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Leonard Williams: "This Is The Best Defense I've Played On" · Seahawks Press Pass

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: What's up, y'all?
• 0:02
  Speaker 2: Good?
• 0:05
  Speaker 3: Since we just patteringson hearing he got player that he
• 0:09
  Speaker 3: just mentioned. Kind of nice to get recognition. His name
• 0:12
  Speaker 3: maybe doesn't always come up in the conversation with some
• 0:14
  Speaker 3: of the top linebackers, but in the year and a
• 0:16
  Speaker 3: half you played with him, what's what's really impressed.
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  Speaker 2: You about him? I mean, I think his leadership, just
• 0:20
  Speaker 2: the way he shows up to work. I feel like
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  Speaker 2: he's just every down type of linebacker. He could play
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  Speaker 2: in space, playing coverage, he could play downhill in the
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  Speaker 2: run game. I mean, I think he's one of those
• 0:31
  Speaker 2: that do with all type of linebackers. And I agree
• 0:34
  Speaker 2: that it's great to see him get his recognition. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: I feel like anybody on this team out here getting
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  Speaker 2: recognition is a positive.
• 0:39
  Speaker 4: Has seen six years old or act.
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  Speaker 2: I was actually surprised when we found out it was
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  Speaker 2: his birthday and he said he was twenty six. I
• 0:47
  Speaker 2: thought he was a little bit older. I think just
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  Speaker 2: his demeanor and his maturity, and like I said, his
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  Speaker 2: leadership just uh, he feels like he's a He's been
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  Speaker 2: in the league for a long time, and it's cool
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  Speaker 2: to see that he's only twenty six because he has
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  Speaker 2: a long career ahead of him.
• 1:01
  Speaker 4: This speech after the game seem pretty emotional and all that,
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  Speaker 4: And what was that like, I guess for you guys teammates.
• 1:07
  Speaker 2: I mean for me, it's it's special to see one
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  Speaker 2: of my teammates be vulnerable and uh, you know feel
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  Speaker 2: safe enough. That says a lot about our team that
• 1:16
  Speaker 2: you know, he's comfortable with everybody on our team to
• 1:18
  Speaker 2: to be vulnerable in a space like that, and uh,
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  Speaker 2: you know feel like it's going to be taking well,
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  Speaker 2: like a family. And I think he's that's another big
• 1:26
  Speaker 2: reason why he's such a great leader on this team.
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: He's showing the young guys to do that, right.
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  Speaker 1: Is that unique to I mean you've been in some
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: different locker rooms. Is that unique to this locker room?
• 1:34
  Speaker 2: Yeah, I would say, I mean I feel like, you know,
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  Speaker 2: this is obviously a stressful career, a stressful job. People
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: have stuff going on outside of football. Uh, it's a
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  Speaker 2: high testosterone, male dominant type of environment. And uh, it's
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  Speaker 2: not the easiest place to, you know, to be vulnerable
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  Speaker 2: and say that you know you're struggling with something or
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  Speaker 2: something's hard for you. We're taught to like say nothing's
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  Speaker 2: hard and just go through it, you know, And I
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  Speaker 2: think that says a lot about his character and just
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  Speaker 2: his leadership.
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  Speaker 4: So beating Seattle, it's either football or enough.
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  Speaker 2: But it's pretty easy to block out distractions here. Yeah,
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  Speaker 2: you've been in La College in New York.
• 2:10
  Speaker 1: It's do you find Seattle to be that way that?
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  Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel the same way. I feel like the
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  Speaker 2: fan base, just the culture. Even outside of the facility,
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  Speaker 2: it just feels like it's like you're almost in one
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  Speaker 2: of those like southern towns. It feels like it's just
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  Speaker 2: like everything is about football here. You know, it just
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  Speaker 2: feels like it's like people bleed Seahawks out here. And
• 2:32
  Speaker 2: you know, like I said, even outside the building, how
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  Speaker 2: much with how about you.
• 2:36
  Speaker 4: Guys have been playing, especially on the interior defensive line.
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  Speaker 4: How much has it help that you and bron and
• 2:40
  Speaker 4: play together for a year now? And basically, I mean,
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  Speaker 4: I guess the Marcus is really the only kind of
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  Speaker 4: new part that saw the interplay.
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: That you guys have to do.
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  Speaker 4: And you know, everybody's been together now.
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  Speaker 2: For a while. Yeah, I mean building that trust, building
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  Speaker 2: that camaraderie, you know, building that connection and communication, you know,
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  Speaker 2: takes time. And uh, you know, especially for a young guy,
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  Speaker 2: I think, uh, you know, he's pressed me a lot
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: with the way he's been able to come in and
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  Speaker 2: just soak up knowledge, suck up all the information from
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  Speaker 2: the guys around him, learn how to communicate. Just he's
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  Speaker 2: starting to have more of a voice out there, which is,
• 3:09
  Speaker 2: you know, great, I need to be told some things
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  Speaker 2: that he's seeing as well. And I think he's just
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  Speaker 2: doing a good job taking on his role and he's
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  Speaker 2: developing well.
• 3:20
  Speaker 1: Mike McDonald about the fact that, you know, you still
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: don't seem like you're getting his trick recognition for how
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  Speaker 1: much you contribute, and he talked about how much selfless
• 3:28
  Speaker 1: play you do, how much you create for others. Do
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  Speaker 1: you feel what do you feel like is going to
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  Speaker 1: be the moment that maybe people recognize what you bring?
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  Speaker 1: And how much does that matter to you?
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  Speaker 2: I mean, I think it matter for you know, everybody
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  Speaker 2: like you. J just said he felt, you know, happy
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  Speaker 2: that you know he's getting that recognition. I think everybody
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  Speaker 2: wants their recognition, they want their flowers and things like that.
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  Speaker 2: But I think, you know, part of me is just
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  Speaker 2: doing what I can control. Uh, you know, I don't
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  Speaker 2: I want. I want the recognition obviously, but I think
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  Speaker 2: it's not of me to try to like force or
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  Speaker 2: chase those things. I think it's better of me to
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: you know, be trusted by my teammates, be trusted by
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  Speaker 2: my coaches, dominate play in and play out, be the
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  Speaker 2: best player that I can be, and uh, you know,
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  Speaker 2: I think everything else falls in line.
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  Speaker 1: I think ultimately the team and have the team ends
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  Speaker 1: up playing is going to be what allows you to
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  Speaker 1: get some of that recognition.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, I think so. I mean, you know, I've
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  Speaker 2: heard that, you know, playing in the Pacific Northwest sometimes
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  Speaker 2: like people don't notice, you know, we're out here in
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  Speaker 2: Alaska and stuff like that. But I think, you know,
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  Speaker 2: any every winning team, you know, the more we eat
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  Speaker 2: as a team, the more we eat as individuals. You know,
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  Speaker 2: there's more eyes on us in primetime games, winning teams
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  Speaker 2: and things like that. And I think when you're you know,
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  Speaker 2: shining on a team like that, then you get your
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  Speaker 2: recognition as well.
• 4:43
  Speaker 3: You and Fire and are tied for the team leading sacks.
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  Speaker 3: Is there a well friendly competition going?
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  Speaker 2: Honestly, I think we both want it together and I
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  Speaker 2: think that's what's so beautiful. I don't think we want
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  Speaker 2: to one up each other. I think, you know, when
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  Speaker 2: I get a sack, I want him to get the
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  Speaker 2: next one. When he gets a sack, he wants me
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  Speaker 2: to get the next one. I think we both kind
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: of want to like lead the league together, and I
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  Speaker 2: think that's a helping us play so well off of
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  Speaker 2: each other, and it's helping us play so well in general.
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  Speaker 3: What's the play that Byron has made this season that
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  Speaker 3: is impressed the most?
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  Speaker 2: I would just say the screenplays have been big for me.
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  Speaker 2: I think he does a great job of stopping the run.
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  Speaker 2: I think that he's known for that. I think he's
• 5:24
  Speaker 2: obviously improved as a pass rusher. But for me, sometimes
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  Speaker 2: seeing like effort and just want to and will from
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  Speaker 2: a young guy, that stands out the most to me.
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  Speaker 2: And you know, I'm seeing him chasing down screens from
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  Speaker 2: sideline to sideline, getting TFLs on screenplays, and I think
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  Speaker 2: that's the most impressive of what I've seen.
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  Speaker 1: When you're out there.
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  Speaker 4: With Marcus Lawrence, how much do you feel his presence
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  Speaker 4: and how does he make your job easier just with
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  Speaker 4: what he does?
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  Speaker 2: You know, I definitely feel his presidence. He's a leader.
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  Speaker 2: He sees things. You know, I've talked a lot about
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  Speaker 2: how he's helped my game since he's been here, of
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  Speaker 2: just how he sees and views pass rush and how
• 6:02
  Speaker 2: he wants to get to the quarterback. He's like hungry
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  Speaker 2: to get to the quarterback. He's hungry for you know,
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  Speaker 2: getting forced fumbles and things like that. And you know
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  Speaker 2: sometimes he'll see something and he'll be like, hey, Leo,
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  Speaker 2: wiping out, they're coming this way. It helps me play faster,
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  Speaker 2: just knowing he's on my edge the.
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  Speaker 3: Play made on the force fumble, just when you go
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  Speaker 3: back and wash out, Like how far back out of
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  Speaker 3: play is to get.
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  Speaker 4: Back and do that?
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  Speaker 3: Hows?
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  Speaker 2: I mean, that's impressive and I think you know, young
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  Speaker 2: guys are seeing that. That's like something I just said
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  Speaker 2: that stood up about Murph a second ago, was him
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  Speaker 2: just having an effort and want to and run aside
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  Speaker 2: on the sideline. I think that's the type of culture
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  Speaker 2: and DNA that we're just building around here right now.
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  Speaker 2: Is you know, regardless of what year you are, regardless
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  Speaker 2: of where you play on the line or where you
• 6:44
  Speaker 2: play on the field, you know we're going to play
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  Speaker 2: with a certain want to and drive and you know,
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  Speaker 2: he was completely out of that play and just he's
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  Speaker 2: showing everyone else on the team that you know, he's
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  Speaker 2: a year twelve, you know, older guy, and he's still
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  Speaker 2: chasing down the ball, so everyone can do it.
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  Speaker 1: Like wow.
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  Speaker 3: I think last week he referenced talking about that topic
• 7:01
  Speaker 3: the play you made in Washington chasing down Jaydon Daniels
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  Speaker 3: is on fourth down down or whatever?
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  Speaker 2: Where's it?
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  Speaker 3: I guess it says that that's the culture. Like who
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  Speaker 3: kind of sets the tone that you have?
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  Speaker 2: I mean, I think the players at the tone. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: I think the coaches address things and say things, but
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  Speaker 2: it's on the players to show it every day in practice,
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  Speaker 2: show it every day on film, you know, in games
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  Speaker 2: like I just said, if it's like, there's no excuse
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  Speaker 2: for a young guy to you know, see year ten
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: plus guys running down the ball like that and think
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  Speaker 2: that they shouldn't run down the ball. And uh, I
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  Speaker 2: think the more and more you just see it in
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  Speaker 2: the team, the more everyone wants to be that way.
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  Speaker 2: You even see like even on the offensive side of
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  Speaker 2: the ball, it's like when the ball gets stopped, you
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  Speaker 2: see a wave of blue jerseys coming in and pushing
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  Speaker 2: the pile, and I think the more and more you
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  Speaker 2: see that on film, the more the team wants to
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  Speaker 2: do that. I mean, it's the best defense I've played on,
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  Speaker 2: and it's you know, I played on some talented defenses
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  Speaker 2: I would say, played against, you know, alongside some great
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  Speaker 2: d linemen and things like that as well. I think
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  Speaker 2: what makes this team and defense so special and unique
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  Speaker 2: is just our connection and I think that's the driving
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  Speaker 2: force of everything.
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  Speaker 4: What do you remember the Atlanta game last year? Soul
• 8:12
  Speaker 4: a pretty big way at the time. You guys have
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  Speaker 4: lost a couple of a row going into it.
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  Speaker 2: I mean, I think I just remember, you know, be
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  Speaker 2: John's a great back. They're gonna get the ball in
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  Speaker 2: his hands, He's gonna make plays. I think it's on
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  Speaker 2: us as a defense to try to limit him as
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  Speaker 2: much as possible, hit him as much as possible. And
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  Speaker 2: then you know, I think they they have drive and
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  Speaker 2: want to so you know, just like every week, we're
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: never gonna overlook a team. And they got a lot
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  Speaker 2: of weapons over there.
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  Speaker 4: You guys are number two in the league and run
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  Speaker 4: defense this year. Just philosophically, for a defense to be
• 8:45
  Speaker 4: near that end of the chart and against the run.
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  Speaker 2: What does that kind of mean to you guys. I mean,
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  Speaker 2: I think that means a lot. Like I always say,
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  Speaker 2: that kind of helps open up the rest of the
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  Speaker 2: defense when we're able to stop the run. I think
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: every team in the league knows that, Like if you
• 8:59
  Speaker 2: can just get and you know, through your defense, the
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: offense can pretty much do whatever they want. But we
• 9:04
  Speaker 2: try to, you know, set teams to be one dimensional
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  Speaker 2: as much as possible and make them throw the ball
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  Speaker 2: and then that allows us to rush the quarterback, which
• 9:13
  Speaker 2: what we're doing well at right now.
• 9:14
  Speaker 1: Jid read back to practice. What does he bring back
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: and add to the defense.
• 9:19
  Speaker 2: I mean another great leader. I mean this team is
• 9:22
  Speaker 2: built on leaders. We just have him in every position
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  Speaker 2: group at this point, and just having his presence back
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  Speaker 2: is going to mean a lot. Having him in the
• 9:30
  Speaker 2: rotation is going to help a lot as well.
• 9:32
  Speaker 3: I think Brandon Bally is probably gonna get fined for
• 9:34
  Speaker 3: that play at the the Vikings game, but you guys
• 9:37
  Speaker 3: are cool with that.
• 9:38
  Speaker 4: The defense of a teammate in.
• 9:39
  Speaker 2: That way, I mean, honestly, I might help him pay it.
• 9:43
  Speaker 2: I mean, to have your teammates back like that is
• 9:47
  Speaker 2: That's just what I just talked about with Connection. I mean,
• 9:49
  Speaker 2: I know it's not a clean play per se, but
• 9:52
  Speaker 2: you know, Josh getting hitting on that play wasn't very
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: clean either, And I think that's the beauty of this
• 9:58
  Speaker 2: team is We're gonna have each other's back a lot
• 10:00
  Speaker 2: of situations. We're gonna fight for each other if we
• 10:03
  Speaker 2: have to.
• 10:04
  Speaker 1: Sorry famous is that news shirt?
• 10:07
  Speaker 2: Uh? Yeah, I think so. It was hanging up in
• 10:09
  Speaker 2: my locker. What we just talked about with Peelee is
• 10:12
  Speaker 2: pretty much this
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  Speaker 4: Thank you, thank you,