1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. Wide 2 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: receiver Terry McLaurin is heading back to his hometown for 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: the first time in his NFL career. He spoke on 4 00:00:14,840 --> 00:00:18,040 Speaker 1: what that homecoming means to him. I try to do 5 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: a good job of just focus on what's really important. Um, 6 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: winning this game is the most important thing. But I'd 7 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: be lying if I say it's not kind of cool 8 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: to be able to go back to where I grew 9 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 1: up kind of where my affinity of football started. Was 10 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: fortunate to win a few state championships in Indianapolis that stadium, 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,839 Speaker 1: went a few Big ten championships in that stadium, grew 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: up a colts fencing it in Section five forty with 13 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,279 Speaker 1: my dad. So I had a lot of memories about Indianapolis, and, Uh, 14 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,360 Speaker 1: it's gonna be cool to be able to be on 15 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: the field, you know what I mean. Like, really, as 16 00:00:51,760 --> 00:00:54,760 Speaker 1: an opposing player, that's kind of crazy. But it's just 17 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: it's reflecting on that as like how blessed I've been, 18 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: how how good guy's been in my life, And you 19 00:01:01,160 --> 00:01:02,840 Speaker 1: just never know where your journey is going to be. 20 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:04,559 Speaker 1: You couldn't have told me when I was seven years 21 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 1: old that I wouldn't be playing in the NFL and 22 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: to be able to come back and share that moment 23 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: with my family and my close friends, that's gonna be 24 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 1: pretty cool. But you know, at the end of the day, 25 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: I want to win this game. I want to keep 26 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: our win streak going, you know what I mean. I 27 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: think they pose as a really good team. They're really 28 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 1: disciplined on defense, and I know, you know, they have 29 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: a new quarterback, but he's going to probably give them 30 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:26,480 Speaker 1: a lot of energy. So we have to go in 31 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 1: there and and limit the negative plays and get off 32 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: to a fast start on the road. The Commanders look 33 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: to move to five hundred on the season and this 34 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: weekend's road game against the Indianapolis Colts. Santana Marles and 35 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: Logan Paulson shared some of the head to head matchups 36 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: they will be looking out for. So there's a lot 37 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,720 Speaker 1: of high expectations for the Indianapolis native to go out 38 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: there and perform. And I think it could tell he 39 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:51,200 Speaker 1: was he was kind of almost getting like a little 40 00:01:51,240 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 1: emotional thinking about that. But how cool to be, you know, 41 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: a young man or a boy, I guess dreaming of 42 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: playing the NFL and he finally will get that chance, Santana. 43 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: Is it a challenge to kind of put that mindset 44 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: away because he's going to be going up against probably 45 00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: stuff on Gilmore and we know what he's capable of doing. 46 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,000 Speaker 1: It might be a challenge in the sense, but I 47 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: think when you have a guy that's as focused as Terry, 48 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: you know, he goes out there all about business. So 49 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure that he's gonna embrace the moment knowing that, hey, 50 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,200 Speaker 1: I'm home, my family's here, this is where it all started. 51 00:02:23,240 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: That But at the end of the day, I have 52 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,840 Speaker 1: a guy a cross from me who's all pro in 53 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 1: all right, and I have to go out here and 54 00:02:28,600 --> 00:02:30,799 Speaker 1: compete in battle and make sure that I do what 55 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: I had to do for my team. So I know 56 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,320 Speaker 1: Terry's gonna go out there about his business. But it's 57 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 1: great that he's gonna opportunity. I had plenty of those opportunities, 58 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: so I handled it a little differently. But just talking 59 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 1: to him this week, you can tell that he's looking 60 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:45,400 Speaker 1: forward to it. Thinks that about seventy in attendance that 61 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: they got tickets for, but he already did it ahead 62 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:48,960 Speaker 1: of time. But that's a lot of people you want 63 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: to put up a good show against as well, so 64 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:52,919 Speaker 1: we know he's going to be locked in if we 65 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: go defensively. John Allen has been locked into all season long. 66 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: Their offensive line is still kind of like, I don't know, 67 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: not what you'd expect. Is this a good day for John? 68 00:03:03,440 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: I think it's a huge day for John. I'm really 69 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: excited to see John Gold against Quintin Nelson. I think 70 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 1: Quintin Nelson's not playing like Quintin Nelson of old. Maybe 71 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 1: the best guard in the NFL, that's not him anymore. 72 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:13,840 Speaker 1: But it's always fun to see those big names come 73 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: together and kind of duke it out. And with John 74 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:17,840 Speaker 1: playing the way is such a high level in pain too, 75 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 1: he deserves a ton of credit. I think they're gonna 76 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,240 Speaker 1: be able to really take advantage of that interior group 77 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,840 Speaker 1: for Indianapolis. And again, they're probably gonna run the football 78 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:26,880 Speaker 1: at Indianapolis, and so can those two guys show up 79 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,280 Speaker 1: and make their presence felt I think one thousand percent. 80 00:03:29,280 --> 00:03:31,360 Speaker 1: So I think Alan takes advantage of of a kind 81 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,239 Speaker 1: of declining Quintin Nelsons at this point. You know, Matt 82 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: Ryan back there, you'd hear Indie say, look, he was 83 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: like a statue. It's why he took so many sacks. 84 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: And they need somebody who has a little bit more mobility. 85 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: And so we'll see. But Quintin Nelson's going to have 86 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 1: two sacks and two penalties so far this year. Um, offensively, 87 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: the offensive line is going to go up against some 88 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: really good tackles those Tana Yeah. I mean you have 89 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:54,240 Speaker 1: Stewart and Buckner, and both of these guys are what 90 00:03:54,280 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 1: top five in the league right now when it comes 91 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: to tackles. And if you think about Stewart just had 92 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: one of the one of the best games in Week seven, 93 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,040 Speaker 1: you know that any d line has had this year. 94 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: So I think our offensive line has really been kind 95 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: of our trajectory is being going in the right direction 96 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: the last few weeks. Our running backs has been playing 97 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: pretty well, and I think in order for us to 98 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: have a good opportunity to win this game, we have 99 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: to run the ball well. So it's going to be 100 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,400 Speaker 1: a big challenge making sure that we can do so 101 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: with those two guys on dub posing side and Brian 102 00:04:22,960 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 1: Robinson being back has really added to the run game. 103 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,320 Speaker 1: They're averaging one hundred and forty seven rush yards in 104 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: the last two weeks. How will they do against their 105 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: linebackers this week. I mean, I think this group is 106 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: really dynamic. They're very very fast, selective defensive line. They're 107 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:36,880 Speaker 1: very very fast, very athletic, they run to the football well. 108 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:39,000 Speaker 1: They played this nice eight man front. They know where 109 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: they fit in that front. So it's going to be very, 110 00:04:41,080 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: very challenging. But we have two tremendous athletes on our team, 111 00:04:43,560 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: and I think with the scheme that Scott Turner can cultivate, 112 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:47,919 Speaker 1: let's make those guys question their assignments and see if 113 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 1: they can HiT's a big place. It was exciting to 114 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:52,359 Speaker 1: watch the second half of that game, the way that 115 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: they made adjustments after a little bit of a shaky start. 116 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: So now with Taylor Heineke taking all the snaps with 117 00:04:57,600 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: the first team in the roups with them, we'll see 118 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: how much more sinkey is this week in Indy. For 119 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:06,360 Speaker 1: all of your news and analysis, be sure to tune 120 00:05:06,360 --> 00:05:08,680 Speaker 1: into Command Center weeknights if five thirty and ten pm 121 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,360 Speaker 1: on NBC Sports Washington. You can also stream on YouTube 122 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:17,479 Speaker 1: and Commanders dot Com.