WEBVTT - Preparing for Philadelphia | Episode 41

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. It's

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<v Speaker 1>the first NFC East Division matchup for the Commanders as

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<v Speaker 1>they welcome the Eagles to FedEx Field on Sunday. London

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<v Speaker 1>Fletcher and Santana Moss joined me to preview Philadelphia. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>gonna rattle off all these names and you just tell

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<v Speaker 1>me what you think about it. You're ready, Terry McLaurin,

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<v Speaker 1>John Dodson, Curtis Samuel A. J. Brown, and DeVante Smith.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, that's a receipt. That's a quarterback stream to

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<v Speaker 1>have all those guys, um, I think on our side,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna take us because we you know, we gotta

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<v Speaker 1>take the brigand in and go. But it'd be great, man,

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<v Speaker 1>just to you know, see those guys squad and then

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<v Speaker 1>do that thing. I'm hoping that our receiver corps come

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<v Speaker 1>out on top. If you're a dB, what are you

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<v Speaker 1>thinking knowing that there's so many different playmakers on both sides,

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<v Speaker 1>it's gonna be it's gonna be tough. You guys. They

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<v Speaker 1>drew the short end of the stick, so to speak,

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<v Speaker 1>in especially on our end because of Philadelphi's ability to

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<v Speaker 1>run the boss well You're gonna have to be in

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of man and man coverage where you're not

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<v Speaker 1>gonna have you know, safeties over the top all the time,

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<v Speaker 1>and you're gonna have to hold up. And they have

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<v Speaker 1>the big, big play guys Smith, you can take the

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<v Speaker 1>top off the defense. But then you had the big

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<v Speaker 1>physical receiver and um, you know the guy they traded

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<v Speaker 1>for from Tennessee, A J. Brown. So that's gonna be

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<v Speaker 1>a challenge for for us defensively because we're gonna be

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<v Speaker 1>focused on stopping that run. And you mentioned stopping the run.

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<v Speaker 1>They have the league's second best rushing attack, averaging one

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<v Speaker 1>hundred and eighty nine and one hundred and eighty nine

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<v Speaker 1>and a half rushing yards one night. You just call

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<v Speaker 1>it one night in this um. But according to the

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<v Speaker 1>way that they run the ball, they I mean, they

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<v Speaker 1>can get what they want. The challenge you are trying

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<v Speaker 1>to stop that, it's it's a it's gonna be a

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<v Speaker 1>great challenge just in stopping mile sounders first and foremost,

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<v Speaker 1>we especially the way we despend defended the run in

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<v Speaker 1>these first two ball games. We're gonna have to be

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<v Speaker 1>better in our run fits bettering, you know, coming up

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<v Speaker 1>non you know where your gap is, and that gap

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<v Speaker 1>can move if they're pulling line in and pulling tight ends.

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<v Speaker 1>They like that. I understanding where you fitted, where your

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<v Speaker 1>extra defender is. And then you throw in the mix

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<v Speaker 1>the Jalen Hurst and his ability to run the ball.

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<v Speaker 1>Now you have to account for him as a defense

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<v Speaker 1>and that's where the problem lies. And that's why Philadelphia

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<v Speaker 1>is so difficult to defend when you're stopping to run

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<v Speaker 1>against them. Towner, Yeah, that's one of the things that

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<v Speaker 1>I asked you when I came in, Like, you know

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<v Speaker 1>how difficult is to be a linebacker in this situation,

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<v Speaker 1>knowing that you have a running back that can be

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<v Speaker 1>so elusive in the backfield and the quarterback to have

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<v Speaker 1>to worry about. I remember having those days when we

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<v Speaker 1>had guys who can do it. But um, I think

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<v Speaker 1>our team's up for the challenge. You no gotta bring

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<v Speaker 1>some guys in that box. So those guys aren't going

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<v Speaker 1>to be on the Allen on the outside chase. Rually,

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<v Speaker 1>it goes to the ir the challenge of replacing him.

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<v Speaker 1>It's gonna be a big challenge because the center, he's

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<v Speaker 1>responsible for getting all your protection together, your lives side

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<v Speaker 1>He's typically the smartest guy on the offense. So that's

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<v Speaker 1>not just a little situation where you lose a left

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<v Speaker 1>guard losing the tackle, I mean losing your center. That's big.

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<v Speaker 1>Wellus I had the chance to sit down with wide

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<v Speaker 1>receiver Curtis Samuel will chat about his strong start to

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<v Speaker 1>the season. Curtis Samuel, let me ask you, how are

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<v Speaker 1>you feeling? Because we were calling that game and we

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<v Speaker 1>go to celebrate the touchdown and all of a sudden,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm like going, oh no, he's not getting up, are you?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, are you physically Okay? Yeah, I'm physically good. Um,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean the scoreboard probably had allowed to do with it.

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<v Speaker 1>There's no need for me to dance with the scorebore

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<v Speaker 1>looking where it was. Um, I was a little bit

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<v Speaker 1>of time. I was a little bit tired and I

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<v Speaker 1>got hit my lip a little bit, so I had

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<v Speaker 1>to lay down on the floor. Flow let me get

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<v Speaker 1>myself back together. Okay, Well, it's great to see you

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<v Speaker 1>in the end zone. It's not the second game in

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<v Speaker 1>a row we've seen that. You haven't been able to

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<v Speaker 1>do that since twenty twenty. It's been a hot minute

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<v Speaker 1>for you. How does it feel to kind of to

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<v Speaker 1>be back doing what you know you're capable of and

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<v Speaker 1>what this team brought you in too do. Um, it

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<v Speaker 1>feels it feels amazing. You know, I'm thankful to be

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<v Speaker 1>able to score the touchdown, so you know, when about

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<v Speaker 1>get the opportunities to get the chance. But pretty much,

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<v Speaker 1>it's all about scoring the ball, you know, um, just

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<v Speaker 1>winning the game. So whether I do it, I block

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<v Speaker 1>for somebody else to do it, that's all it's about.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm definitely grateful, you know, to be able to keep

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<v Speaker 1>scoring touchdowns two weeks in a row after everything I've

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<v Speaker 1>been through last year. But I'm just grateful for the

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<v Speaker 1>opportunities that coach give me, you know, in trusting me

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<v Speaker 1>to make those types of plays, opportunities you said you

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<v Speaker 1>were retired as well. I mean they're using you a lot.

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<v Speaker 1>This is a second straight game as well that you've

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<v Speaker 1>had at least seven receptions in a game. Are you

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<v Speaker 1>physically feeling that or is it like, is there a

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<v Speaker 1>different approach, a mindset you have to go into the

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<v Speaker 1>game knowing that they're going to rely on you often

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<v Speaker 1>in a lot. It's just though, it's one of the

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<v Speaker 1>things where I felt like, um, I know, I'm gonna

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<v Speaker 1>touched the ball a lot, you know what I'm saying.

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<v Speaker 1>That's something that I want, you know, and the trusting

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<v Speaker 1>me to make plays when I do touch the ball.

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<v Speaker 1>My mind said, every time I touch the ball, I

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<v Speaker 1>gotta make something happen, you know. And I feel like

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<v Speaker 1>I'm doing that, and it's just about keeping it up.

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<v Speaker 1>Last season, you were saying, when you're getting out there,

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<v Speaker 1>you physically thought you could do it, but it's the

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<v Speaker 1>mindset that's saying, Okay, I can make these cuts. We're

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<v Speaker 1>seeing you make some crazy cuts that we're feeling like

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<v Speaker 1>you're breaking angles and maybe even playing some hoops out there. Yeah.

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<v Speaker 1>Is that more physically or is it that just the

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<v Speaker 1>mindset to say I can sit here and jerk the

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<v Speaker 1>defenders back around physically. I just I feel real good.

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<v Speaker 1>I feel real confident and what I'm able to go

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<v Speaker 1>out there and do make make guys miss make those

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<v Speaker 1>quick fast cuts. You know, last shot I didn't. I

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<v Speaker 1>didn't have the confidence and I know I couldn't do it.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, this year is a little different because I

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<v Speaker 1>have the confidence and I know I could do it

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<v Speaker 1>because I've showed myself throughout the whole off season. I

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<v Speaker 1>did it in OTAs and I'm continue to do it now.

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<v Speaker 1>It's exciting to watch. Oh, it's amazing. I mean you're

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<v Speaker 1>in that room with Terry mccorda and Johan Dodson. They

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<v Speaker 1>do some outstanding, amazing catches as well. But like, do

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<v Speaker 1>you guys kind of talk a little about that. No,

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<v Speaker 1>it's just one of the things. We got three guys

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<v Speaker 1>in our room. I can't even say three. We got

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<v Speaker 1>a whole room, guys. You know a lot of guys.

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<v Speaker 1>Everybody got the impact. Everybody make plays all over throughout

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<v Speaker 1>the field. But you know, when we're out there, it's

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<v Speaker 1>just one of those things where we're just relying on

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<v Speaker 1>each other, you know, when somebody making players like all right,

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<v Speaker 1>good player, you know what I'm saying. And then when

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<v Speaker 1>I get my chance, I'm gonna do the same thing

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<v Speaker 1>because we know we've got the skill set and we

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<v Speaker 1>got the talent, you know, to be able to do

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<v Speaker 1>things like that. What if you've seen from Dodson, because

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<v Speaker 1>there's sometimes he brings that ball down and we're not

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<v Speaker 1>sure how even Santana Moss at times will say I'm

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<v Speaker 1>dropping that. No that he hands, Yeah, he got hands

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<v Speaker 1>and He's done it throughout training camp OTAs and he's

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<v Speaker 1>continued to do it. Now. You know, you put the

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<v Speaker 1>ball anywhere around, you know he's gonna make the play,

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<v Speaker 1>and you know to have that type of skill set

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<v Speaker 1>as a rookie especial, would you say you're the best

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<v Speaker 1>dancer on the team by far? Of course, if he'd

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<v Speaker 1>say the same thing exactly, they got a dance battle me,

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<v Speaker 1>we could do it. What about between Terry or Jehad

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<v Speaker 1>as well? Yeah, they dying a lie. I haven't seen Jehan,

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<v Speaker 1>but I know Terry could dance a little bit. He

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<v Speaker 1>might not pull it out with Terry got some moves, yeah, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>from you right, I'm tell him a little bit of

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<v Speaker 1>college Curtis. Thank you, Thank you so much. You can

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<v Speaker 1>listen to the full interview on Commanders dot com. Tune

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<v Speaker 1>into command Since You weeknights five thirty ten pm on

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<v Speaker 1>NBC Sports Washington. You can stream the full episode on

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<v Speaker 1>YouTube and Commanders dot com.