Speaker 1: Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson. The
Speaker 1: Commanders look to improve their win streak to three this
Speaker 1: weekend in Indianapolis. I caught up with London Fletcher and
Speaker 1: Santana Moss to break down what the Commanders can do
Speaker 1: to get the edge over the Colts. I think our
Speaker 1: defense playing stinging. You know, I've been talking about this
Speaker 1: defense for the last word four or five weeks, but
Speaker 1: the last two weeks in particular, these guys have held,
Speaker 1: you know, both opponents to twenty one yards combined. And
Speaker 1: if you're talking about our offense, you want to put
Speaker 1: them into the equation that two headed munsters starting to
Speaker 1: come alive back there. We're starting to see what the
Speaker 1: effects can be when we have a great running game.
Speaker 1: So I'm looking forward to seeing what this thing could become.
Speaker 1: And they're not giving up the explosive plays like they
Speaker 1: were beginning of the season as well. Yeah, not giving
Speaker 1: up the explosive players on the back end of the
Speaker 1: defense and being able to get to the quarterback getting
Speaker 1: more more pressure on him. We didn't get to Rogers
Speaker 1: in the game on Sunday, but we got a lot
Speaker 1: of pressure on him. He felt he felt the presence
Speaker 1: of our defensive line and he knew he had to
Speaker 1: get the ball out of his heads a lot, a
Speaker 1: lot quicker and you know when you look at it,
Speaker 1: also in this two game winner streak, there's been a
Speaker 1: lot of complimentary football and special teams that contributed. Another
Speaker 1: takeaway with the putt I mean trust way. Yeah, the
Speaker 1: things he's able to do with that football punting and
Speaker 1: it does tricks to the punt returners. Great, great complimentary football.
Speaker 1: That's why we've been able to win ball games. And
Speaker 1: of course the turnovers that they've been able to grab
Speaker 1: from that as well on special teams. But that's what
Speaker 1: they always say is you have to be able to
Speaker 1: have the offense compliment the defense and then special teams
Speaker 1: as well. It's a team game here, okay, so we
Speaker 1: want to keep it going, though, What is the trick
Speaker 1: when you're feeling like this to keep it going? Santanna,
Speaker 1: there's no trick. I mean, I think one of the
Speaker 1: things that you've seen now you know that our offense
Speaker 1: have to continue to play the way they've been playing,
Speaker 1: specially on third down. Last week was a much better
Speaker 1: performance and outcome for them on the third down and
Speaker 1: our defenses have been doing a weekend and week out,
Speaker 1: you know, to say that there's going to stop Aaron
Speaker 1: Rodgers and the Packers to have no third down convergence
Speaker 1: that it was like almost saying that that's impossible, but
Speaker 1: they were not. Then did I think our offense has
Speaker 1: to continue to move the ball and put up points
Speaker 1: This week, They're gonna have a different quarterback that they're
Speaker 1: going up against than what they might have prepared for
Speaker 1: with Matt Ryan. Same Ellinger takes over as the culture
Speaker 1: like kind of shaking things up a little bit. But London,
Speaker 1: you can anticipate he was probably gonna use this lags
Speaker 1: a little bit more than what Matt Ryan would have,
Speaker 1: and we've seen how that can be a little bit
Speaker 1: of challenge. Even when Aaron Rodgers cut out there and
Speaker 1: ran a little bit, he was able to throw that
Speaker 1: touchdown pass being able to extend the play. But you're
Speaker 1: trying to prepare for a quarterback that you don't have
Speaker 1: much film on. Yeah, you know, you've had some opportunities
Speaker 1: to see him in the preseason and he ran around
Speaker 1: Mason plays during the preseason. You understand his athleticism. So
Speaker 1: when you say when you look at him. What can
Speaker 1: the coach do differently from offensive standpoint to make him
Speaker 1: comfortable in the game plan? Move the pocket, bootlegs things,
Speaker 1: a lot of things like we did with Taylor Heineke,
Speaker 1: not just asking him to be a drop back quarterback.
Speaker 1: That's why I anticipate the coach doing and also leaning
Speaker 1: more on their run game with a guy like Sam
Speaker 1: Ellinger a quarterback position. That's the same thing I said,
Speaker 1: we haven't seen a guy pass the ball that much
Speaker 1: in a real act, you know, NFL game, But the
Speaker 1: preseason is going to be our tests. We're gonna have
Speaker 1: to watch what this guy did on film. And but
Speaker 1: when you have a guy like him, he's going to
Speaker 1: get his confidence from moving around, trying to get some
Speaker 1: of those first nowns and making those plays with this lady.
Speaker 1: So we have to be fishing when it comes to,
Speaker 1: you know, those lanes as a defender, especially those guys
Speaker 1: up front, making sure they stay sound and making sure
Speaker 1: they protect the edge. Quarterback Taylor Heineke's two touchdown performance
Speaker 1: led the Commanders over the Green Bay Packers in Week seven.
Speaker 1: I sat down with the quarterback to recap with the
Speaker 1: win meant to him. The dust is settled a little
Speaker 1: bit because there are a lot of emotions after that
Speaker 1: game is where where's the feelings? The emotions now? Um,
Speaker 1: they're kind of dying down. I'm trying to get him
Speaker 1: to die down a little bit. You know. It's a
Speaker 1: long season and we gotta get ready for Indy. So
Speaker 1: I'm gonna enjoy this one today and dive into Endie tomorrow.
Speaker 1: So I'm gonna try and enjoy it for the rest
Speaker 1: of the day. We were very well aware of that
Speaker 1: Green Bay was your team growing up and something that
Speaker 1: you would bond with your dad over unfunctually your dad
Speaker 1: not being able to be here, But what do you
Speaker 1: think he would be saying and how would he be
Speaker 1: celebrating this with you? Yeah, it's pretty pretty standard for
Speaker 1: my dad. He would just give me his famous bear hug,
Speaker 1: tell me he's proud of me, he loves me, and
Speaker 1: then we would probably share a beer over some some
Speaker 1: steak or something. So, um, I know he was washing
Speaker 1: down yesterday and he's he's really proud of me. I
Speaker 1: know your entire family is, as is the fan base
Speaker 1: as well. Are you aware, like, do you hear the
Speaker 1: chance from the crowds of hi McKy hi ni key.
Speaker 1: Do you hear that when you're in the moment? Not really? Um,
Speaker 1: I mean sometimes I hear it, but um again, like yesterday, Um,
Speaker 1: that was the last thing that was on my mind. Um,
Speaker 1: you know, rough first half, and I was just trying
Speaker 1: to get back and give our chance, our team a
Speaker 1: chance to win. So um. But you know, when things
Speaker 1: are going great, you can kind of hear him and
Speaker 1: kind of enjoy it. But you know, for a game
Speaker 1: like yesterday, it's uh, you know, you're trying to focus in.
Speaker 1: You know, you could have easily kind of crumbled that
Speaker 1: first half, but instead there's something in you that just
Speaker 1: doesn't quit. A lot of guys will say you've got
Speaker 1: like that dog in you, and we heard hear the
Speaker 1: word like moxie all the time with you. Where does
Speaker 1: that mentality come from? I think a lot of it
Speaker 1: has to come from Brett fare Yeah. So I grew
Speaker 1: up watching and you go back and watch his film.
Speaker 1: The dude never gave up. He was tough, and he
Speaker 1: had a lot of fun out there, and you know
Speaker 1: that's why I fell in love with the game of football.
Speaker 1: So every time I go out there, I pretend like
Speaker 1: it's my last game, I go out there and trat
Speaker 1: fun and leave it all out there, and I think
Speaker 1: that's what makes me the player I am today. You've
Speaker 1: got Indianapolis coming up now that you get like, look,
Speaker 1: it's it was one week with the starters that you
Speaker 1: had last week preparing for it. What are you wanting
Speaker 1: to work on this week now that you've got even
Speaker 1: more time there? Um, I would say more with just
Speaker 1: timing with receivers. Hopefully we get you know, Dots in
Speaker 1: back and hopefully get Logan back. But yeah, I think
Speaker 1: if you just keep on working on the timing with
Speaker 1: the guys and putting the balls where they want them,
Speaker 1: you know, we'll be in good shape and again offensive
Speaker 1: and keep doing their thing running backs, keep keep running
Speaker 1: the ball that they are, and I think we'll be
Speaker 1: in all right shape. You know, it was really cool
Speaker 1: to be able to see how the your teammates were
Speaker 1: interacting with you in the locker room post game, and
Speaker 1: there's just pure joy from everyone for for what you
Speaker 1: had to overcome, for keeping them in the game, for
Speaker 1: being able to get that victory. And there's that one
Speaker 1: picture with John Allen. You know, find somebody that looks
Speaker 1: at you like you know, um, but you know what
Speaker 1: does how does it make you and help you to
Speaker 1: know that your teammates like they believe in you? Um,
Speaker 1: and that's very evident. Yeah. Well, going back to the picture,
Speaker 1: I texted Emily or a photographer, and I was like,
Speaker 1: he really had to post that one. You know, it
Speaker 1: looks kind of suspect there, but uh, you know it was.
Speaker 1: It was a great moment for John and I and
Speaker 1: he's he's been in my ear throughout the year. Um.
Speaker 1: You know, if your time ever comes, we believe in
Speaker 1: you and just go out there and do your thing.
Speaker 1: So um, you know when you have a captain like that,
Speaker 1: you know, telling you that even when you're not starting, Um,
Speaker 1: you know what, it means a lot to me. Um.
Speaker 1: You know, all the guys come up after the game.
Speaker 1: It's nice to have that encouragement. It's nice to have,
Speaker 1: you know, guys having your back. So, um, you know
Speaker 1: they know I got there back too, and hopefully we
Speaker 1: can just keep this thing rolling. Okay, two wins in
Speaker 1: a row, let's make it three in Indiana Agolis. Thank you, Taylor,
Speaker 1: Thank you for all of your news and analysis. Be
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