November 13, 2025 • 46 mins
Ben Leber in studio for a long segment on the Vikings, before Wolves coach Chris Finch makes his weekly appearance!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
For Vikings Linebacker and sideline analyst for the vast and
never expanding KFA and Minnesota Vikings Audio Network joins to
chop it up regarding some football and don't forget at
Nacho liber Via Twitter at Nacho liber Via X follow
if you are so inclined, and Twin Cities Live Today
(00:21):
three to four thirty on Channel five Twin Cities Live.
You know, the show is anything but stupid, meshes pop
culture with news and events and is that of hilarity, poise,
and creativity. And as the co host, so watch today
at three on Channel five sponsor CCRF. And when U
(00:46):
Pete and I got together Tuesday and chatted at the
Vikings Museum, the Children's Cancer Research Fund came up. I
thought that was really cool. Yeah, that was really awesome.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
I really appreciate CAPS for having us out a great
job out of nowhere.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
They're just like, hey, you like.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
To do these donations for any of the speakers that
come in, And they're like, hey, we know that you
work with CCRF, and like we love to make a donation.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Like yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So you know, I got to tell the group of
you know, seventy ninety people there that you know about
what they do and how they help out children with
cancer and their families. And you know, it's a it's
a national nonprofit that's based right here, and they help
out every there's sort of like this umbrella that sort
of helps out all these different hospital systems and different groups.
(01:32):
So every dollar you donate goes right to the kids
and the families, not just here, but but nationally, and
not just you know, the major the major hospitals, it's
all the small ones too, So appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I have.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I feel pretty good about the Vikings winning this weekend,
and I have my reasons. What about you, Yeah, I
feel pretty good too.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I love what you put on, what you you told us,
and you kind of broke it down on Tuesday, just
how we bounce back from some of our losses, you know,
our tough losses when we don't.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Play very well.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And you know, I certainly think that that is that
is the nature of where we're at, where our team
is still trying to find its groove a little bit,
and it may just sort of end up like this
as the season goes along, a little ups, little downs
and all that stuff. Not playing super consistent but the
thing that gives me a lot of optimism is that
we didn't get beat by Baltimore. We didn't run find
(02:25):
ourselves in a situation like we did with the Chargers
where it's like, man, I know that we are off,
but that was just a better team than us, and
they really hammered it to us.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
The Ravens were not the better team.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
And knowing that we can correct those mistakes during the
course of the week, we should be able to correct
those those prestat penalties, We should be able to correct
those things as far as getting the ball down the field,
maybe making the wrong decision, throwing a double coverage, stuff
like that. I don't think we're going to make those
same mistakes now. I know this is a different team.
They have some different challenges, but we have a really
(02:58):
talented team, and when we play smart and we don't
shoot ourselves in the foot.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
I think we can win this game.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
I was asked this morning on a Mike Florio PFT
Live podcast with the false starts, why, I mean, just
simply like what led to that voluminous number. He started
off by talking about the very early in the equation
accusations that the Ravens were messing around into the line
with their changes and not necessarily going you know, they
(03:26):
weren't egregiously doing something to Macha Cadence that would lead
to it. Then Kevin O'Connell came by the radio show
Tuesday at eleven for x'es and O's asked him about it,
and he was like, no, that you know, we've broken
it down. That was not the reason why. So I'm
just going to ask you. I mean, here we are,
(03:47):
you know, X amount of days removed from the loss
to Baltimore three three days in front of the next
one with the false starts. Having thought about it a
little bit now like eight, why.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Well, it does seem like I think they're sort of
like dancing around it. But it seemed like there was
something that was different with the Cadence that they were
trying to do differently this game. And wow, you know,
I do think that's it'll be an easy fix, you know,
whether it's just simplifying things or whatnot. The one thing
that I will say is that's different from last game
(04:20):
to this game is I actually think that this game
is probably more important to have some pre snap shenanigans
with their defense because their defense does do a lot
of rotating with their safeties. They try to do some
movement pre snap. They really do a good job of
disguising and being patient, and they'll blitz from a static position,
(04:44):
they'll blitz from off ball, they'll blitz from depth, and
I think that gets really difficult. So any edge that
you can get where you mess with Cadence, you come
up to the line and you try to just get
them to rock on their their toes a little bit
and they tip a blitz, so they tip a movement.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
I think that's gonna be really important for this game.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
And unfortunately, we're coming off a game where we're probably
gonna have to simplify it and we're gonna have to
like not go up to the line and you know,
you know, you know, to kill kill kill, you.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Know, like like uh uh ha ready exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So I think this is the game where you probably
need more of that, and we're not going to see that,
so ILL have to battle through that as well.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I you know, it's it's even during the game call
when it was happening, and you know, I think I
came down to your off chat with Pete and I
was like, this this has to be something cadence related.
So I actually stopped being like three receivers left, tight
end right, two tight ends their balance here, this guy's here,
that guy's there, second and seven from the twenty, and
just did a little of it so to stop talking
(05:50):
to hear what was happening at the line. And and
I don't know if you could notice this, but McCarthy's
you know, and again it's it's audio level of of
fieldside mics and stuff. It was louder and more biting
and direct than I recall. But you know, we don't
have a lot of examples here either. But so I
(06:11):
started listening to it during the game call after like
the fourth or fifth.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
It was one of the ones in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So what you say, I definitely can buy into about
nine out of ten here with the cadence change, and
they just weren't. They weren't in lockstep with it. And
I think that's I think that's really most evident. When
Justin Jefferson has a false start, he has nine penalties
his whole career. That was the second false start of
his career. So you know, people can get after anybody
(06:40):
for whatever topic or reason they concoct or is legit period.
My man doesn't take many penalties and he doesn't take
any false starts, so that I think the cadence bits
the answer.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Well, the one that's the most telling to me is
when McCarthy false started. You know, if if the quarterback
is not one hundred percent sure when he's going to
receive the ball, well, then there's obviously some sort of disconnect.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
So, I mean, he's the one that's getting the call
into his helmet, he's the one that's disseminating the information
to the rest of the players, and he was somehow
confused and when the ball's coming out, so right, yeah,
so I do I do now that that game is
in a rear view mirror. Yeah, I mean, it's not ideal.
You heard Wes talk about it. He was embarrassed by it.
(07:27):
I think we are all. We all were because this
is a team that prides itself on being self disciplined
and not creating those sort of those situations where we're
giving up free yards.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
To the defense.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
So yeah, let's all just hope that that was the
one anomaly, and we hope we never see that again.
We never ever see eight fallse starts on the home
at home or or on the road ever in our lifetime.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
So I don't think that's gonna happen. It's not going
to happen this game.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I would qualify Ben Leeber and his relationship with Harrison
Smith to be quite close, you know, as former player
and players go, or analysts and or players go. I've
just you know, I've seen you guys together before, and
I know you have a lot of respect for him. Man,
it's it's just two hundred of the game this weekend,
and you you played with a fair amount of really
(08:14):
really good players during your your decade ish career in
the National Football League. Playing with Harrison, I bet you
really would have enjoyed that though. Yeah, he started in twelve,
you finished in eleven or ten, one of the two
so just barely missed each other. But you guys really
really would have enjoyed each other. Oh, I absolutely would have.
(08:35):
I mean I would have. I love his demeanor, I
love his approach to the game. I think the one
thing that we all, we all appreciate about other players
is you may you may go out there and you
may be a you know, a journeyman type of guy
right where you just don't really catch on. You might
have a you know, you might carve out a five
six year career and never, We're never the guy.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
If you came in and you prepared, and you worked
your butt off, and we saw how much you cared
about about going out there and how how much you
cared about your performance and your preparation, dude, we everybody
respects a guy like that. So take that times one hundred,
because what Harrison's been able to do actually on the
field is incredible. And then to know the way that
(09:20):
he prepares in the leader that he is in the
locker room, a guy that you can watch as a
young player and be like, all right, if you want
to see how a pro does it, this is how
a pro does it.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
I love I loved playing with those guys. I mean it.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
It did sort of chat me a little bit when
you see guys that don't take the game as serious.
And they might be great players, that may be Pro bowlers,
but you see how the way they just kind of
like disrespect the game from a preparation standpoint and they
just they let just their talents take over. It's like, yeah,
we love that you're performing for us and you're helping
us get wins and stuff. But man, dude, if you
(09:57):
just cared a little bit more and you put a
little bit more in like, you'd be even better. And
he's the opposite of that. So a ton of respect.
Well interesting you said that, and with respect. First thing
that comes to mind for me is Adrian Peterson, And
I don't know. I mean, I know Adrian pretty well
and have over the years likewise for you, you know,
(10:17):
and I so therefore to say he didn't just pore
over everything you possibly need to study. You know, it's
interesting that Antoine Winfield and Adrian Peterson were on the
same team because getting to know them both well, you
would hear certain things from one person Antwine, and then
certain things from another person. But Adrian, it's it's like
(10:41):
when people, you know, when when people.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
This day and age, when there's like quarterback turns around,
running back's not there, went the wrong way, taps his chest.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
My bad.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
You know, I'm thinking, Okay, that happens, but it doesn't
happen a lot, and I just wonder what goes into it,
you know, from from a study standpoint, Well, with Pete,
not everybody's ad is what I'm getting at. And he
could not look at things for a long time, and well,
actually the holes over there, Agrien, cool, I'm going to
jump cut and go eighty two this way. And he
(11:12):
had the ability to do that and outrun mistakes. Yeah,
not everybody, No, a few are able to do that. Thus,
the like the study and how much time like Cousins
put into it, you put into it, Harrison put into it. Man,
that really matters.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Yeah, it really matters.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
And the thing is, I laugh and I chuckle about
that because I wasn't athletic like that. I know, I
couldn't over athletic my mistakes.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I didn't have that sort of superpower that some of
these like ultra talented guys are, So I had to know.
I had to get the edge of all right, well
I'm pretty sure the ball's going over here. I'm pretty
sure I know where to go if they run this
play like the way, I was able to deduce things
down to help myself out because if I fall step
(12:01):
and I was guessing I.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Was cooked like I couldn't. I didn't have that. I
didn't have the short airy quickness to like make up
for some of those things. I wasn't the.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Strongest guy to get off some of these blocks if
I wasn't playing with great techniques, so like I had,
out of necessity really prepare so hard just to just
to survive out that.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
And see in watching back the Vikings and Ravens, and
there was a moment it was the the Mark Andrew's touchdown. Okay,
And and I'm not saying Josh Mittelis had no idea
what was happening.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
I'm not saying that.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
I'm just saying I saw Harrison Smith wave to him
down in the end zone once and then he came
over a little then hard twice. No, no, no, prop you're
not in the right spot. Yeah, and then Mattellis freezes
touchdown to a wide open Mark Andrews. And then they
kind of come together, Harrison and Mettelis as they walk off.
(12:55):
Harrison's not He's not the demonstrative type that's going to
be like arms out showing somebody up. Josh kind of
galloped over to talk to him, and they walked off together,
with Josh doing all the talking. You know, I don't
know what they said, but you could just kind of
tell that something went wrong there and that Smith was
(13:16):
ahead of the curve.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
On where everybody should be you know.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Yeah, I mean that's the thing is like if he
if you saw it the way you are kind of
laying it out, and we all get the idea that
he was trying to get Josh in the right spot
and like to cover whoever it's going to be in
that area, whether it's Andrews or somebody else. Yeah, that
wouldn't surprise me that he he knows. I mean, you
get down the red zone and the thing is a
(13:40):
lot of offenses sort of paar down what they're going
to do, and especially this part in the season when
you see when you see certain personnel groups and then
then you see the formation, and then you see the split,
and then you see the guys that are in those
splits and then those positions. If you're doing your tape
study and if you are really cataloging those things in
your brain, you got pretty good idea. Like you can
(14:01):
get probably the eighty percent certainty that this is the
play they're gonna run. Yeah, now you have to marry
that up with what you're doing defensively, Like, Okay, well,
if I'm in man to man, now i gotta play
this because this is the route combination whatever, and I
think they're in a zone situation on that play. Yeah,
you got to tell your guys around you, like, this
is the playoff's coming. This is where you gotta make
My guess is used probably telling Josh cheat. I know
(14:23):
that you're in your landmark. I understand that this is where.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
You're supposed to be Bengo, but this is.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
The time where you can cheat the defense to give
yourself the advantage. And that's where savvy Vet's come in.
I couldn't figure yet that's perfectly explained.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
How would you sum up Harry's twenty twenty five this far?
I mean, he misses the games on the front end,
and you see him and you have those moments like that.
This kind of plays in maybe to an opinion that
I have that could be right or wrong on Mittellus
and the year that he's had. But what do you
think about two to two year fourteen in Purple.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
You know it's been okay. I wouldn't say it's been amazing.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
I know that that it's been a strugg to get
back to one hundred percent and to play all all
snaps of the game at one hundred percent. You know,
we saw I think his playmaking ability really shine in
that Lions game. The way that he's able to dictate
the defense and be the catalyst for every pre snap
motion and movement. You know, he's elite at doing that.
(15:19):
Made some plays in the backfield. I think he's taken
a step back physically. You know, when he is either
in the tackle, the primary tackler coming in on the tackle,
like he's just not approaching. I think the ballcareer with
as much ferocity and violence as he once has, So
I think that's part of the game that it's been
(15:40):
missing a little bit. But from a a pre snap
savviness and intelligence, I think he's right there at near
the top. The physicality has probably waned a little bit.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
So as a safety group in general, whether it's THEO
that's in and out, he's got the concussion that sounds
like he's going to be back, et cetera. Mittellus So
earlier in the season I kind of had an opinion
in that Mattellis was, I mean just bad luck central
from you know, you look at the Philly game and
that AJ Brown touchdown where Mattelis has him for a
few seconds, but he can't defend him for seven and
(16:12):
Jalen Hurts gets outside little street ball points it's deep.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
It's a touchdown.
Speaker 5 (16:16):
But I'm starting to see more and more moments where
Mittelis is kind of late to the scene where Mittelis
does have these instances where two two's pointing them in
a certain direction and he's just there's just something off
about his game. Am I reading that the wrong way?
Am I reading it the right way? Any any opinions
on that, because I think that that impacts that group
(16:36):
back there if one of them is off.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
No, it certainly does.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
It was with as much movement as we do and
disguise that we do with our safeties. Yeah, these guys
are really really important part of the defense and how
everything flows.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
And you know, I think.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
When when you're losing THEO and now Josh has to
kind of morph into a different type of role, I
do think that it's understandable where he's maybe not in
the same position as he was, and you know, he's
he's playing a little bit out of his normal spot
as a hybrid guy in the box guy. Now hopefully
he gets we get back to that, knowing that we
(17:11):
have three safeties healthy this week. But I think everybody
sort of knows at least, I never really saw Josh
as a straight man, demand coverage guy, you know, on
certain players. Sure, I think that he can match up,
But you look at that Aj Brown situation. That's a
big bodied, fast athletic wide receiver on a double move
(17:31):
in which he's he's playing the sticks in that moment,
he's playing the down and distance based on what the
game situation was telling us. It's a great call by
the offense to run a double move there, especially with
the matchup that they had.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
That's a tough draw.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I understand that they won that one, but I also
understand what Josh was thinking. I'm going to play the
sticks real hard, not for them not to move the
chains in that situation, he gives up a big play.
I think that because of injury, he's been out of
position for the most of the season.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
I'm kind of excited to see him back on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
What are some of the best routes to confusing Caleb
Williams Hmm.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
You know, I think it really comes down to.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
We just have to capitalize every time we get our
hands on him. I'm not so sure that we have
to drastically change our game plan against him. We did
a really good job of bluff bailing in our first game.
I think it confused him. I think that it did
what it was supposed to do. It messed with his reads,
(18:37):
it messed with his coverage. In his progression. Now, he's
a markedly different player now under Ben Johnson. He was
in game one, so we have to give him that credit.
But to me is we still were able to get
to him. We were still able to get into the backfield.
We were still able to do some of those things
and confuse their offensive line and their offense. We just
(18:58):
have to capitalize them bringing him down. That's a lot
easier said than done, because he's he is a Hoodini
back there. But like it's so for me, it's not
so much. Do we have to reinvent the wheel? No,
I don't think so. I think that we stay true
to who we are. You know, we might we might
change up some things here and then maybe have some
tendency breakers. Maybe we do a little bit more bailing
(19:18):
out so we get more guys in coverage and if
he does scramble in certain key situations, we have more
than just one guy trying to make an open field tackle,
but especially if Gernard is back and it sounds like
his shoulder and is not as serious and we're expecting
him back and we have Gink back there, which we
didn't have in the first game.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
We need Grenard to practice today, even limited. It was
a d NP yesterday. But anyway, Yeah, very true.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
But you know, I think that our defensive front is
well equipped to handle him based on our scheme, and
I don't think that we have to change up a ton.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Just win your battles and get the dude on the ground.
Speaker 5 (19:51):
What has impressed you most about the Bears in this
six and three? I chronicled it on Tuesday. They're fifteen
forty one and one the opponents that they've beaten. Okay,
so it's like you're beating up on bad teams. But
I think belief makes them dangerous. That was kind of
the themal we talked about on Tuesday, and Jeff Joniak
their vox kind of echoed that earlier.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Today is just this team believes.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
But anything that's just popped out, whether it's the running game,
et cetera. Just like man, I mean, these Bears are
kind of figuring it out.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
The Bears to me get better as the game goes on.
And I think that's proven in some of the stats.
They're not a fast starting team. Caleb crushes the last
two minutes of every half. His second half performances as
far as air yards down the field is better than
it is the first half, and so I think nailing it,
(20:39):
and so I think that that's very impressive. And I think,
you know, you win on third down defensively, and they're
number two in the league and takes they have thirteen interceptions.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
That's incredible.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
The whole thing's insane. Plus fourteen in the take gif. Yeah,
you know the fact that they're sixth in the league
on third down interceptions itself.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
On third down, they they will put you in those
really uncomfortable situations. And Dennis Allen, he comes in every week.
I've read articles where these players talk about how excited
they are to come in on Thursdays. They know that
Thursdays is our third down blitz day. They know that
third day, Thursday is the third down you know, creative
(21:22):
day where they find out something new that Dennis Allen
and staff has put together that they may not have
even seen. And they're like, he does such a good
job of pulling things out from five games ago where
we thought that that defense was put to bed or
that technique was put to bed, and he'll bring it back,
but then he'll have a different nuance to it. And
so that excitement level for these guys to get your
team into third and long, it's it's contagious with them
(21:46):
and they look forward to it and it brings fear
into the offense. And that's that is one of the
biggest key points that we have to go into this game.
We cannot be in third and eight plus, like cannot.
Everything that we can do to be third and three
or less is going to help us out because this
is where these guys feast. They do such a good
job with their disguised packages, they do such a good
(22:07):
job with their blitz packages, and they will take the
ball away when it's in the air.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
The Chicago Bears have held opponents to seven of forty
six on third and long situations. Third and long would
be qualified here as six yards or more, second best
in the NFL. They're getting first downs, giving up first
downs fifteen percent of the time, narrowly behind the Green
Bay at thirteen.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
That's an elite point.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, well, and I'll even take that a step further.
The stat I have is when they're third and eight plus,
they're holding offenses to a thirty nine point three passer rating,
which is the best in the NFL. Oh jeez, and
you look at us conversely on all third downs and
we're thirty first in the NFL. So our offense is
not good on third down regardless of the down of distance,
and they're elite at third and long.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Yes, sir KIDQB Game five, what do you think? Look,
I am dramatic pause. Well, it's calculated today.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
I know he's gonna be calculated three to four thirty
on TV and then they're gonna have to cut a segment.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
We got a big day to day on Twinsday. It's
our Thanksgiving show. This's a lot of food wine today. Yeah.
Oh yeah, wow. I'm going in basically not eating lunch.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Can you make anything and bring it in or is
it all made?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (23:20):
It's all being made.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Oh yeah, we have we have different people coming in
for every segment, different food item.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Yep, are you going to gobble up the gizzard?
Speaker 2 (23:27):
I won't.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
I don't think I'll take part in the gizzard.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
No gizard no, no, no, no, gonna get your hand up
in there to get the gizzard.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
I like that dark meat though.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And you answer the question Finchy's we have Finchy in
seven minutes. We're messing around with getting up in there
looking for dark meat and gizzards.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
You just got an extra forty five seconds to late
to put it all together.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Mentally smart move tap dancing a little bit. I'm very
excited to see what he can do. I really truly
believe that he takes every single snap and every as
a learning moment. And you you heard Kaos talk about it.
He was with you Pa when he talked about, you know,
looking at some of these these plays when they're watching
(24:08):
film together and he's answering the question before the questions
even posed to chaos.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
He's like, Yeah, if.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
I had that play over again, I'd probably you know,
I'd not take that second hitch there. He's like, that's
one hundred percent. That's what we're going to work on
this week. Like, I think that his his cerebral great game.
Is this going to continue to help accelerate his development,
not just like get better, you know, from one off
season to another. Like I think that we're bound to
see dramatic improvements in his game week in and week out,
(24:36):
and I think he's going to learn, Hey, when it's
third and six and you're stepping up in the pocket
because you feel in pressure, do you need to force
a ball into double coverage? How about you tuck that
ball down and you run for six or seven yards
and pick up a first down. That's that's as good
as anything else. So I think learning for him learning
to play the game a little safer, control the game,
(24:58):
game management part, stuff like that. Don't always look for
the big shot in the explosive play. Sometimes it's just
nice to move the chains and live to play another down.
And so I look forward to for him to play
cleaner football, better decision making in some of those critical moments.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
You late, don't forget. Three to four thirty today, Channel five,
Twin Cities Live. It's a show that's anything but stupid.
It meshes pop culture, Thanksgiving, Gizzard's Turkey, dark Meat, news
and events, and is one of hilarity, poison, creativity. And
I can't wait to watch see you this weekend. Thank
you all right, Thanks love and labor at Nacho liber
Via X. We got some cash to give away, and
(25:34):
then we're going to walk up to Finchy.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Finchy.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Chris Finch, coach of the Wolf joins five minutes from now.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
The Fan and two men in a junk truck want
to give you a chance to put some bonus box
in your pocket. National Cash Contest style. This hour's keyword
is deposit. Use the keyword deposit at kfan dot com
might win one thousand dollars. The keyword deposit at kfan
dot com.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
A writing find a new radio is back in the air.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Chris Bench, coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is set to
join us square shortly Bikings and Bears over the weekend.
That's at noon on Sunday on KFA N That'll be
a day after Chris Finch's team plays the Denver Nuggets,
second part of a back to back and lo and behold,
here comes the head coach. Now, Chris Finch, coach of
(27:18):
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Thank you Second Harvest Heartland. Everybody go
to two Harvest dot org. Ce you can help, specifically
this time of the year, with Thanksgiving approaching, even just
a little bit dollar, five dollars, ten dollars really really
helps others. In need and you can learn more at
two harvest dot org. And here's Chris Finch, Chris Paul Allen,
(27:39):
good morning, How are you?
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Good morning, Paul? I'm good. How about yourself?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Good? Thank you?
Speaker 1 (27:45):
I haven't so I know you get Sacramento in Denver
and I don't know if you got somebody on Monday
that requires travel. But here's the point, is the media
relations con do it. Aaron Freeman, one of our favorites,
big time Chicago Bears fan bears, are at Viking this weekend.
Timberwolves have tickets that happened to be super sweet behind
behind a visitor's bench. So, yeah, you're you're an Eagles guy,
(28:09):
I'm a Vikings guy. I mean, Freeman's team is six
and three. Is he getting loud over there?
Speaker 4 (28:16):
Oh? Yeah, he's getting real loud. He's getting real loud.
You know, wasn't wasn't so loud after week three? But
he's getting real loud.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Right, yeah, And well just remind him before we move on,
it was the summer of free, not the winter of free. Okay,
So hopefully I heard all that. Now, you you didn't
let that Nick's loss ruin your birthday the next day?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Did you.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
Tried not to, but you know, guys did a Guys
delivered with a resounding victory on the day after that.
So all is forgotten and we moved forward.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
But what were you doing at first have last night?
Was there like a big Prince cover band or something.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
There was a Zach Zach low was in town with
his podcast and it was his first ever live podcast,
and it was great Pat Cows, full of really passionate
Wolves fans and good energy in there, and myself and
John Krazinski from the Athletic as we all know, covers
(29:20):
us and then Dante DiVincenzo. It was just good, good time,
good vibes, lots of fun, fun laughs.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Now, now for those who don't exactly know who Zach
Lowe is or what he does, I mean, he has
like close to a million Twitter followers, uh, and and
I've and I've never met him and and I haven't
listened to any podcasts, but his presence is quite prominent
on social media and then the podcasting world. But like,
was Zach what what makes him so well respected around
(29:51):
the league?
Speaker 4 (29:52):
Yeah, that's a great question. Like, so Zach was formerly
at ESPN and now he's you know, with the Ringer
and he's started out as a writer, uh with with
the with Grant Land, and he's just an in depth
guy like he you know, he's a I would consider
an MBA expert. You know, he gets in the weeds,
(30:13):
he gets in the numbers. He used to have one
of my favorite columns, which was his weekly list of
ten things that he would make notice notice about the league.
A lot of it would be analytics driven or just
kind of crazy little trends or things that he found interesting.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
And that's what I love about him. Like, you know,
in a world where a lot of times we're talking
about anything but the game and what's going on in
the game. You know, he he always found a way
to bring his you know, articles back to like what's
happening in the game, not about you know, crushing players
or coaching decisions or organizational failures and all these other
(30:54):
things that seem to get clicks. Now. He wrote about
the game, and he writes about the game. Super smart guy,
you know, Dartford Ivy League educated, has a you know,
typical Northeastern kind of sense of humor. So I kind
of connect with that. And but yeah, I just found
him extremely you know entertaining and and also you know.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Intelligent, but's fantastic. Zach Lows the guy's name. He was
at First Avenue last night doing an on site podcast
in Minneapolis, and benchi and and Johnny Athletic and Dante
DiVincenzo and others were there. That's that's really really cool man.
All right to your team yesterday, I saw clip I
wasn't at the press conference or like the the post
(31:38):
or pre shoot around talk, and and you said, quote,
your team's defense is off the mat and now needs
to start swinging. Has that Has that coincided with the
return of Anthony Edwards.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
A little bit? But I think it's you know, it
gives us another point of attack defender. Uh, But you know,
I think it's really going started with Rudy. You know,
kind of Rudy's awakening here. He's been extremely active, challenging
everything in his area, you know, Jade in his back
(32:13):
to you know, his normal self on and off the ball.
You know, I think those guys, you know, a couple
of weeks ago, we kind of called him out and
asked him that they had to be better, they had
to get back to who they were, and they've they've
delivered there.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
So what you're saying is off that defensive question I
formulated Zach low would have started with Gobert and I
started with Edwards.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
No, not at all.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
Well, the timing is, you know, I mean, listen, Anthony
gives us so much personality. The other thing that's happened
that you know, at the same time Anthony came back,
Jalen Clark came back. Jalen Clark gives us some defensive
personality he makes things happen out enough, and another really
really good on ball defender. He's the possessions guy. He
gets gets your steals, he gets your fifty to fifty
(33:02):
balls and rebounds. You know, these things like kind of
go under the under the radar at times, but they're
always kind of going on no doubt.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
And I think at the thirteen minute mark two podcasts
to go for Zach Lowe, he compared Jalen Clark's defense
as a new age fat leaver and t are done
specifically when it comes to on the ball. So that's
that's just beautifully laid out. I'm just learning so much
right now.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
That's where that's where you have it over, Zach, Like,
that's not going back to the eighties references.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
So yeah, I mean that's ay. Gotta have something, man,
you know, you got three chins. Haven't felt my ribs
in thirty years. But I know who tr done is.
I mean, don't leave home without it. Go bear Rudy
Gobert ten blocks the last three all wins.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
I mean, shot blocking.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
There's more to it, I know, but shot blocking Rudy
is the best kind of Rudy, right.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Absolutely. I mean, if he can, if he can block shots,
particularly early in the game, set the tone, create some deterrence.
You know, that's that's when we see him at his best,
and then you know it kind of pumps a lot
of energy into our defense as well.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
And eleven into it. For you guys, Chris, you're at
forty one rebounds a game. Does does that number need
to increase? Forty one rebounds a game on average?
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Yeah, for sure. You know we're always looking at things
that on the horizon. Well, we don't have to look
at the horizon. We have looked in the rear room mirror.
I mean, the Nicks crushed us on the on the glass,
you know, and you know even you thought, I mean
they're rebounding percentage was a little higher than expected. We
(34:44):
made a miss a ton of shots, but the volume
was they got sixteen offensive rebounds against us, So, you know,
it's it's something that we're trying to zero in on here.
Everybody expects big guys to rebound, and they have to.
But I'm a firm believer, like, you're not really going
to be a good rebounding team until you're small. You know,
your guards really rebound at a high level, and we
(35:06):
got to get more from you know, from them right
now on.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
The glass Chris Finch Weekly nine to noon, courtesy of
Second Harvest Heartland two harvest dot org. Please take a
peek at two Harvest dot or. Chris is on the board.
Very important to him, It's very important to me. Most importantly,
it's extremely important to a lot of kids around the
country to harvest dot org. Now, the three point game,
you guys are top eight and makes at fourteen a game,
(35:31):
but a little below midpack in attempts. So are you
looking for them to chuck up obviously responsibly, but shoot
more threes?
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Are you looking for that?
Speaker 4 (35:44):
Yeah? I think you know, if we we've been creating
a lot of really good looks. I think there's a
few more to be had out there. Some of that volume,
quite honestly, is a little noisy when you look at
it statistically, just because you know, Anthony missed those four
games and that's probably forty three point attempts that we
(36:05):
didn't really replace, you know, maybe we replaced some version
of them. So there's some of that volume is a
little a little inaccurate. But you know, I think overall
we're doing some pretty efficient things. We have the number
one effective field goal percentage in the league, and that,
you know, points to the fact that we, you know,
(36:27):
are getting fouled, getting to the rim and finishing at
a high level. Rudy's eighty eight percent at the rim
in the last five games, which is pretty impressive, and
that's been another key to our offense. You know, we
came into the season wanting to try to unlock Rudy
a little bit more and find him a little bit
more when he's open, and guys have done that, and
you know, when you make four out of every five
(36:47):
down there, it's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
So if teams are high with ineffective field goal or
ineffective whatever you just said, does that mean they're shooting
a bunch of mid rangers and not get into the line.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Yeah, generally, yeah, generally, it's it's effective field goal percentage
PA is literally just the it's the percentage you shoot.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
If you count threes.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
You know, you give an extra half a point to
a three point shot made, so or an extra fifty
percent rather not half a point, so it just counts.
It just takes in the account three point percentage yep,
where you're actually getting the extra point per shot made.
And then it also takes into account the points you're
getting from the free throw line, which aren't normally taken
(37:37):
into account into shot attempts. Like if you just look
at regular field goal percentage, if you get fouled, it
doesn't count as a shot attempt, but it certainly does
count into your overall offensive production. So it's just it's
they're kind of like bonus points when it looks at
effective field goal percentage.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
All right, So Sacramento's here Friday than Denver Saturday. You
keep getting those nuggets second half of back to backs?
What what challenge does that pose especially against them when
no travel this time, but second part.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
Of a back to back, well, you know that there
they're challenge no matter how and when and where you're
playing them. So, you know, I think we try to
focus on on on them and the things that we
can do and things we've tried to have success with
them in the past. We have a few different kind
(38:27):
of game plans, if you will. When you're on a
back to back, of course, you know you you you,
you know, you want to have to get off to
as best start as you possibly can you generally, you know,
sometimes I'm back to back, the start can be a
little a little sluggish because just because the energy until
guys find their legs. But I mean said that, we've
(38:48):
been a pretty good second night of back to back
teams over the last few years. Uh, And it's not
something that we really talk about with our players, like
we you know, big believer that I like try to
remove all the obstacles and all the excuses of too
you know, along the way and then just go out
and play the game as it should be played. And
then you know, guys can't really lock in on something
(39:09):
like hey, I was tired.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
What so so off Malone into Adaman now with a
lot of film, what what's different with the Nuggets with
David Adelman leading the charge?
Speaker 4 (39:21):
Uh, you know, their offense is probably a little maybe
a little more fluid, you know, maybe less play calls,
a little bit more concept based. Uh. You know, their
defense is really kind of what's driving them a bit
more at the moment. They they've got you know, they
went out and they they added a couple uh, you know,
(39:42):
plus defenders in in the off season, which is really
helping their defense. You know, their offenses, when you look
at the numbers and everything, it's largely the same. You know.
Of course, Joki is at the heart of everything and
driving at Murray's off to a super hot start. They have,
they have kind of consistent shooting. They've done a really
(40:03):
good job of adding complementary skill sets to their roster
field a little bit like their their championship team, you
know when you look at the things that they have
and the things that complement their best players. But it's
really where their defense has kind of grown and they're
doing a good job there of you know, mixing in
(40:23):
zone man. Of course, they rebounded at a really really
high level. Uh, and you know, they just they just
got better, better defenders, you know.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Lastly here, so that's Denver Saturday Target Center and Friday
Sacramento you beat Sacramento by twenty seven out there a
couple of games ago within the week that they are
three and eight. What what did you notice about them
that night? But because they seem to be in quite
the rough patch right now.
Speaker 4 (40:52):
Yeah, they're you know, they're going through it. You know,
every team at some point in the season goes through
it to some level. You know, they're obviously not off
to the start they want. They've they've been challenged a
number of times by their coach. You know, at some
point they're going to put it all together. They have
a lot of talented players. They have a lot of
guys who can really get going and you know, get
(41:14):
on a roll and almost beat you all by themselves. So,
you know, they've struggled through some early season kind of
injury consistency, mostly around the Bonus, who's a big driver
of the way that they play. Uh So, it just
doesn't feel like they've settled into who that they're gonna
(41:34):
be at. You know, and when you're playing teams like that,
it's really important that you kind of jump on them
early so you can continue to kind of maybe increase
some doubt in their mind rather than allow them to
find the confidence and who they are, because they are
a lot of really good and proven players, and those
guys just, you know, they just need to see the
(41:56):
ball go in and they just need to get their
mojo back from doing their things.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Go Vikes, beat the Bears, Go Eagles, beat the Lions,
after you beat the Green Bay Packers, and we will
chat next week.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
All right, that'd be a great weekend.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
BA.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
Thanks yep, see you, but thank you Chris. Chris Finch,
coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Courtesy of Second Harvest Heartland
and two Harvest dot Org.
Speaker 5 (42:27):
New z anard brought to you by the casino at
Canterbury Parkcanterbury Park dot com. You got NFL Pro Pick
Them opportunities, chance to win some money just by going
to shock and be picking the NFL games this weekend.
There's going to be an open tree lot on Block
Friday ten k giveaway all sorts of cool stuff. My
encouragement would be to go to Canterbury Park dot com.
My encouragement would be to tune into Thursday Night Football,
(42:48):
Patriots hosting the Jets. The Patriots a chance to go
nine and two and they're catching the Jets. Post mini
fire sale you could say Sauce Gardner and Quinn Williams
going out the door, a chance traveon Henderson and those
Pats and Drake May your current MVP odds favorite to
improve to nine and two this evening in Foxborough.
Speaker 3 (43:08):
He's fake. Yeah, you said that early in the week,
didn't you. He has favored to win the MVP.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (43:13):
As of yesterday he was todd with Matt Stafford at
three to one to be the MVP.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
Drake May, what do you think you could have gotten
that into the season fifty to one.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
After that first joint practice. I mean, yes, correct, So.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
There's just with my opinion, No, there's somebody.
Speaker 5 (43:29):
I think there's somebody sitting on a fat thirty to one,
forty to one type ticket something like that. I will
say next segment that we'll we'll dig a little bit
deeper into that game, maybe from a fantasy perspective, as
Paul Charchion joins us, Yeah, and I'll just kind.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Of let me let me hit you with this real quick.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Okay, Patriots minus thirteen tonight. Yeah, so I don't know,
say we're in the seven oh two, we get there
at two in the afternoon. Yeah, that's on me may
not have an opinion on it, but we're there. So
Patriots minus thirteen and the over under is forty three.
Speaker 5 (44:06):
Yeah, how would you do well? I would probably give
the points at this stage. I just think at Foxborough
Jets cute little performance or at least an attempt, I
should say a week ago post the moves and everything,
I just think they're a dismantled, awful operation. Got it
and I just have too much respect for Vrable at
(44:27):
this point, So just to have some action, I would
lean on the side of the minus twelve and a
half or thirteen, whatever it is, the Patriots winning by
two touchdowns. Looking at the injury report we will be
watching today. As Pa mentioned with Ben Lieber, Jonathan Grenard
did not participate yesterday with the shoulder injury. Chances of
him playing really depend on what you see today, so
limited in some capacity. You want number five eight on
(44:49):
the field in practice. You heard it during the presser
yesterday with Kevin O'Connell. JJ McCarthy hit his hand on
a helmet on a play. I believe it was where
he threw that to Jefferson in the end zone as
Jefferson was going to ground and hit his hand on
a helmet, so he has a bandage of some sort
on the top of his hand. It's been said by
(45:09):
all involved that that should not affect his ability to
throw the ball.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
Russ Wilson, he's mister unlimited. We're mister limited.
Speaker 5 (45:18):
Whether it's Will Fries, Aaron Jones, Ryan Kelly returning to practice,
twenty one day practice window open, McCarthy, Mattellus, Oliver School,
Harry the Hitman, two hundredth game ahead, Van Ginkel So,
so health wise, it looks like eventually we'll find our
way to a mostly full group. Just really watching him,
paying attention to Grenard's status through the week.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
And the the Chicago Bears, their Wednesday practice report was
quite voluminous.
Speaker 3 (45:42):
It was, indeed.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
I mean, you've got who didn't practice for whatever the
reason for them. Kevin Byer, the third who's the bomb, Yes, yep, yeah,
the other safety, Jakwan Brisker, Key j Edwards linebacker won't play,
Brady Jarrett, DJ Moore, Roe of Doonzay Tyreek, Stevenson day Walker,
and the tight end Cole Comet.
Speaker 5 (46:02):
Holy cow, wow, busy list. So that bears mentioning. And
of course we'll have more on that tomorrow during the
Friday Feast in Lakeville. But when we return from a
fantasy perspective, I'll charge Here gives us his thoughts on
games this weekend and the NFL looking forward to the
final hour ahead.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
We'll take you to charge around the corner on KFAM
For Vikings Linebacker and sideline analyst for the vast and
never expanding KFA and Minnesota Vikings Audio Network joins to
chop it up regarding some football and don't forget at
Nacho liber Via Twitter at Nacho liber Via X follow
if you are so inclined, and Twin Cities Live Today
(00:21):
three to four thirty on Channel five Twin Cities Live.
You know, the show is anything but stupid, meshes pop
culture with news and events and is that of hilarity, poise,
and creativity. And as the co host, so watch today
at three on Channel five sponsor CCRF. And when U
(00:46):
Pete and I got together Tuesday and chatted at the
Vikings Museum, the Children's Cancer Research Fund came up. I
thought that was really cool. Yeah, that was really awesome.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
I really appreciate CAPS for having us out a great
job out of nowhere.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
They're just like, hey, you like.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
To do these donations for any of the speakers that
come in, And they're like, hey, we know that you
work with CCRF, and like we love to make a donation.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Like yeah, that's awesome.
Speaker 2 (01:11):
So you know, I got to tell the group of
you know, seventy ninety people there that you know about
what they do and how they help out children with
cancer and their families. And you know, it's a it's
a national nonprofit that's based right here, and they help
out every there's sort of like this umbrella that sort
of helps out all these different hospital systems and different groups.
(01:32):
So every dollar you donate goes right to the kids
and the families, not just here, but but nationally, and
not just you know, the major the major hospitals, it's
all the small ones too, So appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
I have.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
I feel pretty good about the Vikings winning this weekend,
and I have my reasons. What about you, Yeah, I
feel pretty good too.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
You know.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
I love what you put on, what you you told us,
and you kind of broke it down on Tuesday, just
how we bounce back from some of our losses, you know,
our tough losses when we don't.
Speaker 3 (02:00):
Play very well.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
And you know, I certainly think that that is that
is the nature of where we're at, where our team
is still trying to find its groove a little bit,
and it may just sort of end up like this
as the season goes along, a little ups, little downs
and all that stuff. Not playing super consistent but the
thing that gives me a lot of optimism is that
we didn't get beat by Baltimore. We didn't run find
(02:25):
ourselves in a situation like we did with the Chargers
where it's like, man, I know that we are off,
but that was just a better team than us, and
they really hammered it to us.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
The Ravens were not the better team.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
And knowing that we can correct those mistakes during the
course of the week, we should be able to correct
those those prestat penalties, We should be able to correct
those things as far as getting the ball down the field,
maybe making the wrong decision, throwing a double coverage, stuff
like that. I don't think we're going to make those
same mistakes now. I know this is a different team.
They have some different challenges, but we have a really
(02:58):
talented team, and when we play smart and we don't
shoot ourselves in the foot.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
I think we can win this game.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
I was asked this morning on a Mike Florio PFT
Live podcast with the false starts, why, I mean, just
simply like what led to that voluminous number. He started
off by talking about the very early in the equation
accusations that the Ravens were messing around into the line
with their changes and not necessarily going you know, they
(03:26):
weren't egregiously doing something to Macha Cadence that would lead
to it. Then Kevin O'Connell came by the radio show
Tuesday at eleven for x'es and O's asked him about it,
and he was like, no, that you know, we've broken
it down. That was not the reason why. So I'm
just going to ask you. I mean, here we are,
(03:47):
you know, X amount of days removed from the loss
to Baltimore three three days in front of the next
one with the false starts. Having thought about it a
little bit now like eight, why.
Speaker 2 (04:00):
Well, it does seem like I think they're sort of
like dancing around it. But it seemed like there was
something that was different with the Cadence that they were
trying to do differently this game. And wow, you know,
I do think that's it'll be an easy fix, you know,
whether it's just simplifying things or whatnot. The one thing
that I will say is that's different from last game
(04:20):
to this game is I actually think that this game
is probably more important to have some pre snap shenanigans
with their defense because their defense does do a lot
of rotating with their safeties. They try to do some
movement pre snap. They really do a good job of
disguising and being patient, and they'll blitz from a static position,
(04:44):
they'll blitz from off ball, they'll blitz from depth, and
I think that gets really difficult. So any edge that
you can get where you mess with Cadence, you come
up to the line and you try to just get
them to rock on their their toes a little bit
and they tip a blitz, so they tip a movement.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
I think that's gonna be really important for this game.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
And unfortunately, we're coming off a game where we're probably
gonna have to simplify it and we're gonna have to
like not go up to the line and you know,
you know, you know, to kill kill kill, you.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Know, like like uh uh ha ready exactly exactly.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
So I think this is the game where you probably
need more of that, and we're not going to see that,
so ILL have to battle through that as well.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
I you know, it's it's even during the game call
when it was happening, and you know, I think I
came down to your off chat with Pete and I
was like, this this has to be something cadence related.
So I actually stopped being like three receivers left, tight
end right, two tight ends their balance here, this guy's here,
that guy's there, second and seven from the twenty, and
just did a little of it so to stop talking
(05:50):
to hear what was happening at the line. And and
I don't know if you could notice this, but McCarthy's
you know, and again it's it's audio level of of
fieldside mics and stuff. It was louder and more biting
and direct than I recall. But you know, we don't
have a lot of examples here either. But so I
(06:11):
started listening to it during the game call after like
the fourth or fifth.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
It was one of the ones in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So what you say, I definitely can buy into about
nine out of ten here with the cadence change, and
they just weren't. They weren't in lockstep with it. And
I think that's I think that's really most evident. When
Justin Jefferson has a false start, he has nine penalties
his whole career. That was the second false start of
his career. So you know, people can get after anybody
(06:40):
for whatever topic or reason they concoct or is legit period.
My man doesn't take many penalties and he doesn't take
any false starts, so that I think the cadence bits
the answer.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Well, the one that's the most telling to me is
when McCarthy false started. You know, if if the quarterback
is not one hundred percent sure when he's going to
receive the ball, well, then there's obviously some sort of disconnect.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 2 (07:07):
So, I mean, he's the one that's getting the call
into his helmet, he's the one that's disseminating the information
to the rest of the players, and he was somehow
confused and when the ball's coming out, so right, yeah,
so I do I do now that that game is
in a rear view mirror. Yeah, I mean, it's not ideal.
You heard Wes talk about it. He was embarrassed by it.
(07:27):
I think we are all. We all were because this
is a team that prides itself on being self disciplined
and not creating those sort of those situations where we're
giving up free yards.
Speaker 3 (07:36):
To the defense.
Speaker 2 (07:36):
So yeah, let's all just hope that that was the
one anomaly, and we hope we never see that again.
We never ever see eight fallse starts on the home
at home or or on the road ever in our lifetime.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
So I don't think that's gonna happen. It's not going
to happen this game.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
I would qualify Ben Leeber and his relationship with Harrison
Smith to be quite close, you know, as former player
and players go, or analysts and or players go. I've
just you know, I've seen you guys together before, and
I know you have a lot of respect for him. Man,
it's it's just two hundred of the game this weekend,
and you you played with a fair amount of really
(08:14):
really good players during your your decade ish career in
the National Football League. Playing with Harrison, I bet you
really would have enjoyed that though. Yeah, he started in twelve,
you finished in eleven or ten, one of the two
so just barely missed each other. But you guys really
really would have enjoyed each other. Oh, I absolutely would have.
(08:35):
I mean I would have. I love his demeanor, I
love his approach to the game. I think the one
thing that we all, we all appreciate about other players
is you may you may go out there and you
may be a you know, a journeyman type of guy
right where you just don't really catch on. You might
have a you know, you might carve out a five
six year career and never, We're never the guy.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
If you came in and you prepared, and you worked
your butt off, and we saw how much you cared
about about going out there and how how much you
cared about your performance and your preparation, dude, we everybody
respects a guy like that. So take that times one hundred,
because what Harrison's been able to do actually on the
field is incredible. And then to know the way that
(09:20):
he prepares in the leader that he is in the
locker room, a guy that you can watch as a
young player and be like, all right, if you want
to see how a pro does it, this is how
a pro does it.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
I love I loved playing with those guys. I mean it.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
It did sort of chat me a little bit when
you see guys that don't take the game as serious.
And they might be great players, that may be Pro bowlers,
but you see how the way they just kind of
like disrespect the game from a preparation standpoint and they
just they let just their talents take over. It's like, yeah,
we love that you're performing for us and you're helping
us get wins and stuff. But man, dude, if you
(09:57):
just cared a little bit more and you put a
little bit more in like, you'd be even better. And
he's the opposite of that. So a ton of respect.
Well interesting you said that, and with respect. First thing
that comes to mind for me is Adrian Peterson, And
I don't know. I mean, I know Adrian pretty well
and have over the years likewise for you, you know,
(10:17):
and I so therefore to say he didn't just pore
over everything you possibly need to study. You know, it's
interesting that Antoine Winfield and Adrian Peterson were on the
same team because getting to know them both well, you
would hear certain things from one person Antwine, and then
certain things from another person. But Adrian, it's it's like
(10:41):
when people, you know, when when people.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
This day and age, when there's like quarterback turns around,
running back's not there, went the wrong way, taps his chest.
Speaker 3 (10:49):
My bad.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
You know, I'm thinking, Okay, that happens, but it doesn't
happen a lot, and I just wonder what goes into it,
you know, from from a study standpoint, Well, with Pete,
not everybody's ad is what I'm getting at. And he
could not look at things for a long time, and well,
actually the holes over there, Agrien, cool, I'm going to
jump cut and go eighty two this way. And he
(11:12):
had the ability to do that and outrun mistakes. Yeah,
not everybody, No, a few are able to do that. Thus,
the like the study and how much time like Cousins
put into it, you put into it, Harrison put into it. Man,
that really matters.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
Yeah, it really matters.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
And the thing is, I laugh and I chuckle about
that because I wasn't athletic like that. I know, I
couldn't over athletic my mistakes.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
You know.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
I didn't have that sort of superpower that some of
these like ultra talented guys are, So I had to know.
I had to get the edge of all right, well
I'm pretty sure the ball's going over here. I'm pretty
sure I know where to go if they run this
play like the way, I was able to deduce things
down to help myself out because if I fall step
(12:01):
and I was guessing I.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Was cooked like I couldn't. I didn't have that. I
didn't have the short airy quickness to like make up
for some of those things. I wasn't the.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
Strongest guy to get off some of these blocks if
I wasn't playing with great techniques, so like I had,
out of necessity really prepare so hard just to just
to survive out that.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
And see in watching back the Vikings and Ravens, and
there was a moment it was the the Mark Andrew's touchdown. Okay,
And and I'm not saying Josh Mittelis had no idea
what was happening.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
I'm not saying that.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
I'm just saying I saw Harrison Smith wave to him
down in the end zone once and then he came
over a little then hard twice. No, no, no, prop you're
not in the right spot. Yeah, and then Mattellis freezes
touchdown to a wide open Mark Andrews. And then they
kind of come together, Harrison and Mettelis as they walk off.
(12:55):
Harrison's not He's not the demonstrative type that's going to
be like arms out showing somebody up. Josh kind of
galloped over to talk to him, and they walked off together,
with Josh doing all the talking. You know, I don't
know what they said, but you could just kind of
tell that something went wrong there and that Smith was
(13:16):
ahead of the curve.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
On where everybody should be you know.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
Yeah, I mean that's the thing is like if he
if you saw it the way you are kind of
laying it out, and we all get the idea that
he was trying to get Josh in the right spot
and like to cover whoever it's going to be in
that area, whether it's Andrews or somebody else. Yeah, that
wouldn't surprise me that he he knows. I mean, you
get down the red zone and the thing is a
(13:40):
lot of offenses sort of paar down what they're going
to do, and especially this part in the season when
you see when you see certain personnel groups and then
then you see the formation, and then you see the split,
and then you see the guys that are in those
splits and then those positions. If you're doing your tape
study and if you are really cataloging those things in
your brain, you got pretty good idea. Like you can
(14:01):
get probably the eighty percent certainty that this is the
play they're gonna run. Yeah, now you have to marry
that up with what you're doing defensively, Like, Okay, well,
if I'm in man to man, now i gotta play
this because this is the route combination whatever, and I
think they're in a zone situation on that play. Yeah,
you got to tell your guys around you, like, this
is the playoff's coming. This is where you gotta make
My guess is used probably telling Josh cheat. I know
(14:23):
that you're in your landmark. I understand that this is where.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
You're supposed to be Bengo, but this is.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
The time where you can cheat the defense to give
yourself the advantage. And that's where savvy Vet's come in.
I couldn't figure yet that's perfectly explained.
Speaker 5 (14:37):
How would you sum up Harry's twenty twenty five this far?
I mean, he misses the games on the front end,
and you see him and you have those moments like that.
This kind of plays in maybe to an opinion that
I have that could be right or wrong on Mittellus
and the year that he's had. But what do you
think about two to two year fourteen in Purple.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
You know it's been okay. I wouldn't say it's been amazing.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
I know that that it's been a strugg to get
back to one hundred percent and to play all all
snaps of the game at one hundred percent. You know,
we saw I think his playmaking ability really shine in
that Lions game. The way that he's able to dictate
the defense and be the catalyst for every pre snap
motion and movement. You know, he's elite at doing that.
(15:19):
Made some plays in the backfield. I think he's taken
a step back physically. You know, when he is either
in the tackle, the primary tackler coming in on the tackle,
like he's just not approaching. I think the ballcareer with
as much ferocity and violence as he once has, So
I think that's part of the game that it's been
(15:40):
missing a little bit. But from a a pre snap
savviness and intelligence, I think he's right there at near
the top. The physicality has probably waned a little bit.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
So as a safety group in general, whether it's THEO
that's in and out, he's got the concussion that sounds
like he's going to be back, et cetera. Mittellus So
earlier in the season I kind of had an opinion
in that Mattellis was, I mean just bad luck central
from you know, you look at the Philly game and
that AJ Brown touchdown where Mattelis has him for a
few seconds, but he can't defend him for seven and
(16:12):
Jalen Hurts gets outside little street ball points it's deep.
Speaker 3 (16:15):
It's a touchdown.
Speaker 5 (16:16):
But I'm starting to see more and more moments where
Mittelis is kind of late to the scene where Mittelis
does have these instances where two two's pointing them in
a certain direction and he's just there's just something off
about his game. Am I reading that the wrong way?
Am I reading it the right way? Any any opinions
on that, because I think that that impacts that group
(16:36):
back there if one of them is off.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
No, it certainly does.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
It was with as much movement as we do and
disguise that we do with our safeties. Yeah, these guys
are really really important part of the defense and how
everything flows.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
And you know, I think.
Speaker 2 (16:50):
When when you're losing THEO and now Josh has to
kind of morph into a different type of role, I
do think that it's understandable where he's maybe not in
the same position as he was, and you know, he's
he's playing a little bit out of his normal spot
as a hybrid guy in the box guy. Now hopefully
he gets we get back to that, knowing that we
(17:11):
have three safeties healthy this week. But I think everybody
sort of knows at least, I never really saw Josh
as a straight man, demand coverage guy, you know, on
certain players. Sure, I think that he can match up,
But you look at that Aj Brown situation. That's a
big bodied, fast athletic wide receiver on a double move
(17:31):
in which he's he's playing the sticks in that moment,
he's playing the down and distance based on what the
game situation was telling us. It's a great call by
the offense to run a double move there, especially with
the matchup that they had.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
That's a tough draw.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
I understand that they won that one, but I also
understand what Josh was thinking. I'm going to play the
sticks real hard, not for them not to move the
chains in that situation, he gives up a big play.
I think that because of injury, he's been out of
position for the most of the season.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
I'm kind of excited to see him back on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
What are some of the best routes to confusing Caleb
Williams Hmm.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
You know, I think it really comes down to.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
We just have to capitalize every time we get our
hands on him. I'm not so sure that we have
to drastically change our game plan against him. We did
a really good job of bluff bailing in our first game.
I think it confused him. I think that it did
what it was supposed to do. It messed with his reads,
(18:37):
it messed with his coverage. In his progression. Now, he's
a markedly different player now under Ben Johnson. He was
in game one, so we have to give him that credit.
But to me is we still were able to get
to him. We were still able to get into the backfield.
We were still able to do some of those things
and confuse their offensive line and their offense. We just
(18:58):
have to capitalize them bringing him down. That's a lot
easier said than done, because he's he is a Hoodini
back there. But like it's so for me, it's not
so much. Do we have to reinvent the wheel? No,
I don't think so. I think that we stay true
to who we are. You know, we might we might
change up some things here and then maybe have some
tendency breakers. Maybe we do a little bit more bailing
(19:18):
out so we get more guys in coverage and if
he does scramble in certain key situations, we have more
than just one guy trying to make an open field tackle,
but especially if Gernard is back and it sounds like
his shoulder and is not as serious and we're expecting
him back and we have Gink back there, which we
didn't have in the first game.
Speaker 1 (19:33):
We need Grenard to practice today, even limited. It was
a d NP yesterday. But anyway, Yeah, very true.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
But you know, I think that our defensive front is
well equipped to handle him based on our scheme, and
I don't think that we have to change up a ton.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Just win your battles and get the dude on the ground.
Speaker 5 (19:51):
What has impressed you most about the Bears in this
six and three? I chronicled it on Tuesday. They're fifteen
forty one and one the opponents that they've beaten. Okay,
so it's like you're beating up on bad teams. But
I think belief makes them dangerous. That was kind of
the themal we talked about on Tuesday, and Jeff Joniak
their vox kind of echoed that earlier.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Today is just this team believes.
Speaker 5 (20:11):
But anything that's just popped out, whether it's the running game,
et cetera. Just like man, I mean, these Bears are
kind of figuring it out.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
The Bears to me get better as the game goes on.
And I think that's proven in some of the stats.
They're not a fast starting team. Caleb crushes the last
two minutes of every half. His second half performances as
far as air yards down the field is better than
it is the first half, and so I think nailing it,
(20:39):
and so I think that that's very impressive. And I think,
you know, you win on third down defensively, and they're
number two in the league and takes they have thirteen interceptions.
Speaker 3 (20:50):
That's incredible.
Speaker 5 (20:52):
The whole thing's insane. Plus fourteen in the take gif. Yeah,
you know the fact that they're sixth in the league
on third down interceptions itself.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
On third down, they they will put you in those
really uncomfortable situations. And Dennis Allen, he comes in every week.
I've read articles where these players talk about how excited
they are to come in on Thursdays. They know that
Thursdays is our third down blitz day. They know that
third day, Thursday is the third down you know, creative
(21:22):
day where they find out something new that Dennis Allen
and staff has put together that they may not have
even seen. And they're like, he does such a good
job of pulling things out from five games ago where
we thought that that defense was put to bed or
that technique was put to bed, and he'll bring it back,
but then he'll have a different nuance to it. And
so that excitement level for these guys to get your
team into third and long, it's it's contagious with them
(21:46):
and they look forward to it and it brings fear
into the offense. And that's that is one of the
biggest key points that we have to go into this game.
We cannot be in third and eight plus, like cannot.
Everything that we can do to be third and three
or less is going to help us out because this
is where these guys feast. They do such a good
job with their disguised packages, they do such a good
(22:07):
job with their blitz packages, and they will take the
ball away when it's in the air.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
The Chicago Bears have held opponents to seven of forty
six on third and long situations. Third and long would
be qualified here as six yards or more, second best
in the NFL. They're getting first downs, giving up first
downs fifteen percent of the time, narrowly behind the Green
Bay at thirteen.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
That's an elite point.
Speaker 2 (22:31):
Yeah, well, and I'll even take that a step further.
The stat I have is when they're third and eight plus,
they're holding offenses to a thirty nine point three passer rating,
which is the best in the NFL. Oh jeez, and
you look at us conversely on all third downs and
we're thirty first in the NFL. So our offense is
not good on third down regardless of the down of distance,
and they're elite at third and long.
Speaker 5 (22:52):
Yes, sir KIDQB Game five, what do you think? Look,
I am dramatic pause. Well, it's calculated today.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
I know he's gonna be calculated three to four thirty
on TV and then they're gonna have to cut a segment.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
We got a big day to day on Twinsday. It's
our Thanksgiving show. This's a lot of food wine today. Yeah.
Oh yeah, wow. I'm going in basically not eating lunch.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
Can you make anything and bring it in or is
it all made?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (23:20):
It's all being made.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Oh yeah, we have we have different people coming in
for every segment, different food item.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Yep, are you going to gobble up the gizzard?
Speaker 2 (23:27):
I won't.
Speaker 3 (23:27):
I don't think I'll take part in the gizzard.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
No gizard no, no, no, no, gonna get your hand up
in there to get the gizzard.
Speaker 3 (23:32):
I like that dark meat though.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And you answer the question Finchy's we have Finchy in
seven minutes. We're messing around with getting up in there
looking for dark meat and gizzards.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
You just got an extra forty five seconds to late
to put it all together.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Mentally smart move tap dancing a little bit. I'm very
excited to see what he can do. I really truly
believe that he takes every single snap and every as
a learning moment. And you you heard Kaos talk about it.
He was with you Pa when he talked about, you know,
looking at some of these these plays when they're watching
(24:08):
film together and he's answering the question before the questions
even posed to chaos.
Speaker 3 (24:13):
He's like, Yeah, if.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
I had that play over again, I'd probably you know,
I'd not take that second hitch there. He's like, that's
one hundred percent. That's what we're going to work on
this week. Like, I think that his his cerebral great game.
Is this going to continue to help accelerate his development,
not just like get better, you know, from one off
season to another. Like I think that we're bound to
see dramatic improvements in his game week in and week out,
(24:36):
and I think he's going to learn, Hey, when it's
third and six and you're stepping up in the pocket
because you feel in pressure, do you need to force
a ball into double coverage? How about you tuck that
ball down and you run for six or seven yards
and pick up a first down. That's that's as good
as anything else. So I think learning for him learning
to play the game a little safer, control the game,
(24:58):
game management part, stuff like that. Don't always look for
the big shot in the explosive play. Sometimes it's just
nice to move the chains and live to play another down.
And so I look forward to for him to play
cleaner football, better decision making in some of those critical moments.
Speaker 1 (25:12):
You late, don't forget. Three to four thirty today, Channel five,
Twin Cities Live. It's a show that's anything but stupid.
It meshes pop culture, Thanksgiving, Gizzard's Turkey, dark Meat, news
and events, and is one of hilarity, poison, creativity. And
I can't wait to watch see you this weekend. Thank
you all right, Thanks love and labor at Nacho liber
Via X. We got some cash to give away, and
(25:34):
then we're going to walk up to Finchy.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Finchy.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Chris Finch, coach of the Wolf joins five minutes from now.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
The Fan and two men in a junk truck want
to give you a chance to put some bonus box
in your pocket. National Cash Contest style. This hour's keyword
is deposit. Use the keyword deposit at kfan dot com
might win one thousand dollars. The keyword deposit at kfan
dot com.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
A writing find a new radio is back in the air.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Chris Bench, coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, is set to
join us square shortly Bikings and Bears over the weekend.
That's at noon on Sunday on KFA N That'll be
a day after Chris Finch's team plays the Denver Nuggets,
second part of a back to back and lo and behold,
here comes the head coach. Now, Chris Finch, coach of
(27:18):
the Minnesota Timberwolves. Thank you Second Harvest Heartland. Everybody go
to two Harvest dot org. Ce you can help, specifically
this time of the year, with Thanksgiving approaching, even just
a little bit dollar, five dollars, ten dollars really really
helps others. In need and you can learn more at
two harvest dot org. And here's Chris Finch, Chris Paul Allen,
(27:39):
good morning, How are you?
Speaker 4 (27:42):
Good morning, Paul? I'm good. How about yourself?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Good? Thank you?
Speaker 1 (27:45):
I haven't so I know you get Sacramento in Denver
and I don't know if you got somebody on Monday
that requires travel. But here's the point, is the media
relations con do it. Aaron Freeman, one of our favorites,
big time Chicago Bears fan bears, are at Viking this weekend.
Timberwolves have tickets that happened to be super sweet behind
behind a visitor's bench. So, yeah, you're you're an Eagles guy,
(28:09):
I'm a Vikings guy. I mean, Freeman's team is six
and three. Is he getting loud over there?
Speaker 4 (28:16):
Oh? Yeah, he's getting real loud. He's getting real loud.
You know, wasn't wasn't so loud after week three? But
he's getting real loud.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Right, yeah, And well just remind him before we move on,
it was the summer of free, not the winter of free. Okay,
So hopefully I heard all that. Now, you you didn't
let that Nick's loss ruin your birthday the next day?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
Did you.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
Tried not to, but you know, guys did a Guys
delivered with a resounding victory on the day after that.
So all is forgotten and we moved forward.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
But what were you doing at first have last night?
Was there like a big Prince cover band or something.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
There was a Zach Zach low was in town with
his podcast and it was his first ever live podcast,
and it was great Pat Cows, full of really passionate
Wolves fans and good energy in there, and myself and
John Krazinski from the Athletic as we all know, covers
(29:20):
us and then Dante DiVincenzo. It was just good, good time,
good vibes, lots of fun, fun laughs.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Now, now for those who don't exactly know who Zach
Lowe is or what he does, I mean, he has
like close to a million Twitter followers, uh, and and
I've and I've never met him and and I haven't
listened to any podcasts, but his presence is quite prominent
on social media and then the podcasting world. But like,
was Zach what what makes him so well respected around
(29:51):
the league?
Speaker 4 (29:52):
Yeah, that's a great question. Like, so Zach was formerly
at ESPN and now he's you know, with the Ringer
and he's started out as a writer, uh with with
the with Grant Land, and he's just an in depth
guy like he you know, he's a I would consider
an MBA expert. You know, he gets in the weeds,
(30:13):
he gets in the numbers. He used to have one
of my favorite columns, which was his weekly list of
ten things that he would make notice notice about the league.
A lot of it would be analytics driven or just
kind of crazy little trends or things that he found interesting.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
And that's what I love about him. Like, you know,
in a world where a lot of times we're talking
about anything but the game and what's going on in
the game. You know, he he always found a way
to bring his you know, articles back to like what's
happening in the game, not about you know, crushing players
or coaching decisions or organizational failures and all these other
(30:54):
things that seem to get clicks. Now. He wrote about
the game, and he writes about the game. Super smart guy,
you know, Dartford Ivy League educated, has a you know,
typical Northeastern kind of sense of humor. So I kind
of connect with that. And but yeah, I just found
him extremely you know entertaining and and also you know.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Intelligent, but's fantastic. Zach Lows the guy's name. He was
at First Avenue last night doing an on site podcast
in Minneapolis, and benchi and and Johnny Athletic and Dante
DiVincenzo and others were there. That's that's really really cool man.
All right to your team yesterday, I saw clip I
wasn't at the press conference or like the the post
(31:38):
or pre shoot around talk, and and you said, quote,
your team's defense is off the mat and now needs
to start swinging. Has that Has that coincided with the
return of Anthony Edwards.
Speaker 4 (31:52):
A little bit? But I think it's you know, it
gives us another point of attack defender. Uh, But you know,
I think it's really going started with Rudy. You know,
kind of Rudy's awakening here. He's been extremely active, challenging
everything in his area, you know, Jade in his back
(32:13):
to you know, his normal self on and off the ball.
You know, I think those guys, you know, a couple
of weeks ago, we kind of called him out and
asked him that they had to be better, they had
to get back to who they were, and they've they've
delivered there.
Speaker 1 (32:28):
So what you're saying is off that defensive question I
formulated Zach low would have started with Gobert and I
started with Edwards.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
No, not at all.
Speaker 4 (32:40):
Well, the timing is, you know, I mean, listen, Anthony
gives us so much personality. The other thing that's happened
that you know, at the same time Anthony came back,
Jalen Clark came back. Jalen Clark gives us some defensive
personality he makes things happen out enough, and another really
really good on ball defender. He's the possessions guy. He
gets gets your steals, he gets your fifty to fifty
(33:02):
balls and rebounds. You know, these things like kind of
go under the under the radar at times, but they're
always kind of going on no doubt.
Speaker 1 (33:12):
And I think at the thirteen minute mark two podcasts
to go for Zach Lowe, he compared Jalen Clark's defense
as a new age fat leaver and t are done
specifically when it comes to on the ball. So that's
that's just beautifully laid out. I'm just learning so much
right now.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
That's where that's where you have it over, Zach, Like,
that's not going back to the eighties references.
Speaker 1 (33:33):
So yeah, I mean that's ay. Gotta have something, man,
you know, you got three chins. Haven't felt my ribs
in thirty years. But I know who tr done is.
I mean, don't leave home without it. Go bear Rudy
Gobert ten blocks the last three all wins.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
I mean, shot blocking.
Speaker 1 (33:50):
There's more to it, I know, but shot blocking Rudy
is the best kind of Rudy, right.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Absolutely. I mean, if he can, if he can block shots,
particularly early in the game, set the tone, create some deterrence.
You know, that's that's when we see him at his best,
and then you know it kind of pumps a lot
of energy into our defense as well.
Speaker 1 (34:14):
And eleven into it. For you guys, Chris, you're at
forty one rebounds a game. Does does that number need
to increase? Forty one rebounds a game on average?
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Yeah, for sure. You know we're always looking at things
that on the horizon. Well, we don't have to look
at the horizon. We have looked in the rear room mirror.
I mean, the Nicks crushed us on the on the glass,
you know, and you know even you thought, I mean
they're rebounding percentage was a little higher than expected. We
(34:44):
made a miss a ton of shots, but the volume
was they got sixteen offensive rebounds against us, So, you know,
it's it's something that we're trying to zero in on here.
Everybody expects big guys to rebound, and they have to.
But I'm a firm believer, like, you're not really going
to be a good rebounding team until you're small. You know,
your guards really rebound at a high level, and we
(35:06):
got to get more from you know, from them right
now on.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
The glass Chris Finch Weekly nine to noon, courtesy of
Second Harvest Heartland two harvest dot org. Please take a
peek at two Harvest dot or. Chris is on the board.
Very important to him, It's very important to me. Most importantly,
it's extremely important to a lot of kids around the
country to harvest dot org. Now, the three point game,
you guys are top eight and makes at fourteen a game,
(35:31):
but a little below midpack in attempts. So are you
looking for them to chuck up obviously responsibly, but shoot
more threes?
Speaker 3 (35:41):
Are you looking for that?
Speaker 4 (35:44):
Yeah? I think you know, if we we've been creating
a lot of really good looks. I think there's a
few more to be had out there. Some of that volume,
quite honestly, is a little noisy when you look at
it statistically, just because you know, Anthony missed those four
games and that's probably forty three point attempts that we
(36:05):
didn't really replace, you know, maybe we replaced some version
of them. So there's some of that volume is a
little a little inaccurate. But you know, I think overall
we're doing some pretty efficient things. We have the number
one effective field goal percentage in the league, and that,
you know, points to the fact that we, you know,
(36:27):
are getting fouled, getting to the rim and finishing at
a high level. Rudy's eighty eight percent at the rim
in the last five games, which is pretty impressive, and
that's been another key to our offense. You know, we
came into the season wanting to try to unlock Rudy
a little bit more and find him a little bit
more when he's open, and guys have done that, and
you know, when you make four out of every five
(36:47):
down there, it's pretty good.
Speaker 1 (36:50):
So if teams are high with ineffective field goal or
ineffective whatever you just said, does that mean they're shooting
a bunch of mid rangers and not get into the line.
Speaker 4 (37:00):
Yeah, generally, yeah, generally, it's it's effective field goal percentage
PA is literally just the it's the percentage you shoot.
Speaker 3 (37:08):
If you count threes.
Speaker 4 (37:12):
You know, you give an extra half a point to
a three point shot made, so or an extra fifty
percent rather not half a point, so it just counts.
It just takes in the account three point percentage yep,
where you're actually getting the extra point per shot made.
And then it also takes into account the points you're
getting from the free throw line, which aren't normally taken
(37:37):
into account into shot attempts. Like if you just look
at regular field goal percentage, if you get fouled, it
doesn't count as a shot attempt, but it certainly does
count into your overall offensive production. So it's just it's
they're kind of like bonus points when it looks at
effective field goal percentage.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
All right, So Sacramento's here Friday than Denver Saturday. You
keep getting those nuggets second half of back to backs?
What what challenge does that pose especially against them when
no travel this time, but second part.
Speaker 4 (38:07):
Of a back to back, well, you know that there
they're challenge no matter how and when and where you're
playing them. So, you know, I think we try to
focus on on on them and the things that we
can do and things we've tried to have success with
them in the past. We have a few different kind
(38:27):
of game plans, if you will. When you're on a
back to back, of course, you know you you you,
you know, you want to have to get off to
as best start as you possibly can you generally, you know,
sometimes I'm back to back, the start can be a
little a little sluggish because just because the energy until
guys find their legs. But I mean said that, we've
(38:48):
been a pretty good second night of back to back
teams over the last few years. Uh, And it's not
something that we really talk about with our players, like
we you know, big believer that I like try to
remove all the obstacles and all the excuses of too
you know, along the way and then just go out
and play the game as it should be played. And
then you know, guys can't really lock in on something
(39:09):
like hey, I was tired.
Speaker 1 (39:11):
What so so off Malone into Adaman now with a
lot of film, what what's different with the Nuggets with
David Adelman leading the charge?
Speaker 4 (39:21):
Uh, you know, their offense is probably a little maybe
a little more fluid, you know, maybe less play calls,
a little bit more concept based. Uh. You know, their
defense is really kind of what's driving them a bit
more at the moment. They they've got you know, they
went out and they they added a couple uh, you know,
(39:42):
plus defenders in in the off season, which is really
helping their defense. You know, their offenses, when you look
at the numbers and everything, it's largely the same. You know.
Of course, Joki is at the heart of everything and
driving at Murray's off to a super hot start. They have,
they have kind of consistent shooting. They've done a really
(40:03):
good job of adding complementary skill sets to their roster
field a little bit like their their championship team, you
know when you look at the things that they have
and the things that complement their best players. But it's
really where their defense has kind of grown and they're
doing a good job there of you know, mixing in
(40:23):
zone man. Of course, they rebounded at a really really
high level. Uh, and you know, they just they just
got better, better defenders, you know.
Speaker 1 (40:33):
Lastly here, so that's Denver Saturday Target Center and Friday
Sacramento you beat Sacramento by twenty seven out there a
couple of games ago within the week that they are
three and eight. What what did you notice about them
that night? But because they seem to be in quite
the rough patch right now.
Speaker 4 (40:52):
Yeah, they're you know, they're going through it. You know,
every team at some point in the season goes through
it to some level. You know, they're obviously not off
to the start they want. They've they've been challenged a
number of times by their coach. You know, at some
point they're going to put it all together. They have
a lot of talented players. They have a lot of
guys who can really get going and you know, get
(41:14):
on a roll and almost beat you all by themselves. So,
you know, they've struggled through some early season kind of
injury consistency, mostly around the Bonus, who's a big driver
of the way that they play. Uh So, it just
doesn't feel like they've settled into who that they're gonna
(41:34):
be at. You know, and when you're playing teams like that,
it's really important that you kind of jump on them
early so you can continue to kind of maybe increase
some doubt in their mind rather than allow them to
find the confidence and who they are, because they are
a lot of really good and proven players, and those
guys just, you know, they just need to see the
(41:56):
ball go in and they just need to get their
mojo back from doing their things.
Speaker 1 (42:00):
Go Vikes, beat the Bears, Go Eagles, beat the Lions,
after you beat the Green Bay Packers, and we will
chat next week.
Speaker 4 (42:07):
All right, that'd be a great weekend.
Speaker 2 (42:09):
BA.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
Thanks yep, see you, but thank you Chris. Chris Finch,
coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Courtesy of Second Harvest Heartland
and two Harvest dot Org.
Speaker 5 (42:27):
New z anard brought to you by the casino at
Canterbury Parkcanterbury Park dot com. You got NFL Pro Pick
Them opportunities, chance to win some money just by going
to shock and be picking the NFL games this weekend.
There's going to be an open tree lot on Block
Friday ten k giveaway all sorts of cool stuff. My
encouragement would be to go to Canterbury Park dot com.
My encouragement would be to tune into Thursday Night Football,
(42:48):
Patriots hosting the Jets. The Patriots a chance to go
nine and two and they're catching the Jets. Post mini
fire sale you could say Sauce Gardner and Quinn Williams
going out the door, a chance traveon Henderson and those
Pats and Drake May your current MVP odds favorite to
improve to nine and two this evening in Foxborough.
Speaker 3 (43:08):
He's fake. Yeah, you said that early in the week,
didn't you. He has favored to win the MVP.
Speaker 4 (43:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (43:13):
As of yesterday he was todd with Matt Stafford at
three to one to be the MVP.
Speaker 1 (43:18):
Drake May, what do you think you could have gotten
that into the season fifty to one.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
After that first joint practice. I mean, yes, correct, So.
Speaker 1 (43:26):
There's just with my opinion, No, there's somebody.
Speaker 5 (43:29):
I think there's somebody sitting on a fat thirty to one,
forty to one type ticket something like that. I will
say next segment that we'll we'll dig a little bit
deeper into that game, maybe from a fantasy perspective, as
Paul Charchion joins us, Yeah, and I'll just kind.
Speaker 3 (43:43):
Of let me let me hit you with this real quick.
Speaker 1 (43:45):
Okay, Patriots minus thirteen tonight. Yeah, so I don't know,
say we're in the seven oh two, we get there
at two in the afternoon. Yeah, that's on me may
not have an opinion on it, but we're there. So
Patriots minus thirteen and the over under is forty three.
Speaker 5 (44:06):
Yeah, how would you do well? I would probably give
the points at this stage. I just think at Foxborough
Jets cute little performance or at least an attempt, I
should say a week ago post the moves and everything,
I just think they're a dismantled, awful operation. Got it
and I just have too much respect for Vrable at
(44:27):
this point, So just to have some action, I would
lean on the side of the minus twelve and a
half or thirteen, whatever it is, the Patriots winning by
two touchdowns. Looking at the injury report we will be
watching today. As Pa mentioned with Ben Lieber, Jonathan Grenard
did not participate yesterday with the shoulder injury. Chances of
him playing really depend on what you see today, so
limited in some capacity. You want number five eight on
(44:49):
the field in practice. You heard it during the presser
yesterday with Kevin O'Connell. JJ McCarthy hit his hand on
a helmet on a play. I believe it was where
he threw that to Jefferson in the end zone as
Jefferson was going to ground and hit his hand on
a helmet, so he has a bandage of some sort
on the top of his hand. It's been said by
(45:09):
all involved that that should not affect his ability to
throw the ball.
Speaker 3 (45:13):
Russ Wilson, he's mister unlimited. We're mister limited.
Speaker 5 (45:18):
Whether it's Will Fries, Aaron Jones, Ryan Kelly returning to practice,
twenty one day practice window open, McCarthy, Mattellus, Oliver School,
Harry the Hitman, two hundredth game ahead, Van Ginkel So,
so health wise, it looks like eventually we'll find our
way to a mostly full group. Just really watching him,
paying attention to Grenard's status through the week.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
And the the Chicago Bears, their Wednesday practice report was
quite voluminous.
Speaker 3 (45:42):
It was, indeed.
Speaker 1 (45:43):
I mean, you've got who didn't practice for whatever the
reason for them. Kevin Byer, the third who's the bomb, Yes, yep, yeah,
the other safety, Jakwan Brisker, Key j Edwards linebacker won't play,
Brady Jarrett, DJ Moore, Roe of Doonzay Tyreek, Stevenson day Walker,
and the tight end Cole Comet.
Speaker 5 (46:02):
Holy cow, wow, busy list. So that bears mentioning. And
of course we'll have more on that tomorrow during the
Friday Feast in Lakeville. But when we return from a
fantasy perspective, I'll charge Here gives us his thoughts on
games this weekend and the NFL looking forward to the
final hour ahead.
Speaker 1 (46:18):
We'll take you to charge around the corner on KFAM
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