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Sam Darnold: "We're Really Excited About This Opportunity" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: All right, Yeah, obviously third time playing these guys. Really
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: good team, right, really good defense, really good scheme, good players.
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  Speaker 1: So like always, man, we're we're really excited about this
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  Speaker 1: opportunity to play these guys. And uh, yeah, you just
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  Speaker 1: gotta have a really good week of practice. For me,
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  Speaker 1: I gotta you know, continue to attack, you know, all
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  Speaker 1: the things that I need to attack, you know, just
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  Speaker 1: uh getting ready, like I said, getting ready to to
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  Speaker 1: play these guys, but but also just get my body right,
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: get my body right to be ready for Sunday.
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  Speaker 2: When you went back and actually study Saturdays film, what
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  Speaker 2: stood out about the offense the obvious numbers?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think just staying on schedule. I think, you know,
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  Speaker 1: staying positive on first and second down, staying ahead of
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  Speaker 1: the change chains. I think that's a that's a huge
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  Speaker 1: point of emphasis for us, you know, every single week.
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  Speaker 1: So for us to go out and do that last week,
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  Speaker 1: it was huge in the.
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  Speaker 2: Obvious But what has it done for you guys defensive
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  Speaker 2: to have a run game do it the last four game?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, when whenever you get the run game
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  Speaker 1: going the way the way it has been, it's it's huge.
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  Speaker 1: It you know, opens up the past game, and you
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  Speaker 1: know we can play action off of it, you know,
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  Speaker 1: run our run, run keepers, all those things. So yeah,
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  Speaker 1: it's great whenever the run game gets come.
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  Speaker 2: So how'd you feel a day after that game?
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  Speaker 1: And how do you feel now? Feel good? You know,
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  Speaker 1: feeling really good, just attacking rehab these last couple of days.
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  Speaker 1: Obviously will be throughout the week. So like I said,
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  Speaker 1: just got to continue to prepare and get my body
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  Speaker 1: right for Sunday.
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  Speaker 2: But it was best about the Rams other than the
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  Speaker 2: week you said, you wouldn't want it any other way
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  Speaker 2: playing these guys.
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  Speaker 3: Do you feel it similar and.
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  Speaker 1: Who said that? I'm sorry? Oh yeah, do.
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  Speaker 3: You feel similarly? And is there anything unique about.
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  Speaker 1: The Rams kind of separate the like I said, I
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  Speaker 1: mean they're a really good team. Obviously, it's the NFC Championship,
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  Speaker 1: so you know, two best teams in the NFC going
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  Speaker 1: at it. So yeah, it's a it's a really good
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  Speaker 1: opportunity to just play good football, you know, have that
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  Speaker 1: kind of next opponent, next game mentality. You know, obviously
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  Speaker 1: we know the stakes kind of like I said last week,
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  Speaker 1: you know the stakes of the game. You know it's
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  Speaker 1: winner go home at this point. But you know, we
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: we look at it as another game. You know, we
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  Speaker 1: trust our process throughout the week and go about it
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  Speaker 1: that way.
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  Speaker 3: Donald say he exhaled a little bit after the sequence
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  Speaker 3: where you got sacked and then hit.
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  Speaker 1: Cooper on the next played.
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  Speaker 3: Did you have any moments in the game like that
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  Speaker 3: you felt like, yeah, I'm gonna be okay or anything like.
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  Speaker 1: That, or yeah, I think just once I came out,
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  Speaker 1: to be honest, once I came out in warm ups
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  Speaker 1: and felt good throwing the ball. You know, I was
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  Speaker 1: confident about going out there and letting it rip. And
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  Speaker 1: you know, whatever happens throughout the game, whether I take
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  Speaker 1: a hit or not, like you know, it's whatever happens happens.
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  Speaker 1: You know, if I something you know tragic happens and
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  Speaker 1: I you know, go down and you know can't get
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  Speaker 1: up or you know, then it is what it is.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, uh, Drew Jalen, you know they're they're
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  Speaker 1: ready to go. But obviously hopefully that doesn't happen. But yeah,
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  Speaker 1: I'm I'm ready to you know, attack everything and be
• 3:01
  Speaker 1: ready for anything.
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  Speaker 3: Sam, what you.
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  Speaker 2: Guys miss without having Zach available?
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  Speaker 1: Now, Yeah, obviously Zach's a you know He's been a
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  Speaker 1: huge part of our offense, you know, just the way
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  Speaker 1: that he runs the football, downhill runner. He's been really
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  Speaker 1: good for us this year. So we're gonna miss him,
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  Speaker 1: but we got a lot of guys that can step up,
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  Speaker 1: you know with him out a little bit of dolls
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  Speaker 1: at USC right with Dayless? Yeah, yeah, did do you remember?
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  Speaker 1: What do you remember about him when when.
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  Speaker 2: You guys write us together?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, first of all, he's a great dude, uh,
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  Speaker 1: you know, and then he's he's just a really good runner,
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  Speaker 1: explosive you know, can make guys miss week.
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  Speaker 3: And at this stage of the year, is that is
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  Speaker 3: it Is it important that you get the majority of
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  Speaker 3: the reps or twenty weeks in you kind of know
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  Speaker 3: what you're doing.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's always important to get reps throughout practice,
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  Speaker 1: throughout walkthroughs. So reps are reps are always vital throughout
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  Speaker 1: the week.
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  Speaker 3: Does it stay on schedule? Earlier in the seasons, you
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: guys were toward the Bobby, the NFL and second or
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  Speaker 3: third long and converting. You've actually become like one of
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  Speaker 3: the best teams at that recently. That's something that you
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  Speaker 3: guys have kind of worked on to be able to
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  Speaker 3: get back on schedule.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, you know, for us, it's just everyone
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  Speaker 1: doing their job right. It's doesn't necessarily you know, you
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  Speaker 1: don't work on that more than you would on you know,
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  Speaker 1: other weeks. I think it's just everyone executing and doing
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  Speaker 1: their job. But I think just you know, everyone kind
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  Speaker 1: of locking into their job and their responsibilities. As the
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  Speaker 1: season has progressed, we've just gotten better at that was talking.
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  Speaker 2: About the week eleven lost down in LA and the
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  Speaker 2: feeling of the team coming at a game like, Hey,
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  Speaker 2: you guys felt like despite the loss.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, really good going.
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  Speaker 3: What do you kind of remember about the vibe.
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  Speaker 2: Coming out of that game?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, obviously you know, it wasn't my best performance, you know,
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  Speaker 1: just you know, and was still a chance to win
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  Speaker 1: at the end. So, you know, for for me personally,
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  Speaker 1: it's just you know, obviously comes down to protecting the football,
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: being smart and getting the ball out of my hands
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  Speaker 1: at the same time. You know, now you're with that.
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  Speaker 2: You know, we hear all the time that how close
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  Speaker 2: this team is.
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  Speaker 3: What Ernest said that for that game, like, how much
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  Speaker 3: did that kind of was that an example of.
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  Speaker 1: What we've Yeah, I think you know that's that's how
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  Speaker 1: we feel about everybody, you know, and obviously he said
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  Speaker 1: that about me and it was great. You know, it's
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  Speaker 1: great to hear that, you know, as especially coming from
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  Speaker 1: mej and one of the you know, leaders on this team.
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  Speaker 1: But everyone feels that same way, like everyone has each
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  Speaker 1: other's back in that locker room, and that's one of
• 5:31
  Speaker 1: the best parts about this team.
• 5:33
  Speaker 2: On the topic of like protecting the blood I just mentioned,
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  Speaker 2: Mike has told us that his coaching style to you
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  Speaker 2: and everyone else is not just simply don't mess up
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  Speaker 2: like in your case, He's like, I'm not gonna tell
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  Speaker 2: so don't just throw don't throw picks? Right? Does that
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  Speaker 2: matter to you that that the messaging is that way,
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  Speaker 2: Like it's not just don't mess up?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think you know, I've been saying it all year,
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  Speaker 1: like I'm I'm gonna turn it loose and I'm gonna,
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  Speaker 1: you know, if it's there and you know, we get
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  Speaker 1: we get the coverage for the right play and I
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  Speaker 1: feel like it there, I'm gonna let it rip. But yeah,
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  Speaker 1: just being smart with the football is always is always
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  Speaker 1: at a premium, like I gotta I gotta take care
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  Speaker 1: of the football. At the end of the day. And
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  Speaker 1: you know, that's that's where my mind's at. But you know,
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  Speaker 1: if if we get the right coverage and the right
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  Speaker 1: play and I feel like the guys open, I'm gonna
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  Speaker 1: let it rip something.
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  Speaker 2: You're maybe better equipped the right word, but like better
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  Speaker 2: equipped to do now in the year whatever you are
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  Speaker 2: versus earlier.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, you know, experience always plays a part
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  Speaker 1: in it, you know, and I'm kind of leaving it
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  Speaker 1: at that, but yeah, I think the more you experience
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  Speaker 1: the game, the way games go. You know. It's just
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  Speaker 1: we've kind of seen throughout the playoffs honestly to like,
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  Speaker 1: teams that take care of the football are you know,
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  Speaker 1: usually the ones that that end up in the win
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  Speaker 1: column at the end of the day.
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  Speaker 3: The Rams do so well defensively that led to some
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  Speaker 3: of those takeaways.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, they do a lot of really good
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  Speaker 1: things defensively, just their schemes really good. You know, Coach Shula,
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  Speaker 1: those guys do a really good job of coaching those
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  Speaker 1: guys up on what to do. And like I said,
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  Speaker 1: the players make it come to life, you know, with
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  Speaker 1: certain disguises and pressures. So it's a you know, they're
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  Speaker 1: a really good team, really good defense, and play really hard.
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  Speaker 3: Talks about how his team is able to focus on
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  Speaker 3: I'm just having the best Whynesday, best Thursday. Block out
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  Speaker 3: all the external stuff.
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  Speaker 2: I'm sure that's a lot easier said than done, right,
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  Speaker 2: So what does it say about this team that you've
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  Speaker 2: been able to do that to get to this point,
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  Speaker 2: whether it's twenty five or now week twenty.
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's a lot of it has to
• 7:24
  Speaker 1: do with routine, in my opinion, Like if I just
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  Speaker 1: I feel like everyone does such a good job of
• 7:29
  Speaker 1: keeping their routine the same, you know, throughout throughout the day.
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  Speaker 1: And you know, when when you do that, it's it's
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  Speaker 1: easier to go about it like, oh, let's just go
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  Speaker 1: want to know this week or this is just another week,
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  Speaker 1: you know, if you change your routine. You know, one
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  Speaker 1: of the things too, is having you know, a couple
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  Speaker 1: press conferences during this week, So try not to, you know,
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  Speaker 1: change my routine too much based on those kind of things.
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  Speaker 1: But you know, it's just keeping everything the same, watch
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  Speaker 1: the same amount of tape I do on a normal week,
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  Speaker 1: and you know, go about it that way.
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  Speaker 3: Yeah, for a lot of different coaches at this point,
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  Speaker 3: and I've had, you know, most of a full season
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  Speaker 3: with with mac McDonald. How would you describe him differently
• 8:07
  Speaker 3: than other coaches with.
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  Speaker 1: I don't know if I don't know if I could
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  Speaker 1: say what he does different. I just know that things
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  Speaker 1: that he does really well. You know, he's he's very honest.
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  Speaker 1: He's very honest with the players, and he listens to players.
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  Speaker 1: You know, if if we're feeling a certain type of
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  Speaker 1: way and you know, about whatever it is, he's gonna
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  Speaker 1: listen to us. But at the same time, like he
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  Speaker 1: knows what's best for the team, and if guys are
• 8:35
  Speaker 1: saying one thing and they feel like we need something,
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  Speaker 1: then you know, coach is gonna put his foot down
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  Speaker 1: and be like, no, you know, this is what I
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  Speaker 1: feel like the team needs. So he's really good at
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  Speaker 1: balancing that as a head coach, which I feel like
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  Speaker 1: can be hard. So he does such a good job
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  Speaker 1: job of just running the show and leading us.
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  Speaker 3: Just named Offensive Player of the Year by the Pro
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  Speaker 3: Football Writers Association. Just what what can you say about
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  Speaker 3: what he's meant in.
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  Speaker 1: This offense this year? Yeah, I mean he's deserved it.
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  Speaker 1: You know, he deserves it. He's just just the way
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  Speaker 1: that he is day in and day out. His consistency,
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  Speaker 1: I think that's what everyone appreciates about him. And then
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: certain games where you know, he might not get the touches,
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: he might not get the yards or a touchdown, He's
• 9:17
  Speaker 1: gonna have the same attitude every single day, and I
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  Speaker 1: think that's what people appreciate about him.
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  Speaker 2: Around here was talking about how he and Jayler are
• 9:26
  Speaker 2: to the point where you don't have to talk during
• 9:27
  Speaker 2: the game, you.
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  Speaker 3: Can just get the call, they can look at each other.
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  Speaker 2: Certainly that affects their effectiveness.
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: In what way does that affect you know?
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  Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I think just everyone being on the same page,
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  Speaker 1: like you said, without having to communicate all the time,
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  Speaker 1: that's that's huge. It allows us to operate faster, which
• 9:45
  Speaker 1: again it helps us stay on schedule on first and
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  Speaker 1: second down. It's all tied together. So we just got
• 9:49
  Speaker 1: to continue to do a good job of that, and
• 9:52
  Speaker 1: you know, staying on the details throughout the week. I
• 9:54
  Speaker 1: think that's a that's a big part of it is,
• 9:56
  Speaker 1: you know, understanding what kind of defense we're playing and
• 9:59
  Speaker 1: what what different type of looks we can get and
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  Speaker 1: everyone communicating and being on the same page. Thanks guys,