1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donald Simon. 2 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,520 Speaker 1: We're back at FedEx Field this Sunday for a matchup 3 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: with the Philadelphia Eagles. Logan, Paulson, and Santana Moss stopped 4 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: by Command Center to help me go inside the matchup. 5 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: Eagles offense is running so well and that's because of 6 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,439 Speaker 1: quarterback Jalen Hurts. I mean, he is second in the 7 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: league with the most passing and rushing yards total yards 8 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:29,000 Speaker 1: that there is. Meanwhile, Carson Wentz is third, but most 9 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: of his coming through the air. What is it about 10 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: Jalen Logan that says, okay, we got to be able 11 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: to contain him and what he's able to do with 12 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: the offense. I think everyone associates him as being this 13 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: very dynamic runner, which he is very tremendous athlete. But 14 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:42,760 Speaker 1: I think the area that he's improved the most and 15 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: is as a passer. He looks so much more dynamic, 16 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:47,680 Speaker 1: completing over eighty percent of his passes against Minnesota, and 17 00:00:47,680 --> 00:00:49,800 Speaker 1: a little bit that's on Minnesota and the conservative defense 18 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: that they played, But he has evolved tremendously as a 19 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: passer and he's actually I think that's making him more dangerous, 20 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: making that offense more dangerous. So to me, that's that's 21 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: the evolution of Jalen Hurts. Yeah, I think hit it 22 00:01:00,320 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: on the head. I think one of the things that 23 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:03,959 Speaker 1: stands out the most is that, you know, they told him, hey, 24 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: do an off season, this is where your handicap at 25 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: in the passing game. We know you can run with 26 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:11,119 Speaker 1: the football. He comes in this season, he's running well 27 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: with the football again, and he's passing, you know, and 28 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: making sure that he's there. He's in the top ranks 29 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,679 Speaker 1: when he comes to the quarterbacks in the league, he's Sunday. 30 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: So we definitely have to, you know, try to find 31 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: a way to hold him down in both categories. Yeah, 32 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:24,520 Speaker 1: and kudos to the staff are in Philadelphia too for 33 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: finding receivers to support him. And they've done that and 34 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: they find guys like AJ Brown who are dominant number 35 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 1: one receivers, and I think that always helps you on 36 00:01:30,959 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: quarterbacks like Jellen. You know, he's also holding the ball 37 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: longer than any quarterback, but that's because he can scramble 38 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: and extend the play. He's about just over three seconds. 39 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: But when he does throw it, he is leading the 40 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: league in passing yards per attempt at nine point one, 41 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 1: so he's being able to get a lot of yards 42 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: through the air as well. You just mentioned the receivers. 43 00:01:47,840 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: Let me go ahead and go to that they did 44 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: bring into a j Brown. They do have DeVante Smith 45 00:01:51,080 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: as well, and of course they have tight end that's 46 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: really able to do a lot of work as well. 47 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: How do our dB stack up against them? Do you think? 48 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,640 Speaker 1: How do you limit that? Yeah, it's gonna be tough 49 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: because you didn't even mention Quay Walker, who's like Quay 50 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: Watkins excuse me, who's like the speed Shrew group. So 51 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: they kind of have a much like our team, a 52 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: three headed monster that's very dynamic or excellent tight end 53 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: and excellent running back, all guys that can find Mitch 54 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: Matches right. So I think it's about slowing them down. 55 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: I think all of their production stems from Jalen Hurts. 56 00:02:16,200 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 1: So can you confuse Jalen Hurts? Can you want to 57 00:02:18,080 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: settle him? Can you make him question what he's looking at? Tanny, 58 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: You've talked a lot about pressing the receivers up the 59 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:24,320 Speaker 1: line of scrim and just giving those guys different looks, 60 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,519 Speaker 1: And I think that's gonna be the genesis of slowing 61 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: that group down. Yeah, that's key for me. You know, 62 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 1: I played a long time in this league and one 63 00:02:30,080 --> 00:02:32,400 Speaker 1: of the things I've always said, you can put anybody 64 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 1: in front of me, and especially man and man, I'm 65 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: gonna beat him. You know. Nine time I attend any 66 00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: guy in this league that's on this self about him. 67 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: You should be able to be a man and man covers. 68 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: But when you have a guy press and being a 69 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,240 Speaker 1: net and being a pest that slows things down. It 70 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: takes the quarterback too long to be, you know, looking 71 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:49,080 Speaker 1: at you primarily, so he comes off of you. Now 72 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:50,799 Speaker 1: he had to see it second and third reade. If 73 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:53,800 Speaker 1: we get those guys to slow those receivers down, send 74 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,519 Speaker 1: people at Carson, I mean, send people at Hurts. Then 75 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:58,520 Speaker 1: now you can take him out of that game plan 76 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:00,320 Speaker 1: or out of that progression. And he had to plan 77 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: be a plan set. So that's how you stop those guys. 78 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: You're also talking about not just playing you know, your 79 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:06,959 Speaker 1: man the receivers in DBS book goes in out of 80 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:08,480 Speaker 1: course it's the pass rush. Yeah, and if you have 81 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:10,600 Speaker 1: a good pass rush, then you're probably not going to 82 00:03:10,639 --> 00:03:12,240 Speaker 1: be able to be open to begin with. Because they're 83 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,120 Speaker 1: getting to the quarterback. We saw them get to get 84 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,960 Speaker 1: to Kirk Cousins and very aggressive in that game Monday night. 85 00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: How do you see Washington and Scott Turner holding up 86 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,040 Speaker 1: against their defensive coordinator Jonathan Dannon. Yeah. I think Jonathan 87 00:03:26,040 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: Gannon's a very young and up and coming guy. He's 88 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: kind of changing what he does. Last year, they were 89 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: one of the most conservative defenses in the NFL. A 90 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 1: little bit more aggressive this year, but I think the 91 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,160 Speaker 1: matchup favorites Washington because of the space and the kind 92 00:03:35,160 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: of the conservative approach that he has. You know, one 93 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: of the things that stands out to me is just 94 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: you know, me and Logan played a long time and 95 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: it's something that else, you know, I spoke with London about. 96 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 1: It's the copycat league. Teams are going to pick up 97 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,120 Speaker 1: what they see that you can't do or that you 98 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: didn't you know, pan out well with. So they wash 99 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 1: Detroit game and say this is we're gonna do. We're 100 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 1: gonna bring fire, we're gonna brain bliss and see how 101 00:03:54,560 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: these guys can take it. I talked about it last week. 102 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: Being the dictator, you know, we have to dictate what 103 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: we want to do so you make sure that if 104 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: they're going to put those guys in the box and 105 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 1: bring the bliss, you make sure you hit somebody every 106 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: time and get them off or take a shot down 107 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: field two. And then you know what that defense is 108 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: gonna say, hold on, we can't bring these guys in 109 00:04:10,440 --> 00:04:12,680 Speaker 1: the box. We can't set out here and be too aggressive. 110 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: We have to make sure that we can contain these 111 00:04:14,280 --> 00:04:16,200 Speaker 1: guys on the outside as well. That's how you change 112 00:04:16,240 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 1: things up. Plus, we talked about some keys to the 113 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:21,880 Speaker 1: commanders securing a victory that coach Ron Rivera is looking 114 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:25,479 Speaker 1: to when the first game in the division against Philadelphis. 115 00:04:25,560 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: Let's get our keys to winning Santana. We start with him. 116 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: Thank you, Julie. Well, you know, my number one key 117 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:34,599 Speaker 1: to winning this game has to be I mean, stopping 118 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: Jelly Hurts in the Philadelphia Eagles run game, but not 119 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: just the run games, the offense. I think one of 120 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: the things that we have to do contain these guys. 121 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,480 Speaker 1: I mean we saw it from week one week two. Defensively, 122 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: might not go out there and stop anybody, but we 123 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 1: must contain this guy. We know he can do an 124 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: RPO game. And now the past, the game has been 125 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: a threat. So that's my number one key to win. 126 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 1: To agree, and this could really be the point for 127 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,400 Speaker 1: all five of these things. That's how important that is. 128 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:58,840 Speaker 1: That's what he means said offense, but kind of traversely 129 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: or reversely is keeping Carson Wentz comfortable, right, because I 130 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 1: think if the defense is gonna struggle doing this, Carson's 131 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: gonna have to score a lot of points. This offense 132 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: is gonna have to have to score a lot of points. 133 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 1: I think that comes down to Scott Turner finding throws 134 00:05:09,360 --> 00:05:11,760 Speaker 1: and reads and know we're going to run the football 135 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:13,599 Speaker 1: to make sure that he's in his comfort zone. Because 136 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,559 Speaker 1: when he's in his comfort zone, this offense really texts. 137 00:05:15,560 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 1: And I must pick it back off of what you're 138 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: talking about with Carson Wentz, and I'm gonna say my 139 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: number two key to winning would be sustained long offensive drive. 140 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 1: And that's dealing with Carson Scott turn On just offensively 141 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: what we saw the first game. You know, we're back 142 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:29,800 Speaker 1: home now, we have the home field advantage, we have 143 00:05:29,839 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: the crowd behind us. We're probably going to see a 144 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: lot of that was green. Joursey under stands too. But 145 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: we must sustain a long drives and keep our defense, 146 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:39,640 Speaker 1: you know, off the field at all times. I mean, 147 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 1: we understand what our defense have right now. It might 148 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 1: be some depth issues up front, but regardless of what 149 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: it is, if we can go out there and performing 150 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:47,480 Speaker 1: the way we did Week one in the first half 151 00:05:47,760 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: and sustain at the second half, we have a great 152 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:50,640 Speaker 1: chance of Man yea, I don't even know if they 153 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: need to be long drives. So he could just see 154 00:05:51,760 --> 00:05:53,320 Speaker 1: the score points too, right, because this you know, this 155 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 1: offense has been driven by big plays. I think if 156 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: they get that big play, get those points, they're gonna shootout. 157 00:05:57,680 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: It's not gonna be so much on the defense, I think. 158 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:00,840 Speaker 1: And then kind of pick your backing off you man, 159 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: spread the well round on offense, and then kind of 160 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,240 Speaker 1: pairs with this one finding your mismatches, and I think 161 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: all those things are so important, right because they have 162 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: excellent defensive coverage players, right. They got Slay, they got Bradberry, 163 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: they got Maddox in the slot, and those guys are 164 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:14,840 Speaker 1: gonna match up with our three headed monster really nicely. 165 00:06:14,839 --> 00:06:17,599 Speaker 1: So can Gibson mkissic Logan Thomas, Can you find those 166 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:21,040 Speaker 1: opportunities against linebackers and lesser cover players to really put 167 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: that off into a good situation. I think, yes, got 168 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:25,279 Speaker 1: Turner shown that he can do that. But that's gonna 169 00:06:25,279 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: be a huge element of this game in terms of 170 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: being successful on offense. And these are the games you 171 00:06:29,279 --> 00:06:30,839 Speaker 1: get paid for. The man. You want to have a 172 00:06:30,920 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: great divisional opponent that you can go out there and 173 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: play your best against the best and soon comes out 174 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:39,560 Speaker 1: on tone. For all of your news and analysis, be 175 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: sure to tune into Command Center weeknights at five thirty 176 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:45,600 Speaker 1: and ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also 177 00:06:45,680 --> 00:06:51,040 Speaker 1: stream on YouTube and commanders dot com.