WEBVTT - Inside the Matchup | Episode 67

0:00:03.279 --> 0:00:09.800
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Julie Donaldson the Commanders.

0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:12.600
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Cleveland. Browns to FedEx Field for Week seventeen

0:00:12.760 --> 0:00:15.840
<v Speaker 1>with playoff implications on the line. Santana Moss and Logan

0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:18.360
<v Speaker 1>Pulton joined me to break down the importance of containing

0:00:18.360 --> 0:00:21.599
<v Speaker 1>Miles Garrett and how Washington's receivers match up with the

0:00:21.600 --> 0:00:24.239
<v Speaker 1>brown secondary. I want to start off with we just

0:00:24.320 --> 0:00:26.960
<v Speaker 1>heard from Terry mcward, like he is a huge part

0:00:26.960 --> 0:00:28.880
<v Speaker 1>of this offense and the success, and of course his

0:00:29.000 --> 0:00:32.159
<v Speaker 1>numbers won up a little bit more with Taylor heineke

0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:34.520
<v Speaker 1>back there, but he's got Carson Wentz all this time,

0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.159
<v Speaker 1>and he's got a former teammate and didn't award. He's

0:00:37.200 --> 0:00:39.839
<v Speaker 1>going up against Logan. Yeah. I mean I always get

0:00:39.840 --> 0:00:41.920
<v Speaker 1>excited when guys in college that went to college together

0:00:41.960 --> 0:00:43.159
<v Speaker 1>and they get to see each other every day in

0:00:43.159 --> 0:00:45.000
<v Speaker 1>practice get to play against each other, because that matchup

0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:47.800
<v Speaker 1>just becomes so much more storied. Right, It's like he

0:00:47.960 --> 0:00:49.879
<v Speaker 1>knows what he does in practice, he's seen it, he's

0:00:49.880 --> 0:00:51.760
<v Speaker 1>seen it live in living color, and so who's gonna

0:00:51.760 --> 0:00:53.479
<v Speaker 1>get the better of this matchup? Two guys who came

0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:55.760
<v Speaker 1>into Ohio State the same year and both are playing

0:00:55.840 --> 0:00:57.760
<v Speaker 1>really high level football at the moment. I love this

0:00:57.840 --> 0:01:00.520
<v Speaker 1>type of matchup, especially the familiarity brings. And then one

0:01:00.520 --> 0:01:01.880
<v Speaker 1>of the things I want to say about that, I

0:01:01.920 --> 0:01:04.360
<v Speaker 1>remember those days when I played against the Mike Rumps

0:01:04.360 --> 0:01:06.800
<v Speaker 1>and the Philip Buchanans. You always get up for that

0:01:06.840 --> 0:01:09.319
<v Speaker 1>because you understand, man, this guy knows me more than

0:01:09.440 --> 0:01:11.800
<v Speaker 1>I know myself. You saw me more than any other guy.

0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:14.080
<v Speaker 1>And I'm playing against So I'm pretty sure that Terry's

0:01:14.080 --> 0:01:16.520
<v Speaker 1>gonna sleep well, and then Zille might not sleep well.

0:01:18.040 --> 0:01:21.040
<v Speaker 1>Terry always says he enjoys going up against former teammates,

0:01:21.080 --> 0:01:23.319
<v Speaker 1>and of course against somebody who's one of the best

0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:25.640
<v Speaker 1>in the league at their craft, and that would be Wards,

0:01:25.640 --> 0:01:27.000
<v Speaker 1>So it would be a good test for that one.

0:01:27.520 --> 0:01:29.280
<v Speaker 1>But if we get to a little bit further into this,

0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:34.399
<v Speaker 1>Nick Chubby, Yeah, Chubb scares me. I mean scares me too.

0:01:34.400 --> 0:01:36.000
<v Speaker 1>But I think one of the things that stands out

0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:38.760
<v Speaker 1>is every week I think our defense has been, you know,

0:01:38.840 --> 0:01:41.000
<v Speaker 1>put under pressure to say, hey, you're gonna get the

0:01:41.000 --> 0:01:44.000
<v Speaker 1>best back in this league or the band one of

0:01:44.000 --> 0:01:46.640
<v Speaker 1>the best backs this week. And I think they still

0:01:46.680 --> 0:01:48.600
<v Speaker 1>to the challenge. You know, they still strong in the

0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:51.160
<v Speaker 1>paint and Nick Chubb comes in what he ranked third

0:01:51.200 --> 0:01:53.440
<v Speaker 1>in the league right now with thirteen hundreds something yards

0:01:53.440 --> 0:01:57.040
<v Speaker 1>and fifth in the NFL. Our defense have a tough challenge,

0:01:57.080 --> 0:01:59.080
<v Speaker 1>but I think they're gonna stand strong and do what

0:01:59.240 --> 0:02:00.680
<v Speaker 1>you do the need to tell Yeah, And I do

0:02:00.680 --> 0:02:02.640
<v Speaker 1>think it's also important to recognize that they are changing

0:02:02.640 --> 0:02:04.360
<v Speaker 1>their offense a little bit. You know, Nick Chubb was

0:02:04.360 --> 0:02:06.120
<v Speaker 1>the feature early on. Now they're kind of shipped into

0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:08.320
<v Speaker 1>Deshaun Watson right, He's becoming a priority in terms of

0:02:08.320 --> 0:02:10.800
<v Speaker 1>the quarterback run stuff. Nick Chubb, down for down has

0:02:10.840 --> 0:02:13.560
<v Speaker 1>become a little bit less efficient, kind of took prop

0:02:13.680 --> 0:02:15.959
<v Speaker 1>up to Shawn right and obviously as a passer and

0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:17.640
<v Speaker 1>as a runner, they're trying to emphasize what he does.

0:02:17.680 --> 0:02:19.160
<v Speaker 1>They invest a lot of money, they want to see

0:02:19.200 --> 0:02:20.920
<v Speaker 1>him go, and he's starting to get a little bit

0:02:20.919 --> 0:02:22.679
<v Speaker 1>of that rust off. Now let us do the break

0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:25.520
<v Speaker 1>out oats to look like the guy that got that

0:02:25.639 --> 0:02:28.280
<v Speaker 1>huge mega contract as well. We're gonna have to protect

0:02:28.280 --> 0:02:31.040
<v Speaker 1>Carson Wentz and you have to because you have Miles

0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:33.560
<v Speaker 1>Garrett coming for you. Logan, I mean, Miles Garrett is

0:02:33.560 --> 0:02:35.400
<v Speaker 1>like the freakiest human being I've ever seen you when

0:02:35.400 --> 0:02:37.359
<v Speaker 1>you watched the film, right, You had Nick Bosi last week,

0:02:37.400 --> 0:02:39.680
<v Speaker 1>who is a barbarian when it comes to rushing the passer,

0:02:39.800 --> 0:02:41.520
<v Speaker 1>and you get Miles Garrett this week, who is maybe

0:02:41.600 --> 0:02:43.799
<v Speaker 1>a better athlete. I think his down to down effort

0:02:43.880 --> 0:02:45.320
<v Speaker 1>is not quite as good. But if you want a

0:02:45.360 --> 0:02:47.040
<v Speaker 1>guy to rush the pastor we're gonna make one in

0:02:47.080 --> 0:02:48.920
<v Speaker 1>the lab, he would look like Miles Garrett. So what

0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:51.079
<v Speaker 1>are they gonna do? And it's not just Leno and Lucas.

0:02:51.080 --> 0:02:54.200
<v Speaker 1>It comes down to, you know, Scott Turner, what's your plan? Chips,

0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:56.679
<v Speaker 1>play action, all that kind of thing. They need a

0:02:56.720 --> 0:02:58.720
<v Speaker 1>plan for him and Santana they have the eighth best

0:02:58.800 --> 0:03:01.840
<v Speaker 1>ranked pass defense league as well, And that's one of

0:03:01.880 --> 0:03:03.680
<v Speaker 1>the things that stand out to me is like, Okay,

0:03:03.720 --> 0:03:07.280
<v Speaker 1>are they the eighth best ranked pass defense because guys

0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:09.799
<v Speaker 1>are not throwing on them because they can't stop the

0:03:09.919 --> 0:03:11.959
<v Speaker 1>run or it is because they're just shutting guys down.

0:03:12.160 --> 0:03:13.960
<v Speaker 1>So that's going to be something that I'm looking forward

0:03:13.960 --> 0:03:16.440
<v Speaker 1>to see. Oh, we have Carson Wentz back. One of

0:03:16.440 --> 0:03:17.880
<v Speaker 1>the things that I want to see is because we

0:03:17.880 --> 0:03:20.200
<v Speaker 1>didn't have so many trouble, so much trouble in the

0:03:20.240 --> 0:03:22.200
<v Speaker 1>red zone. But I think when Carson was there, we

0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:25.160
<v Speaker 1>was getting touchdowns. So will he be effective in the

0:03:25.160 --> 0:03:27.920
<v Speaker 1>red zone for this offense this second time around, or

0:03:27.960 --> 0:03:30.359
<v Speaker 1>will their defense stop us from doing what we think

0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:33.280
<v Speaker 1>we can do well with Carson. Earlier this week, head

0:03:33.280 --> 0:03:36.960
<v Speaker 1>coach Ron Rivera named quarterback Carson Wentz the starter. Wentz

0:03:36.960 --> 0:03:39.240
<v Speaker 1>started the first six games of the season and appeared

0:03:39.280 --> 0:03:41.280
<v Speaker 1>in the final quarter of the Commander's loss to the

0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:43.760
<v Speaker 1>forty nine Ers. The QP has thrown for over one

0:03:43.800 --> 0:03:47.240
<v Speaker 1>thousand and six hundred yards and eleven touchdowns. London Fletcher

0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:49.480
<v Speaker 1>cut up with Wentz to discuss how he's preparing for

0:03:49.520 --> 0:03:52.680
<v Speaker 1>the Browns. Carson, So, Coach RIVERI here not that you

0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.960
<v Speaker 1>would be the starting quarterback this weekend against the Clearing Browns.

0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:57.800
<v Speaker 1>How does that feel, you know, knowing that you're preparing

0:03:58.080 --> 0:04:00.840
<v Speaker 1>to start another game against the Browns. It's exciting. It's

0:04:00.880 --> 0:04:03.440
<v Speaker 1>exciting obviously personally, but I think it's exciting for for

0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:05.480
<v Speaker 1>this team. You know, we know we're at It's been

0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:08.120
<v Speaker 1>very up and down year, but we know where we're

0:04:08.160 --> 0:04:10.680
<v Speaker 1>at and we know what's at stake these last two weeks,

0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:12.320
<v Speaker 1>and we got a big one in front of us

0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:14.880
<v Speaker 1>right now this week, and so for me personally, it's

0:04:14.920 --> 0:04:16.880
<v Speaker 1>exciting and you know, step in and just try and

0:04:16.920 --> 0:04:20.760
<v Speaker 1>distribute and you know, make plays when astro palm. How

0:04:20.880 --> 0:04:22.440
<v Speaker 1>was it? How big was it for you to be

0:04:22.480 --> 0:04:25.400
<v Speaker 1>able to get those those reps against the forty nine.

0:04:25.440 --> 0:04:28.080
<v Speaker 1>It's having missed so much time in terms of just

0:04:28.160 --> 0:04:30.160
<v Speaker 1>getting you getting some of the rust off and being

0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:33.279
<v Speaker 1>able to have some some game reps going into this game. Yeah,

0:04:33.320 --> 0:04:34.719
<v Speaker 1>I thought it was huge. I thought it was big

0:04:34.760 --> 0:04:37.280
<v Speaker 1>for me um mentally as well, just you know, coming

0:04:37.279 --> 0:04:39.800
<v Speaker 1>out there and just especially going no huddle right away.

0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:41.760
<v Speaker 1>I had to go score and just no time to think,

0:04:41.800 --> 0:04:43.520
<v Speaker 1>just go play and just kind of feel the rhythm

0:04:43.560 --> 0:04:45.280
<v Speaker 1>of the game again. And like you said, it's been

0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:47.320
<v Speaker 1>a while with from the injury and then others things

0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:49.359
<v Speaker 1>going on. So I thought that was big for me

0:04:49.640 --> 0:04:52.560
<v Speaker 1>mentally for my confidence going forward. As a veteran quarterback.

0:04:52.640 --> 0:04:55.000
<v Speaker 1>You've you've been around for a number of years, but

0:04:55.040 --> 0:04:57.480
<v Speaker 1>still this is your first year in this system. Were

0:04:57.480 --> 0:04:59.480
<v Speaker 1>you able to kind of look at the offense from

0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:02.200
<v Speaker 1>a different perspective, you know, during your time you know,

0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:04.840
<v Speaker 1>healing from injury and things like that without a doubt. Yeah, yeah,

0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:07.120
<v Speaker 1>I mean, you're I'm still obviously when I was out,

0:05:07.160 --> 0:05:09.159
<v Speaker 1>I'm still involved in the meetings. I'm still a part

0:05:09.160 --> 0:05:11.240
<v Speaker 1>of everything, but I'm not coming out here and going

0:05:11.279 --> 0:05:12.640
<v Speaker 1>through it. So it allows me to see it a

0:05:12.680 --> 0:05:15.240
<v Speaker 1>little bit differently and ask questions and really try and

0:05:15.320 --> 0:05:18.000
<v Speaker 1>understand the whys and and everything. And so I think

0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:20.679
<v Speaker 1>that definitely helped me understand the bigger picture within this offense,

0:05:20.720 --> 0:05:23.280
<v Speaker 1>and um, I think that will help embode well for

0:05:23.320 --> 0:05:25.760
<v Speaker 1>me down the stretcher. The offense a lot different, uh,

0:05:26.040 --> 0:05:27.640
<v Speaker 1>kind of than what you what it was when you

0:05:27.640 --> 0:05:31.200
<v Speaker 1>were starting quarterback, a lot more run oriented. Having Brian

0:05:31.279 --> 0:05:34.120
<v Speaker 1>Rabbits a healthy the offense a lot is a lot healthier.

0:05:34.120 --> 0:05:36.400
<v Speaker 1>How how do you feel like that will aid you

0:05:36.560 --> 0:05:39.360
<v Speaker 1>and just you know, as you start against the Browns. Yeah,

0:05:39.400 --> 0:05:42.480
<v Speaker 1>I mean a quality run game is always a huge help, uh,

0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:44.400
<v Speaker 1>and confidence booster for a quarterback, you know, and not

0:05:44.440 --> 0:05:46.640
<v Speaker 1>just quarterback, but for the entire old line, the entire offense.

0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:49.039
<v Speaker 1>You know, to be able to physically kind of impose

0:05:49.080 --> 0:05:51.280
<v Speaker 1>our will upfront, like I believe our guys have done

0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:53.919
<v Speaker 1>and are capable of doing, I think helps helps the

0:05:53.920 --> 0:05:56.440
<v Speaker 1>passing game tremendously and I look forward to seeing that

0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:59.200
<v Speaker 1>up close and personal. Uh. Now, like you said, it's

0:05:59.240 --> 0:06:01.279
<v Speaker 1>it's kind of the idea of these kind of change

0:06:01.279 --> 0:06:03.120
<v Speaker 1>throughout these seasons, So I look forward to kind of

0:06:03.120 --> 0:06:04.479
<v Speaker 1>being a part of it and seeing how that opens

0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:06.599
<v Speaker 1>up the passing game within it. Yeah, you mentioned the

0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:09.520
<v Speaker 1>passing game. Part of that passing game is the receivers,

0:06:09.520 --> 0:06:12.960
<v Speaker 1>and you know you've got three dynamic receivers obviously with Jehan,

0:06:13.120 --> 0:06:15.640
<v Speaker 1>Curtis and Terry. What's it gonna be like for you

0:06:15.720 --> 0:06:18.479
<v Speaker 1>and has it? Is it difficult getting that chemistry back

0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:20.880
<v Speaker 1>with those guys you know that you had prior to

0:06:20.960 --> 0:06:24.240
<v Speaker 1>a projecting injury. I mean, I think I think the offseason, workouts,

0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:27.000
<v Speaker 1>the training camp, all of those moments, I mean make

0:06:27.000 --> 0:06:29.560
<v Speaker 1>a huge difference. You know, to miss time but be

0:06:29.600 --> 0:06:31.320
<v Speaker 1>able to come back and just try and pick up

0:06:31.360 --> 0:06:33.159
<v Speaker 1>where we left off. You know, it's never gonna be perfect,

0:06:33.200 --> 0:06:34.920
<v Speaker 1>you You're always gonna miss some here and there. But

0:06:35.160 --> 0:06:37.680
<v Speaker 1>I think those times, the moments in the off season

0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:40.039
<v Speaker 1>and training camp will will bode well for us in

0:06:40.120 --> 0:06:41.960
<v Speaker 1>terms of chemistry and stuff. And those guys are playing

0:06:41.960 --> 0:06:43.440
<v Speaker 1>at such a high level, you know, I think and

0:06:43.480 --> 0:06:46.440
<v Speaker 1>they've all kind of you know, complimented each other well,

0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:48.480
<v Speaker 1>and I think their confidence has grown and grown throughout

0:06:48.480 --> 0:06:51.080
<v Speaker 1>the season. And so seeing those guys competing the way

0:06:51.080 --> 0:06:53.120
<v Speaker 1>they're playing is fun to watch. And now I'm fun

0:06:53.160 --> 0:06:55.480
<v Speaker 1>to just you know, distribute to them. Two games left.

0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:58.480
<v Speaker 1>You guys, control your own destiny. It starts this weekend.

0:06:58.480 --> 0:07:00.600
<v Speaker 1>It gets Cleveland brown that they have a defense led

0:07:00.680 --> 0:07:03.040
<v Speaker 1>by Miles Garrett, one of the best pass rushes in

0:07:03.080 --> 0:07:06.080
<v Speaker 1>the National Football League thirteen a half sacks on the season.

0:07:06.720 --> 0:07:09.520
<v Speaker 1>What's it like going against his Browns defense led by

0:07:09.520 --> 0:07:11.760
<v Speaker 1>by Garrett, Yeah, it's it's a talented defense. You know,

0:07:11.800 --> 0:07:15.400
<v Speaker 1>they fly around. Obviously, they got Miles Shadeveon over there.

0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:17.800
<v Speaker 1>They got two you know, premiere defensive ends over there,

0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:20.040
<v Speaker 1>and uh they make life tough, you know, without a

0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:22.720
<v Speaker 1>doubt their coach, well, they fly around, they play hard,

0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:24.520
<v Speaker 1>they play fast. So we got to work cut out

0:07:24.680 --> 0:07:26.280
<v Speaker 1>um and we know we're gonna know where those guys

0:07:26.280 --> 0:07:28.920
<v Speaker 1>are at all times because you gotta respect them. They're

0:07:28.960 --> 0:07:30.720
<v Speaker 1>two of the two of the premier guys in this game.

0:07:30.800 --> 0:07:33.120
<v Speaker 1>So h it'll be fun. It'll be a fun matchup.

0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:35.280
<v Speaker 1>I'm excited. We got him at home. UM, and so

0:07:35.320 --> 0:07:37.480
<v Speaker 1>it'll be fun. Yeah, that's great. Well, I can't wait

0:07:37.520 --> 0:07:39.640
<v Speaker 1>to see you guys and see you out there Sunday.

0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:41.760
<v Speaker 1>Going to gets to Cleveland Browns, my home top team,

0:07:41.760 --> 0:07:43.840
<v Speaker 1>but I will not be rooting for those brows. You

0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:49.040
<v Speaker 1>know who I'll be rooting for Sunday. Appreciate you for

0:07:49.120 --> 0:07:51.240
<v Speaker 1>all your news and analysis. Be sure to tune into

0:07:51.280 --> 0:07:53.760
<v Speaker 1>Command Center WEIG nights at five and ten pm on

0:07:53.960 --> 0:07:57.040
<v Speaker 1>NBC Sports Washington. You can also stream on YouTube and

0:07:57.120 --> 0:08:05.239
<v Speaker 1>commanders dot com