WEBVTT - Inside the Matchup | Episode 42

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donald Simon.

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<v Speaker 1>We're back at FedEx Field this Sunday for a matchup

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<v Speaker 1>with the Philadelphia Eagles. Logan, Paulson, and Santana Moss stopped

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<v Speaker 1>by Command Center to help me go inside the matchup.

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<v Speaker 1>Eagles offense is running so well and that's because of

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<v Speaker 1>quarterback Jalen Hurts. I mean, he is second in the

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<v Speaker 1>league with the most passing and rushing yards total yards

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<v Speaker 1>that there is. Meanwhile, Carson Wentz is third, but most

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<v Speaker 1>of his coming through the air. What is it about

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<v Speaker 1>Jalen Logan that says, okay, we got to be able

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<v Speaker 1>to contain him and what he's able to do with

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<v Speaker 1>the offense. I think everyone associates him as being this

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<v Speaker 1>very dynamic runner, which he is very tremendous athlete. But

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<v Speaker 1>I think the area that he's improved the most and

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<v Speaker 1>is as a passer. He looks so much more dynamic,

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<v Speaker 1>completing over eighty percent of his passes against Minnesota, and

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit that's on Minnesota and the conservative defense

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<v Speaker 1>that they played, But he has evolved tremendously as a

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<v Speaker 1>passer and he's actually I think that's making him more dangerous,

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<v Speaker 1>making that offense more dangerous. So to me, that's that's

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<v Speaker 1>the evolution of Jalen Hurts. Yeah, I think hit it

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<v Speaker 1>on the head. I think one of the things that

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<v Speaker 1>stands out the most is that, you know, they told him, hey,

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<v Speaker 1>do an off season, this is where your handicap at

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<v Speaker 1>in the passing game. We know you can run with

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<v Speaker 1>the football. He comes in this season, he's running well

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<v Speaker 1>with the football again, and he's passing, you know, and

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<v Speaker 1>making sure that he's there. He's in the top ranks

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<v Speaker 1>when he comes to the quarterbacks in the league, he's Sunday.

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<v Speaker 1>So we definitely have to, you know, try to find

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<v Speaker 1>a way to hold him down in both categories. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>and kudos to the staff are in Philadelphia too for

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<v Speaker 1>finding receivers to support him. And they've done that and

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<v Speaker 1>they find guys like AJ Brown who are dominant number

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<v Speaker 1>one receivers, and I think that always helps you on

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<v Speaker 1>quarterbacks like Jellen. You know, he's also holding the ball

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<v Speaker 1>longer than any quarterback, but that's because he can scramble

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<v Speaker 1>and extend the play. He's about just over three seconds.

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<v Speaker 1>But when he does throw it, he is leading the

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<v Speaker 1>league in passing yards per attempt at nine point one,

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<v Speaker 1>so he's being able to get a lot of yards

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<v Speaker 1>through the air as well. You just mentioned the receivers.

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<v Speaker 1>Let me go ahead and go to that they did

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<v Speaker 1>bring into a j Brown. They do have DeVante Smith

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<v Speaker 1>as well, and of course they have tight end that's

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<v Speaker 1>really able to do a lot of work as well.

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<v Speaker 1>How do our dB stack up against them? Do you think?

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<v Speaker 1>How do you limit that? Yeah, it's gonna be tough

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<v Speaker 1>because you didn't even mention Quay Walker, who's like Quay

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<v Speaker 1>Watkins excuse me, who's like the speed Shrew group. So

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<v Speaker 1>they kind of have a much like our team, a

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<v Speaker 1>three headed monster that's very dynamic or excellent tight end

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<v Speaker 1>and excellent running back, all guys that can find Mitch

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<v Speaker 1>Matches right. So I think it's about slowing them down.

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<v Speaker 1>I think all of their production stems from Jalen Hurts.

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<v Speaker 1>So can you confuse Jalen Hurts? Can you want to

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<v Speaker 1>settle him? Can you make him question what he's looking at? Tanny,

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<v Speaker 1>You've talked a lot about pressing the receivers up the

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<v Speaker 1>line of scrim and just giving those guys different looks,

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<v Speaker 1>And I think that's gonna be the genesis of slowing

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<v Speaker 1>that group down. Yeah, that's key for me. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>I played a long time in this league and one

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<v Speaker 1>of the things I've always said, you can put anybody

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<v Speaker 1>in front of me, and especially man and man, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>gonna beat him. You know. Nine time I attend any

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<v Speaker 1>guy in this league that's on this self about him.

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<v Speaker 1>You should be able to be a man and man covers.

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<v Speaker 1>But when you have a guy press and being a

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<v Speaker 1>net and being a pest that slows things down. It

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<v Speaker 1>takes the quarterback too long to be, you know, looking

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<v Speaker 1>at you primarily, so he comes off of you. Now

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<v Speaker 1>he had to see it second and third reade. If

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<v Speaker 1>we get those guys to slow those receivers down, send

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<v Speaker 1>people at Carson, I mean, send people at Hurts. Then

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<v Speaker 1>now you can take him out of that game plan

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<v Speaker 1>or out of that progression. And he had to plan

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<v Speaker 1>be a plan set. So that's how you stop those guys.

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<v Speaker 1>You're also talking about not just playing you know, your

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<v Speaker 1>man the receivers in DBS book goes in out of

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<v Speaker 1>course it's the pass rush. Yeah, and if you have

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<v Speaker 1>a good pass rush, then you're probably not going to

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<v Speaker 1>be able to be open to begin with. Because they're

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<v Speaker 1>getting to the quarterback. We saw them get to get

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<v Speaker 1>to Kirk Cousins and very aggressive in that game Monday night.

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<v Speaker 1>How do you see Washington and Scott Turner holding up

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<v Speaker 1>against their defensive coordinator Jonathan Dannon. Yeah. I think Jonathan

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<v Speaker 1>Gannon's a very young and up and coming guy. He's

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<v Speaker 1>kind of changing what he does. Last year, they were

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<v Speaker 1>one of the most conservative defenses in the NFL. A

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<v Speaker 1>little bit more aggressive this year, but I think the

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<v Speaker 1>matchup favorites Washington because of the space and the kind

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<v Speaker 1>of the conservative approach that he has. You know, one

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<v Speaker 1>of the things that stands out to me is just

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<v Speaker 1>you know, me and Logan played a long time and

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<v Speaker 1>it's something that else, you know, I spoke with London about.

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<v Speaker 1>It's the copycat league. Teams are going to pick up

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<v Speaker 1>what they see that you can't do or that you

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<v Speaker 1>didn't you know, pan out well with. So they wash

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<v Speaker 1>Detroit game and say this is we're gonna do. We're

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<v Speaker 1>gonna bring fire, we're gonna brain bliss and see how

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<v Speaker 1>these guys can take it. I talked about it last week.

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<v Speaker 1>Being the dictator, you know, we have to dictate what

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<v Speaker 1>we want to do so you make sure that if

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<v Speaker 1>they're going to put those guys in the box and

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<v Speaker 1>bring the bliss, you make sure you hit somebody every

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<v Speaker 1>time and get them off or take a shot down

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<v Speaker 1>field two. And then you know what that defense is

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<v Speaker 1>gonna say, hold on, we can't bring these guys in

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<v Speaker 1>the box. We can't set out here and be too aggressive.

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<v Speaker 1>We have to make sure that we can contain these

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<v Speaker 1>guys on the outside as well. That's how you change

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<v Speaker 1>things up. Plus, we talked about some keys to the

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<v Speaker 1>commanders securing a victory that coach Ron Rivera is looking

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<v Speaker 1>to when the first game in the division against Philadelphis.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's get our keys to winning Santana. We start with him.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you, Julie. Well, you know, my number one key

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<v Speaker 1>to winning this game has to be I mean, stopping

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<v Speaker 1>Jelly Hurts in the Philadelphia Eagles run game, but not

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<v Speaker 1>just the run games, the offense. I think one of

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<v Speaker 1>the things that we have to do contain these guys.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean we saw it from week one week two. Defensively,

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<v Speaker 1>might not go out there and stop anybody, but we

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<v Speaker 1>must contain this guy. We know he can do an

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<v Speaker 1>RPO game. And now the past, the game has been

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<v Speaker 1>a threat. So that's my number one key to win.

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<v Speaker 1>To agree, and this could really be the point for

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<v Speaker 1>all five of these things. That's how important that is.

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<v Speaker 1>That's what he means said offense, but kind of traversely

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<v Speaker 1>or reversely is keeping Carson Wentz comfortable, right, because I

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<v Speaker 1>think if the defense is gonna struggle doing this, Carson's

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<v Speaker 1>gonna have to score a lot of points. This offense

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<v Speaker 1>is gonna have to have to score a lot of points.

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<v Speaker 1>I think that comes down to Scott Turner finding throws

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<v Speaker 1>and reads and know we're going to run the football

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<v Speaker 1>to make sure that he's in his comfort zone. Because

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<v Speaker 1>when he's in his comfort zone, this offense really texts.

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<v Speaker 1>And I must pick it back off of what you're

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<v Speaker 1>talking about with Carson Wentz, and I'm gonna say my

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<v Speaker 1>number two key to winning would be sustained long offensive drive.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's dealing with Carson Scott turn On just offensively

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<v Speaker 1>what we saw the first game. You know, we're back

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<v Speaker 1>home now, we have the home field advantage, we have

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<v Speaker 1>the crowd behind us. We're probably going to see a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of that was green. Joursey under stands too. But

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<v Speaker 1>we must sustain a long drives and keep our defense,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, off the field at all times. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>we understand what our defense have right now. It might

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<v Speaker 1>be some depth issues up front, but regardless of what

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<v Speaker 1>it is, if we can go out there and performing

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<v Speaker 1>the way we did Week one in the first half

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<v Speaker 1>and sustain at the second half, we have a great

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<v Speaker 1>chance of Man yea, I don't even know if they

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<v Speaker 1>need to be long drives. So he could just see

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<v Speaker 1>the score points too, right, because this you know, this

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<v Speaker 1>offense has been driven by big plays. I think if

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<v Speaker 1>they get that big play, get those points, they're gonna shootout.

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<v Speaker 1>It's not gonna be so much on the defense, I think.

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<v Speaker 1>And then kind of pick your backing off you man,

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<v Speaker 1>spread the well round on offense, and then kind of

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<v Speaker 1>pairs with this one finding your mismatches, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>all those things are so important, right because they have

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<v Speaker 1>excellent defensive coverage players, right. They got Slay, they got Bradberry,

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<v Speaker 1>they got Maddox in the slot, and those guys are

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<v Speaker 1>gonna match up with our three headed monster really nicely.

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<v Speaker 1>So can Gibson mkissic Logan Thomas, Can you find those

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<v Speaker 1>opportunities against linebackers and lesser cover players to really put

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<v Speaker 1>that off into a good situation. I think, yes, got

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<v Speaker 1>Turner shown that he can do that. But that's gonna

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<v Speaker 1>be a huge element of this game in terms of

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<v Speaker 1>being successful on offense. And these are the games you

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<v Speaker 1>get paid for. The man. You want to have a

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<v Speaker 1>great divisional opponent that you can go out there and

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<v Speaker 1>play your best against the best and soon comes out

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<v Speaker 1>on tone. For all of your news and analysis, be

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<v Speaker 1>sure to tune into Command Center weeknights at five thirty

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<v Speaker 1>and ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also

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<v Speaker 1>stream on YouTube and commanders dot com.