1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. The 2 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 1: Commanders fell short and their Sunday night matchup with the 3 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 1: New York Giants. Fred Smoot and Logan Paulson joined me 4 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,759 Speaker 1: to recap the twenty twelve loss, not only just because 5 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:19,759 Speaker 1: it was a loss, but because, as we saw, there 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 1: are a lot of things that folks are really kind 7 00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: of up in arms and heated it over. And I 8 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: want to start with the one that everybody is still 9 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,159 Speaker 1: talking about. Terry McLaurin and the flag at the end 10 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: of the game that called back the touchdown. Yes, Fred, 11 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 1: we're talking about this. Look the referee said. They don't 12 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: stop their jobs necessarily say it. You look and Terry, 13 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:38,559 Speaker 1: you see the film, he looks like he's checking with 14 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 1: the ref twice. Yeah, he says he gets the thumbs 15 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: up that he's good. But no, I'm out there with 16 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: the wide receiver as a cornerback. So I've seen him 17 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: exited the referee all the time. Am I good? Am 18 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: I good? The referee looks like he says, you are good, 19 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: So why would I move again? Terry? He has no 20 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: reason to move right there. So I understand where the 21 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:58,560 Speaker 1: fans are getting up in us. But if you really 22 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: want to dominate the team, take the referees at the game, 23 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: and this play shows it every show that you have 24 00:01:03,520 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: to do that by your playing, not everything else. Yeah. Absolutely, 25 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: I think we're making an assumption here about what the 26 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: ref is actually saying. He might be saying, hey, move 27 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: up to the ball. He needs to be on the 28 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: football there, and then when he moves during a shift 29 00:01:12,520 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 1: that is also a penalty. There's a lot of things 30 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: going on there logistically that you don't feel very good 31 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: about as an offensive minded player, Like that's just bad process, right, 32 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: Taylor's got to give those guys a second, let them 33 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: get set, let them get lined up, wait to hold 34 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:25,520 Speaker 1: the motion, to make sure everyone's in the right position. 35 00:01:25,520 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: So I think that is a big variable that we're overlooking. Right. 36 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: We're saying, oh, it's the ref's fault, but I think 37 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:31,120 Speaker 1: there's a lot of things offensively that could have been 38 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: done differently there. So you're basically saying Heineke's fault. I'm 39 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: saying it's just a practice thing, kind of working that 40 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: referent practice, make sure it's on the right page. I 41 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: think that's that could get that correct and Terry McLaurin. 42 00:01:41,760 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: I he look, he's always the guy that says like 43 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: I pride myself on not being the one that's causing 44 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:48,639 Speaker 1: and when they call him the first or like wait, who, 45 00:01:48,960 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 1: that's not up to terry. But okay, look there you 46 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:52,720 Speaker 1: go two sides of it and how it goes down, 47 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:55,360 Speaker 1: but doesn't change the outcome at all. And it was 48 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: really kind of devastating for Washington to get that loss. 49 00:01:58,360 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: But they had their chances. Yeah, and we saw for 50 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: how the offense can kind of move. They also missed 51 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: their chances, especially on third down conversions and in the 52 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: red zone, fred situation in football, Like the better teams 53 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: in the league, I better in situation of football. People 54 00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:13,839 Speaker 1: ask me what situation of football? Rid zone in third down? 55 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: Can you dominate those two stats? Is an offense and 56 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: right now we're just not good at those two things. 57 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:20,679 Speaker 1: We drive about eighty yards just to kick a feel 58 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,880 Speaker 1: go like this not what you want to do, especially 59 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: against a playoff team like the New York Giants. They 60 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: could say, oh they want to about the Giants. They 61 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: are a team, they could team, and they are a 62 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: team that shows up and played, and you gotta be 63 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: good in those two facets at the ball. Yeah. Absolutely, 64 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: And something we talked about of fair I think it's 65 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:35,880 Speaker 1: interesting is that they kind of out smarter themselves to 66 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: start the game up. They try to do a little 67 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: bit too much. They got away from who they were, 68 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 1: away from that run first play action approach. You saw 69 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 1: how effective they were coming out the half when they 70 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: were able to play action pass and run the football 71 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,080 Speaker 1: down the field. I think they just got a little 72 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: kind of that bye week wasn't productive for him, they 73 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: ever thought it, try to put too much stuff in. 74 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:52,520 Speaker 1: I think that hurt him in the open exta. You 75 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: think wrong the points that they put up having to 76 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: rely on Joey Sly. As we've said, coach Vera told 77 00:02:57,560 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: us multiple times, that is not the recipe for success. 78 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:01,800 Speaker 1: They still have work to do, especially in a short 79 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,440 Speaker 1: week against the forty nine ers. Now we talk about defensively, 80 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: what is it that you saw from this game? Logan, 81 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:11,320 Speaker 1: And this is something too like Daniel Jones was the 82 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,040 Speaker 1: second most sack quarterback coming in with forty one sacks. 83 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: He was not sacked at all in this game. Yeah, 84 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: I think the Giants came out with an excellent plan. 85 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:19,200 Speaker 1: Quite frankly, I think They did a really fantastic job 86 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: of saying, we know where we're a week. We're gonna 87 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:23,359 Speaker 1: call play protections and passes to get the ball out 88 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: of his hands quickly. Dania Jones did an excellent job 89 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: of executing get Jack. Del Rio kind of played a 90 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: more conservative two shell structure which allowed for some of 91 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: that stuff underneath to be done. And again Daniel Jones 92 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: was dealing. Dude was making plays and you have to 93 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: give him some credit all plays when they had to 94 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: make him. That fourth down pass was excellent, the third 95 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: down play before that. He deserves a lot of credit. 96 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:42,480 Speaker 1: They do a lot of credits. They took out d 97 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: Lan out the game. They took out this unit out 98 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: of the game by getting the ball out of there 99 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: quick and you like you see, I think we paralyzed 100 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: our sail by play zone. I think we needed to 101 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: be at a digressor and we wasn't we sit back. 102 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: We took the punches and we got pushed in I yea. 103 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: I always say it's a game of chess. Yeah right, 104 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,640 Speaker 1: And especially when you were seeing a team for the 105 00:03:59,720 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: second game in a row, it's a game of chess, 106 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: and it's a game Washington lost with the Commanders still 107 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: in the hunt for a playoff spot. We broke down 108 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: the current NFCY playoff picture all right, So here's a 109 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: look at the current NFCY playoff picture after this weekend's action. 110 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: The Eagles, they're one loss coming to the commander sit 111 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: right there at the top going for the number one seed. 112 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: Vikings not far behind them, eleven and three, and then 113 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: the team we will see in a matter of days. 114 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: The forty Niners not going to be an easy out, 115 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: especially on a short week. Washington. Sure this season and 116 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:33,599 Speaker 1: today they're in the postseason, but it doesn't They still 117 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 1: have three games left, guys. So if they would have 118 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,240 Speaker 1: won the game against the Giants, their chances of getting 119 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: to the postseason was ninety one percent. Because of the loss, 120 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,159 Speaker 1: that plummets to thirty eight percent. Where are you confidence level, Fred? 121 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:48,839 Speaker 1: So you say we got a chance, This all didn't 122 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:51,160 Speaker 1: matters here if we got a chance to dance and 123 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:53,840 Speaker 1: guess what, everybody picked us this weekend. This is while 124 00:04:53,880 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: I was skied. Everybody picked us. Now nobody gonna pick 125 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:58,599 Speaker 1: us against the fort and nas Now I feel good 126 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,919 Speaker 1: because we lay the underdog game very good. We played it. 127 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:04,840 Speaker 1: We lead with it, and I think we got a 128 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 1: chance this week. I think that's a great point. Fred. 129 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: I think you know, Ron has done a good job 130 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: of inspiring the team in the kind of these games 131 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:10,800 Speaker 1: where're not supposed to win. And when you look at 132 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: the forty nine ers, they are a good football team 133 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: and they're gonna give you a tough run. But I 134 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 1: think Washington does some things in terms of running right 135 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:18,520 Speaker 1: at you that is going to give them some problems. 136 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: So it'll be really interesting to see. It's gonna be 137 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,039 Speaker 1: a tough matchup, no doubt, but I think it's something 138 00:05:22,040 --> 00:05:23,800 Speaker 1: that they can get, they can win if they need to. 139 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: And Kyle Shanahan, of course, both of you are familiar 140 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,760 Speaker 1: with him. Once again, it's going to come down probably 141 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:32,520 Speaker 1: a lot of the coaching. It's gonna be a chess match, 142 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: not checkers. This is gonna be a chance match. And 143 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:36,839 Speaker 1: somebody who ever win this game, they're gonna win it 144 00:05:36,880 --> 00:05:38,880 Speaker 1: with the pin in the paper, not with the players. 145 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:40,440 Speaker 1: Oh I'm glad you said that, because Kyle, that's where 146 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: he's excellent, is he's good at putting his offensive personnel 147 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: in the best position to be successful. And what is 148 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: what is Jack's response? Going to because Jack has done 149 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:48,920 Speaker 1: a good job this season, coming out without standing game 150 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 1: plans against Philly and against New York unfortunately to win 151 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: this last one. But yeah, the players you have, you 152 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 1: have to drop the plays to put them in the 153 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: best position to win. And it is a short week, 154 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: so we'll see you in San Franz soon. For all 155 00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: your news and analysis, be sure to tune into Command 156 00:06:03,560 --> 00:06:07,159 Speaker 1: Center weeknights at five and ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. 157 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:17,239 Speaker 1: You can also stream on YouTube and commanders dot com.