where it's like, Okay,
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  Speaker 1: this guy can be a he can be the guy
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  Speaker 1: for this franchise.
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  Speaker 3: Well, I mean he's playing like the rookie he is,
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  Speaker 3: and I think that's good. You know, he's obviously got
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  Speaker 3: a little bit of mental toughness about him. Because if
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  Speaker 3: you're willing to go toe to toe with your head coach,
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  Speaker 3: I don't care who you are as a rookie, you
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  Speaker 3: got a little something about you. And I think those
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  Speaker 3: are good things if it's all handled the right way,
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  Speaker 3: and I think it is. You know, I think all
• 13:24
  Speaker 3: the players know at some point, you know, the teapot's
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  Speaker 3: gonna go for Peyton on you.
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  Speaker 2: If you're the player, it's just gonna happen. But from a.
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  Speaker 3: Football perspective, opposing defenses are still essentially defending a rectangle
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  Speaker 3: and that's it. You know, they're they're last in the
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  Speaker 3: league and yards per completion. You know, they're near the
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  Speaker 3: bottom of every air yard statistic or anything that measures
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  Speaker 3: pushing the ball down the field. They're one of the
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  Speaker 3: worst offenses in the league. Now, that's not all him,
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  Speaker 3: but until that changes, we're not gonna see his full progress.
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  Speaker 3: We're not going to see what he can really do
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  Speaker 3: because they're not doing a lot of the things other
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  Speaker 3: guys are doing. I mean, you watch where Jayden Daniels
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  Speaker 3: is putting the ball. The Broncos are not playing offense
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  Speaker 3: that way right now. And whether that's a Bonnicks thing
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  Speaker 3: or a Sean Payton thing or a combination.
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  Speaker 1: Or not having a Terry McLaurin thing.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, receivers not getting consistent separation.
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  Speaker 2: But right now, the Broncos don't test.
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  Speaker 3: Defenses deep middle, deep boundary, even intermediate very often. And
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  Speaker 3: to me, that's the that's the rub right now, because
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  Speaker 3: it's easy to defend the rectangle and make it crowded,
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  Speaker 3: and if you don't run people out of that sometimes
• 14:59
  Speaker 3: to get that safety out of there, then that's an
• 15:03
  Speaker 3: issue too. But that would that's my question right now,
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  Speaker 3: is how much of that is him just trying to
• 15:10
  Speaker 3: be careful not make a huge mistake. And how much
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  Speaker 3: of that is just how they're structured right now because
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  Speaker 3: they're getting nothing from tight ends. You know, they only
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  Speaker 3: have three touchdown passes and that's near the bottom of
• 15:22
  Speaker 3: the league, and he got two of those yesterday. So again,
• 15:26
  Speaker 3: those are the big issues as well. But I think
• 15:31
  Speaker 3: one thing I would say is a good sign is
• 15:34
  Speaker 3: just how he's handled at all. I've seen this place
• 15:38
  Speaker 3: Wilt a lot more experienced guys than him after five weeks.
• 15:42
  Speaker 3: I mean, there were times I thought case Keenum had
• 15:45
  Speaker 3: the forty yard stare in the locker room.
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  Speaker 2: So, you know, I think that's a that's.
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  Speaker 3: A very good thing because in the end, that's an
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  Speaker 3: enormous component for a quarterback.
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  Speaker 2: Just can you handle having the job?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it looks like you're sticking it. He's standing
• 16:03
  Speaker 1: up to it right now. They're playing conservative, but the
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  Speaker 1: defense is winning them games. Run game is coming along.
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  Speaker 1: There's there's a recipe right here, Jeff. Something's happening right
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  Speaker 1: now with the Broncos. There's a recipe. Okay, is it
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  Speaker 1: the most sustainable thing in the NFL? Not really, but
• 16:21
  Speaker 1: you can go to the playoffs. They playing this kind
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  Speaker 1: of football, Jeff, Well.
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  Speaker 3: Nate I think what you say about the recipe that
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  Speaker 3: the real question is will the chef stick with it?
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  Speaker 3: I mean that you know this it almost makes him,
• 16:36
  Speaker 3: you know, like an electron just want to like bounce
• 16:40
  Speaker 3: off things when when they're playing like this, you know,
• 16:44
  Speaker 3: you can just tell that you know, he's got the play.
• 16:46
  Speaker 2: Seat and he wants to go.
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
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  Speaker 3: So I think a lot of this is how Sean
• 16:52
  Speaker 3: Payton does what he talks about a lot, which is
• 16:54
  Speaker 3: having a vision for who you have and what you
• 16:57
  Speaker 3: want to do with him. And I think they've done
• 16:59
  Speaker 3: it utter against you know, the last few teams. But
• 17:04
  Speaker 3: you know, I just think defensively, you know, I think
• 17:08
  Speaker 3: the teeth of the matter we're really we're really going
• 17:12
  Speaker 3: to see is a little bit this week, nobody's throwing
• 17:15
  Speaker 3: the ball down the field against the Chargers. They've given
• 17:18
  Speaker 3: up a couple of big plays, but overall, nobody's even
• 17:21
  Speaker 3: tested them deep. And then up the road, you know,
• 17:25
  Speaker 3: down the road on the schedule that Chiefs Ravens double
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  Speaker 3: dip on the road is going to be a pretty
• 17:32
  Speaker 3: telling yardstick as well.
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  Speaker 1: All right, so fifteen and two could be tough. Jeff Lagweld,
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  Speaker 1: everybody ESPN read his stuff right there, Leggy, good work
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: as always, Man Thanks Bellad.