1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to the command Center Podcast. I'm Brand Whitstein. With 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: nine weeks in the books, we've reached the midway point 3 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: of the season, and up next for the Commanders a 4 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: Monday night matchup with the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles. London Fletcher 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: and Logan Paul to join me to preview this primetime matchup. 6 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:24,239 Speaker 1: I think all of us kind of agreed in the 7 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:26,280 Speaker 1: summer that the Eagles are probably the team to beat 8 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: in the NFC East eight. No, might be a little 9 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:30,520 Speaker 1: ahead of where anybody thought they would be. What's been 10 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:32,279 Speaker 1: the key to their success? I think the key has 11 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:34,599 Speaker 1: been really the play of Jalen Hurts. When you look 12 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 1: at the Philadelphia Eagles coming to the season, Jalen Hurts 13 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: was still a question mark, but the way he's played, 14 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:43,680 Speaker 1: the way he's matured as if quarterback. You look at 15 00:00:43,720 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: the completion percent, it's nearly seventy percent completions. But also 16 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: his ability to make plays off schedules and the offense 17 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: is Taylor made for his skill set. They really put 18 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: you in a vibe defensively on what you're gonna do 19 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: and how you're going to defend this offense. Logan, Yeah, 20 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:58,880 Speaker 1: I mean I totally agree Jalen hurts it's been a 21 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 1: huge factor for them. But I think of the thing 22 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: that separates the team from eighty other team in the 23 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 1: NFL and every other team in the division is their 24 00:01:03,880 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: ability to beat you in multiple ways. When they have 25 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: to run the football, they can run the football. They 26 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: need to win with defense, they can win with defense. 27 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 1: If they need a big play, they can throw the 28 00:01:10,400 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: football downfield to a J. Brown and all their explosive playmakers. 29 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,959 Speaker 1: I think that multi factorial skill set makes them a 30 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:18,280 Speaker 1: super dangerous team and makes them the classes of the 31 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:20,440 Speaker 1: NFL at the moment. You think their offensive always changed 32 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:22,080 Speaker 1: since we saw them in Week three, right, I do. 33 00:01:22,080 --> 00:01:23,360 Speaker 1: I think it's changed a little bit, kind of de 34 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: fletch this one. I think they've found a way to 35 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: really speak to what Jalen Hurst does well. They do 36 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:29,320 Speaker 1: the ton of RPO stuff. They find ways to get 37 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,160 Speaker 1: him touches that he can kind of maximize right, short 38 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:35,160 Speaker 1: intermediate passing game, using the run game, using his legs. 39 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: All that stuff is excellent and well, what they do 40 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: a great job is on first and second down. They 41 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,160 Speaker 1: get a lot of positive plays, yes, and they're in 42 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: a lot of third and shorts third and three or less, 43 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: and when they run at RPO there they have a 44 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:50,240 Speaker 1: situation where Jalen Hurst has three different opposers. He can 45 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: head it off to the running back, he can throw 46 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: it to the flat, or he can keep in and 47 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:56,680 Speaker 1: run it himself. And as a defense is hard for 48 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: you to defend all three fats those play, especially when 49 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: it's third and two, third three type situations. They get 50 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: all of the publicity. Their defense has been very good. 51 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 1: It's ranked in the top three, just as they've gotten 52 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: a j Brown really right on the offensive end. The 53 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: addition to James Bradberry's worked out, they just picked up 54 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:15,799 Speaker 1: Robert Quinn. Their defense is for real, isn't it. Yeah? 55 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 1: I think really the thing that separates them from other 56 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: defenses in the division of the NFL is they have 57 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: two excellent cover corners and a passport so that can 58 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: support them. They just seem to be very married at 59 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,680 Speaker 1: the moment in terms of Russian coverage, and that makes 60 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: an excellent defense. And the thing that defense does is 61 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: take the football away. They're number one in the National 62 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: Football League. They're plus fifteen, and they take in a 63 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,359 Speaker 1: turnover margin, they take it away and they don't turn 64 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:40,120 Speaker 1: the football over. That's the reason also that they're ain't no. 65 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: So what are we gonna do? How does Washington get 66 00:02:43,440 --> 00:02:46,359 Speaker 1: scoring point? Well coming get a premium for this? To 67 00:02:46,400 --> 00:02:49,440 Speaker 1: protect the football in some way, somehow, figure out a 68 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 1: way for us to create some takeaways. Things like that. 69 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: We've been able to create takeaways and during the three 70 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:57,440 Speaker 1: game win a streak, we were getting takeaways. We have 71 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,280 Speaker 1: to protect the football, protect the court of back. We 72 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:03,840 Speaker 1: can't allow Taylor Heinike to get sacked like Carson did 73 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 1: the first time we played in Eagles. I think a 74 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: huge variable is getting more efficient in the run game 75 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:08,639 Speaker 1: and Fletcher are going to talk about this later in 76 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:10,639 Speaker 1: the show. But tweaking some of that stuff to put 77 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: you in a better position so Taylor doesn't have to 78 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: carry the whole thing, get some plays from your defense, 79 00:03:14,639 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: and you never know how that football falls. For all 80 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: your news and analysis, be sure to tune into Command 81 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: Center weeknights at five thirty and ten pm on NBC 82 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: Sports Washington, and you could also stream on YouTube at 83 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 1: Commanders dot com.