The Kevin Sheehan Show - Brian Flores?

Episode Date: January 15, 2026

Kevin opened with reaction to Brian Flores interviewing in Washington today for the Commanders' vacant defensive coordinator position. Chase Hughes/Monumental Sports jumped on to go in-depth on the Wizards trade last week for Trae Young. Kevin finished up with an oh-so-close Redskins' moment from 20 years ago today. For all your football betting needs: DCRELOAD at MyBookie for a 50% Deposit Match Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You don't want it. You don't need it. But you're going to get it anyway. The Kevin Sheehan Show. Here's Kevin. Window Nation is the presenting sponsor of this show. If you need new windows, call them. 86690 Nation or head to Window Nation.com.

Mention my name. I'll come out and take good care of you. It starts with a free, no obligation in-home estimate. I've got one guest on this show with me today. We're going to talk about the Tray Young Trade, a week after it happened with Chase Hughes from Monumental Sportsnet. I just haven't gotten around to doing a lot on that with all of the football and all of the skins coaching news items from the last week.

I think Tommy and I talked about it briefly last week, but Chase will jump on with me next segment and go in depth on the Wizards acquiring Trey Young last week. I'm going to finish up today's show with. something that happened 20 years ago today. It was a moment that could have put Washington, the then Redskins, one game away from the Super Bowl, 20 years ago today, something I have referenced many, many times over the last two decades. I'm going to open with this, Brian Flores. He interviewed with Washington today for their available defensive coordinator position,

according to Ian Rappaport and many others. He is my number one, and it's not even close. Now, personally, I don't think the chances are great that he'll end up here as the defensive coordinator. He could get a head coaching job, but even if he doesn't get a head coaching job this cycle, I think he's going to stay in Minnesota. The reports out of Minneapolis are that the Vikings will do whatever it takes to keep him.

You know, Viking fans and even talk show host, in that market or doing the thing where they're so intent on not losing him as their defensive coordinator that they're talking about, you know, why don't we just elevate him to head coach and move on from Kevin O'Connell. That's how revered he has become in Minneapolis as their defensive coordinator. But there is one reason, one, I think, maybe more than one, but one. that he may, you know, look at and decide maybe Washington is a better spot for me. Defensive coordinators think about these things. I think they do. They should. And the thing

that he might consider is quarterback. Yes, he's a defensive coordinator, but he might consider the quarterback differences between the Vikings and Washington. You know, they don't, appear to have one in Minnesota. Now, I think it's way too early to bail on J.J. McCarthy, but there aren't many believers in J.J. McCarthy after two seasons. It's too early. He's got some talent. He's got some flaws. But, man, you know, you talk to a Vikings fan, you read anything about the way they view him in Minneapolis, and it's not good.

and a defensive coordinator and play caller, like Brian Flores, who loves to get after it and turn it loose with pressure all the time. He views offense as a way in which, hey man, it's much more fun to call plays up two scores than down two scores. Yeah, defensive coordinators, defensive coaches should always think about who the quarterback is when they are interviewing for a job. Same thing, you know, flipping it around. An offensive coordinator probably wouldn't want to go to a place without a quarterback, A, but B, with a terrible defense.

Minnesota was down in a bunch of games this year, but I'll tell you what, at the end of the year, that defense got it rolling. You know, remember our game, the week before that, they dominated Seattle, even though they lost the game. they lost the game because their backup quarterback Max Brasmer through four interceptions. But they held Sam Darnold to like 120 yards passing in that game. They won their final five games of the year, Minnesota did. And it was primarily defensive lead.

I think Brian Flores is right there with Fangio and Spags and Casey. I think those are the best three in the league. Those are the three that before other teams play them, you'll hear the head coach, if it's an offensive head coach, or the offensive coordinator, rave about Fangio Spagnulu and Brian Forrest. They're the three that are widely considered to be the three that are the most difficult to plan for. We saw what happened in our game. I think it was really the beginning of the end for Cliff Kingsbury.

I mean, I think that was a moment, not just the first drive in which they didn't score touchdown after throwing the ball on three straight plays, after running it so successfully. But Steve Suter was on that week and said they just didn't have a good enough plan for Brian Flores' defense. And his pressure in particular. Brian Flores forever in New England with Belichick got the Miami head coaching job. That ended in a total S-show racial discrimination lawsuit that's still out there, went to Pittsburgh for a year, and he's been in Minnesota for the last three. The Vikings were terrible on defense when he arrived in 2023,

and they did not have a lot of talent defensively, but, you know, they still don't have, you know, an overflow of talent. They're not, you know, near the top of the list in defensive talent, but he just always elevates what he has. I found this from ESPN.com. It was their coaching staff column before the 2024 season, where they ranked all of the coaching staffs in the NFL. And when they got to Minnesota, most of it was not on Kevin O'Connell. It was on defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, who had just finished his first year in Minnesota in 2023, where he really coached up a not very talented group of players.

The story on the Minnesota staff, which was primarily focused on Brian Flores, read as follows. If I could, the Vikings would have leapt up the board on the back of Brian Flores, one of the league's best defensive coaches. He is a havoc wreaker, a madman at the wheel. No team rushed with at least six bodies more than Flores' Vikings did last year, which he did on a whopping 26% of dropbacks. The next closest was 11%. And no team sent only three rushers more frequently than Flores' Vikings,

which he did in another 20% of opponent dropbacks. next closest was 11%. So he sent six more than anybody and sent just three more than anybody. Pass rush from anywhere, aggressive press man coverage that suddenly becomes a blanketing eight-man zone on the next play. Flores takes the fight to opposing coaches, forcing them to respond to his defensive system instead of the other way around. And offensive coordinators are unaccustomed to being on the back foot. That's how a team without great defensive personnel, like the 2023 Vikings, steals a win against the 49ers, or powers the team to a 3-0 victory over the Raiders.

I remember that. No coach last season made more out of less. I love that description than Flores did with his unit. And it isn't the first time. His defenses in Miami achieved most. much of the same during his tenure, there is head coach. I don't know if the league will give it to him, but Flores deserves another crack at head coaching.

For as long as he doesn't get it, the Vikings will be huge beneficiaries. Yeah, he's good. He's really good, and he's always, wherever he's been, he's gotten his group to be a much better unit than it is. individually. And that's what he'd be working with in year one in Washington, is not a lot. You know, they can certainly focus on defense, defense, defense. It starts with the coordinator hire. But you can't, you know, swap out 11 players for 11 new ones. You know, if they're lucky,

they'll add four new starters, maybe five. And that's significant. Don't get me wrong, but they're still going to be at a depth disadvantage in 2026. They need a coordinator that can get a defense to perform beyond its parts. Because offensively, if they're healthy, they should be good again if they're healthy. Brian Flores, number one, it would be an absolute home run higher for Dan Quinn. speaking of coaches and hirings for Washington, this just in, DJ Williams, son of Doug Williams, who's been in Atlanta for the last couple of years as the quarterback coach, he has been hired by Washington to be the quarterback coach here.

Washington hiring Falcons quarterback coach DJ Williams to be the quarterback coach here. That's a solid hire. I can tell you this. Penix liked him and Kirk liked them a lot in Atlanta this year. By the way, it was confirmed that Jonathan Gannon will schedule or is scheduled to interview tomorrow with the team. So that would be a solid hire, not at the Brian Flores level, in my opinion, but a solid hire. Washington also interviewed Seattle DB, coach slash pass game coordinator on defense, Carl Scott, for their opening at defensive coordinator. That was news broken by John Kime earlier today. We also know that they interviewed Patrick Graham early on, as well as Chiefs D-line coach Joe Cullen. So that's what you have so far on defense,

and they added, you know, their quarterbacks coach. They still have O-Line coach to hire, and maybe that could be a guy like the guy they brought in from Dallas last week, Lunda Wells, who they brought in to actually interview for the OC job, but may end up becoming the offensive line coach. We'll see. Brian Flores, man, offer him the moon to come here. Chase Hughes.

after these words from a few of our sponsors. Guys, I introduced you to Goldbelly about a year ago. It's an amazing site that I order from now all the time. It's a place where you can get the most iconic famous foods from restaurants all across the country. They'll ship it to you no matter where you are. Goldbelly ships you iconic Chicago deep dish pizza from Lou Malnoughties or New York's most famous cheesecake from Junior.

If you're craving barbecue, they'll ship it from Franklin's barbecue, the legendary Texas barbecue, straight to your door. And you've got to try the one and only world-renowned stone crab delivered from Joe's in Miami. Whether it's a dish from that one-of-a-kind restaurant or meals from world famous chefs like Jose Andres, gold belly has you covered. If you're looking for that perfect gift or want to impress your friends and family with an epic, meal the next time you host, go to goldbelly.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code Sheehan. That's goldbelly.com code sheen for 20% off your first order. I'm over the whole new year, new me thing. Short-term fads don't deliver long-term results. Science does, especially when it comes to skin care. That's why I recommend one skin. Their formulas are powered by the OS1

peptide, a patented peptide built on longevity science proven to target aging at the cellular level. It's not about adding extra steps to your skin care routine. It's about swapping in smarter ones. All of one's skins products are designed to layer effortlessly and even replace multiple steps in your routine, making long-term skin health simpler and smarter at any age. Customers consistently rave about how their skin is smoother, firmer, and healthier looking with results that get better over time, improving both the appearance and the overall health of their skin. No wonder One Skin's products have over 10,000 five-star reviews. Born from over 10 years of longevity research, One Skin's OS1 peptide is proven to target the cells that cause the visible

signs of aging, helping you unlock your healthiest skin now and as you age. And for a limited time, Oneskins making it even easier to stay consistent with up to 30% off your first three subscription orders when you use code Sheehan at oneskin.co slash sheen. That's up to 30% off with code Sheen. After you purchase, they'll ask you where you heard about them. Please support this show and tell them that I sent you. If you want your home to be more comfy and cozy as the cold weather settles in, I recommend new windows if your windows are 10 years of age or older.

And if you're going to purchase new windows, window nation is the place to do it. And right now you get four free windows with every four purchased, and you don't have to pay anything for them until the year 2028. Right now, no monthly payments and no interest charged for two full years with no down payment required as well. If you're feeling those cold drafts from your windows, having trouble opening them, seeing fog around those windows.

And if you're paying a lot more for your heat than your neighbors are, it's time for new windows. Don't wait, put an end to your window problems. Save big with Wind Donations. Buy four, get four free sale going on right now. Sale ends soon, so call them at 86690 Nation or head to WindowNation.com to get started. Getting started means a free in-home estimate scheduled. for when it's convenient for you. Joining me right now is Chase Hughes to talk some wizards.

We haven't done that in a while. Tommy and I talked a little bit about the Tray Young trade last week, but Chase has been knee-deep in it for the last week. He joins us right now. Chase, of course, covers the wizards and has for years. Most recently and currently with Monumental Sportsnet, you can follow Chase on X on Twitter. at Chase, D.C. Sports.

So you've been immersed in this Trey Young trade. So give me what you've been talking about. What have been your big takeaways after Washington dealt for Trey Young last week? Well, first of all, thanks for having me. I would say that my first takeaway, once I heard the rumor, was a bit of surprise, but also some certainty that it was going to go through. It just seemed like the details that were being reported. It's pretty rare that things would fall.

through. So I started sort of thinking about what Tray Young would mean for the Wizards, and the more I've thought about it, the more I think it makes sense in terms of a timeline perspective, maybe more than it did at first blush, because I really do think next year for the Wizard to be and remain on schedule with their rebuild, you know, it's time to sort of get off the runway in year four. If you look at teams like the Cavaliers, the Magic, the Rockets, that's when they started to ascend. And so I think we all thought that maybe it would be in the offseason that they would go out and acquire veterans who could help and plug some holes around the young players they've drafted. But it's not a great free agent class. So they were going to go into a summer with a ton of money to spend and maybe not a whole lot of players that they would like to spend it on.

So I think they acted early and got a guy who I believe most would agree that the hawks sold low on and give them a pretty, I think, high ceiling moving forward if they can get him back on track, get him healthy and put the right pieces around him. So I think the timeline makes a lot of sense. And then, of course, you know, I have questions like everyone else does about the defense and how he'll fit offensively. But I think my first big takeaway is just that the timing does make sense when you really add it all up. When you say year four is when you start to ascend, and you're referring to when you decide to go this route,

which the Wizards decided to do, beginning in the 23, 24 season for all intents and purposes, and you're going to have three pretty bad seasons, although they've played some good basketball at times here recently. But when you say year four, which would be the 2627 season, is when you start to ascend, what does that look like, quantify that record-wise and, you know, postseason chances-wise? I think the simplest way I could put it is competing for the play. Right. You know, the Rockets, the Magic, and the Cavs all won 40-plus games in year four. That was on schedule.

The Thunder did that in year three. So they were ahead of schedule. The Sixers and the Pistons did it in year five and six. So they were behind schedule. So I think if you're trying to do this thing on the usual timeline, you are looking to start to level up in year four. Now, in terms of quantifying the wins, I don't know if the Wizards will get to 40 wins next year, but I do think you'll start to see whether the front office says it or not. I think we'll be able to tell by the moves that they make this off season that maybe the veterans they acquire are a little bit younger,

closer to their prime, guys who can help them win and be a little more competitive than the veterans. they've acquired in recent offseason. So I don't know if Bill, again, get the 40 wins, but, you know, somewhere probably in the 30s next year would sound right, and that would put you in positions potentially make the postseason, which if you make the playing tournament, that would qualify as the postseason. The only problem with that is the 2027 draft has Gilbert's son in it, maybe. And he could be a top.

A lot of tune. He could be a top, yeah, exactly. He could be a top five pick. All right, so I want to drill down on something that I think you said are certainly implied, and that is that Tray Young was acquired to not be another chip to be used in a trade down the road to bring in another body or two or draft picks, but to be an actual cornerstone of the franchise when and if down the road they start to contend. Is that fair?

Do you believe that the franchise acquired Tray Young to be a central part of a team in 2028, 2029, 2030 that's contending for something? I think it is. I think that's correct to say that. Will Dawkins, their GM, has said as much that he's not considered just a trade piece where they're going to move off of, you know, a year from now. That's not their intention. I think he fits the next phase of the rebuild,

which is, you know, you draft a bunch of young guys, and then you find out how to maximize what they do, and they've determined that it would be nice to have not just a point guard, you know, that's a long-term positional need, but a guy who can get into the paint and a guy who can set other guys up and someone who can maybe, you know, in particular, help Alex Saar, you know, get him opportunities around the basket

and pick-and-pop situations off screens. So I think he fits the next stage, and then they'll evaluate from there. we'll see what the ceiling looks like ultimately with him. You know, we know he's got defensive issues. We know there's turnover problems and, you know, he's questioned his efficient shooting, especially the last few years. He isn't what he was when he was an all-MBA player from that perspective.

But I think he helps them with some pretty significant weaknesses. And on offense, I would just hone on his ability to get into the paint. They really struggle with that. They've got a lot of really good young shooters. Alex Sar, Marvin Bagley, those guys are really good around the rim, but they just have no one who can break down a defense off the dribble. So I think that's where Trey Young comes in. What's this team look like starting five and maybe the first few reserves when everybody starts to pay attention again when they are starting their ascension towards being

a legitimate playoff caliber team? Give me those names. Well, I think right now I would pencil in the starting lineup as Trey Young, Trey Johnson, Bolo Kulabali, Kishon. George and Alex Sar, but that is obviously very contingent on what happens in the draft. If they get a top five pick in this draft, you know, it's possible they get a guy who could be immediately inserted into the starting lineup, especially if it was Darren Peterson, AJ DeBonsa, or Cam Boozer. So one of those guys, or if it's not them, Caleb Wilson or McKell Brown, one of the top draft prospects would certainly be in the top eight.

and then, you know, I think Bob Carrington can be factored into that discussion. I certainly think Will Riley is on his way to being a rotation player next year. And then I would say just a couple TBD veterans would be in the mix for cracking the rotation because I think just looking at the timing of those other rebuilds I mentioned, you know, that offseason that's coming up for the Wizards heading in the year four, that's when the Rockets went out and got, you know, Fred Bambly and Dylan Brooks. and that's when the pistons went out and got veterans. It worked better for the rockets and it did the pistons.

But that's generally when teams go out, especially if you have the money like the Wizards have, they'll be able to spend. That's when you can start plugging some holes. So we'll see what they determine that they need. But I think a lot of those young guys will be in the top eight rotation next year. You mentioned that last piece, and it might come from the June 2026 draft,

a draft that people are very excited about, especially at the top. And you mentioned the top three players, Darren Peterson from Kansas, Cam Boozer at Duke, and A.J. DiBanza at BYU.U. He has been fun to watch. I caught him the other night against Utah. Put him in order of the way you think they'll go. One, two, three out of those three. What does Chase Hughes' mock draft at the very top look like right now? AJ Devonso is still the number one pick for me.

Peterson's closing in on him, but I just don't see anyone passing on a guy who's that size, that skill set with that motor and that competitiveness. I think he's the rarest talent of the three, but Darren Peterson, it's a one-be situation right now. Now that he's healthy, he looks a lot better. He's my second pick. And I put Boozer third, although I think Caleb Wilson of UNC might have something to say about that come draft time. I'm definitely with you on the top two, and I agree with you on Boozer.

Not that I don't think he'll be a good NBA player. I just don't think he is a number one overall in a draft that has a couple of guys that are clear-cut number ones and would be number ones in a lot of drafts. Of their current young player Nucleus, do you see a future elite superstar, top-five-ish kind of a player? Top five in the league? Yeah. I would probably lean no. I mean, that's just such a difficult echelon to reach.

Like, I'm wondering if Anthony Edwards is going to get into the top five. Like, he's gotten close. He's top ten, but he can't break into that top five. It's a really hard thing to do. So I would say I think Alex Saar is on his way to being potentially a top 10 to 20 player in the league. Getting into the top five, that's going to be really hard to do. I think if they end up coming out of the rebuild with one of those guys, guys, it might be the player that they draft this summer.

But if anyone's got a chance, I would say it's Alex Sar, but when it comes to Saar, the best comps for him are Evan Mobley and Jaron Jackson, Jr. And those guys are both kind of bumping up against the ceiling right now, which is, you know, that top 10 to 15 range. It's so hard to reach that top tier. And so right now I would just lean no in terms of the probability of it. The reason I ask it that way, and I think we've had these conversations before, is the bottom line is if you go back, you know, you've got to go back basically to the 2004 Pistons

to find a championship team that didn't have a debatable top five player in the league on, you know, in their starting lineup. It's almost a requirement to win a title. It's not a requirement to get to the finals. It's not a requirement to get to the conference finals. But we haven't had since 2004, a champion without at least a debatable top five player in the league playing on the team. Tell me about Trey Johnson so far what we've seen from him in his first 38 games. Well, the shooting has been really, really impressive as advertised. I think we'd be talking about him being one of the best rookie three-point shooters in years. If he weren't in the same class as maybe the best rookie three-point shooter of all time,

which Concanipple looks like he's going to probably easily be able to say about himself because he's on-paced to just completely demolish the rookie three-point record. But Trey Johnson, shooting just under 40% from three, he's doing it both off the catch and off the dribble. He's the type of shooter where all you need to do is watch his jumper once, and you're like, oh, yeah, that guy can shoot. It's just textbook, perfect mechanics. It's quick to his release, is really difficult.

to, I think, anticipate by the defense, and they're trying to close out on him, so he's expanding his range. He's proven to be one of the best rookie three-point shooters the league has seen from like 25, 30 feet and beyond. And now we're starting to see him add more to his game because teams know they can't go under screens on him. They have to guard him, not just from the three-point line, but well beyond it. So he's getting into the middle of the defense. He's doing more in the mid-range with floaters and, you know, pull-up jumpers. I think his finishing around the rim, that's probably the next step for him. But I thought just a few weeks ago, this guy, I was looking at the numbers,

he's getting into the mid-range. He wasn't passing as often his teammates, like his pass percentage on drives was kind of low. And I thought, you know, maybe that would be the next step, and he could continue to keep defenses guessing. And he's really impressed as a passer in recent games. So I think you're watching a young guy hit the ground running with the skill that everyone projected to be great, and just on the fly, piecing the rest of it together.

And then, you know, defense would be another part of that equation. The wizard's perimeter defense isn't great. But I think he's shown some flashes on that end as well. He's a 91.5% free-throw shooter as well. And to back up what you said, I think for me, the thing that's been most impressive isn't just the three-point shooting. It's been from how deep he's comfortable firing it from. All right, back to Trey Young defense.

finish up. Do you expect him to play much this year? Much. I mean, I think probably a dozen games. That would be my prediction. We've been kind of tossing around over unders and the Wizards media room, like, you know, over under 10, 15, maybe 20. I mean, there's still more than half a season left, but he is dealing with a couple different injuries right now, including an MCL sprain. You know, we thought at first it was the quad, but he's got an MCL's brain. I don't think they're in any rush. to get him out on the court at the moment. They want him to be 100% healthy. And then, of course, we know they do have the draft protection top eight protected pick this year. So they definitely

want to keep that. So I don't think we're going to see him all that soon. And when we do, it's probably going to be like Marcus Smart last year, where you get enough to evaluate what you have. And then, you know, you make sure he doesn't risk further injury or in this case, probably risk you losing your draft pick. Yeah, I mean, C.J. McCollum, with the way he was playing was putting that at risk before the trade. So in some ways, the trade makes a lot of sense because you can justify sitting Trey Young for all, but maybe, as you said, a dozen or so games. Thanks for doing this. Hope you're well, Chase.

Absolutely. Thanks for having me. And same to you. I hope you're managing all the commander's craziness. Trying to get through it. Thanks again, Chase. Chase Hughes, everybody. Wizards at Clippers tonight in LA, late night. I'm going to stay up and watch because Kauai Leonard has been on an absolute tear. Last 12 games leads the league in scoring at 32.7 points per game. Leads the league in steals over the last 12. He's averaging two and a half steals per game.

Leads the league in plus minus over this stretch. And the Clippers have the best record over their last 12 games. in the league at 10 and 2. I've said this so many times about Kauai. If he had stayed healthy his entire career, he'd be a top 10, top 15 player of all time. Injuries have always been the issue. He's 34 now, and he's healthy, and he's playing at an elite level, both ends of the floor again. The question with him, as always, is will he stay healthy? All right, up next, 20 years ago today. Oh, so close. I'll explain after these words from a few of our sponsors. Hey guys, Chime is changing the way people bank. It's fee-free and smarter banking built for most of us, not the 1%. Chime's not just another banking app. Chime Unlocked Smarter Banking for everyday people with products like MyPay.

giving you access to up to $500 of your paycheck anytime and getting paid up to two days early with direct deposit. Some old banks still don't do this. Forget overdraft fees, forget minimum balance fees, and monthly fees. And CHIME can earn you up to 3.5% APY on savings. That's eight times higher than a traditional bank. Chime's been rated five stars by USA Today for customer service. You get real humans 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Chime is not just smarter banking.

It's the most rewarding way to bank. Join the millions who are already banking fee-free today. It just takes a few minutes to sign up. Head to chime.com slash sheen. That is chime, C-H-I-M-E-com slash Sheen. Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Bank, Bank, credit, and my-P-Chime Visa Credit Card and My-Line of Credit provided by the Bank, N-A or Stride Bank N-A.

eligibility requirements apply and credit limit ranges $20 to $500. Optional services and products may have fees or charges. See chime.com slash fees info. Advertised annual percentage yield with chime plus status only. Otherwise, 1.00% APY applies. No mean balance required. Chime card on time payment history may have a positive impact on your credit score. Results may vary.

See chime.com for details and applicable terms. Hey guys, I want to introduce you to Thrive Market, a new sponsor on the podcast this week. And I love this one. It's perfect for those of you with younger kids. New Year, same kid chaos. but what if your pantry could actually make life easier for you? Kids want mac and cheese. They want sugary snacks.

They're going to eat what they're going to eat. But Thrive Market gives you the parents versions with less sugar, fewer sketchy ingredients, and more nutrition so you can say yes again and say goodbye to the mean mom or the mean dad syndrome. Thrive Market makes it easy with thousands of healthier swaps of the things your kids love, like Goodles Mac and Cheese, collie puffs, olypop, or lower sugar swaps, and fruit snacks with simple ingredients.

When everything in the pantry is safe, food becomes fun again. Snack time used to be a negotiation. Now it's automatic yeses. Join Thrive Market with my link, thrivemarket.com slash sheen, for 30% off your first order, plus a free $60 gift.

That's ThriveMarket. Market.com slash shean for 30% off your first order, plus a free $60 gift. Quick favor to ask if you haven't rated or reviewed this podcast and you don't mind spending a minute to do it. It's such a big deal for us. The more ratings and reviews, the better. Apple and Spotify give you a chance to give us up to five stars if you think this show deserves it. But ratings and reviews really help us, as does following. the podcast. To do that, you just hit the plus button or the follow button wherever you are listening. 20 years ago today, a game that has stuck in my mind over the last two decades,

and I've referenced a certain play in that game many times since January 14, 2006. Washington was playing Seattle in the divisional round of the NFL. playoffs. Washington's 2005 season, which was Joe Gibbs' second year after his return, remember started really early in the year, week two, in fact, with the Monday Night miracle. Mark Brunel to Santana Moss twice in the final few minutes to stun Dallas on Monday night football 14 to 13. Washington built up a nice early season record, but then lost two gut-wrenching games to Tampa and the Chargers. And they were at five and six with just five games to go. And they pretty much needed to run the table to get into the postseason. And that's what they did. They

won five in a row down the stretch. Those wins included a pounding of the Cowboys at FedEx Field. They beat the Giants on Christmas Eve and the Eagles on New Year's Day. Sean Taylor scoring his first career touchdown to clinch a playoff birth, a wildcard birth with a 10 and 6 record. They went to Tampa in the wild card round, beat the Buccaneers 17 to 10 with 120 total yards of offense, an NFL record low for a playoff winner, 25 net passing yards. remember until last year, until last January, that was the last playoff win for this franchise, was that January 2006 win at Raymond James over the Buccaneers. But that win sent them to Seattle to face the number one-seeded Seahawks in their building.

The Seahawks had the league MVP that season. Remember, Sean Alexander rushed for 1880 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2005, and the Seahawks were 13 and 3 and 8.5 point favorites in the game that day against the skins. The skins were hurt coming into that game. Brunel wasn't right. They were down receivers. They had lost David Patton earlier in the season. They had Taylor Jacobs playing in that game against Seattle.

really their skill position players were Portis, Moss, and Cooley. That was it. But it was a really good team defensively. In fact, I think the 2005 defense, best defense since the 91 defense. I mean, there have been a lot of bad Redskin defenses over the last 34 years since the 91 team. But that 2005 defense, Greg Williams coached it was outstanding. 2007 defense was pretty good. But they had, you know, Cornelius Griffin, Philip Daniels, Marcus Washington,

LeVar, Sean Springs, Sean Taylor, Ryan Clark was on that team. Walt Harris was a corner who played really well. And they also had a rookie corner on the team that got a lot of time. Carlos Rogers. And that's the play that has stuck in my mind over the years and made this game sort of infamous, memorable, but for the wrong reasons. Because back then, we were fired up, man. Joe Gibbs, year two, they're back in the postseason, they won a playoff game.

And there they were in Seattle. And the first quarter was dominated by the skins. Defensively, LeVar knocks Sean Alexander out of the game. I mean, it was an absolute beatdown defensively. and they had a three to nothing lead. John Hall was the kicker. If you remember John Hall, they got him, I think from the Jets. And they had the lead, and Seattle had the ball midway through the second quarter deep in their own territory. And this play happened called by Dick Stockton and Daryl Moose Johnston on Fox.

Hasselbeck looking for receiver and has took away and almost picked off by Carlos Rodgers. Maurice Morris, clearing from the backfield, and very nearly a pick and a score by the rookie Carlos Rogers. What a great play right there. Matt Hasselbeck holds this a little bit too long. The speed of the secondary players in the NFL, too good to make a throw like that. You waited on it too long. Very fortunate that he didn't have that one going back to the house. The Redskins were a dropped Carlos Rogers pick six away from the NFC championship game. described that play that way for two decades because it's true. It would have only been 10 to nothing midway through the second quarter, but it would have felt to Seattle like it was 20 to nothing.

Washington was dominating the football game. Seattle's first five drives went fumble and then three and out, three and out, three and out, three and out. Four straight three and out punts. They couldn't do anything. LaVar had knocked Sean Aller, out of the game, they were done if Carlos Rogers holds onto that ball and Washington takes a two-score lead. But he didn't hold onto the ball, even though it was right in his hands. That plays available on YouTube. The whole game is, but even if you just Google Carlos Rogers Redskinned Seahawks 2006, you're going to get that play. And you'll see it was an easy pick six for the lead. Instead, Seattle maintained possession of the ball, and they drove it 74 yards

for a touchdown and the lead. Washington lost the game 20 to 10. They were in it the entire way. John Hall had a short field goal midway through the fourth quarter to make it 17 to 13, and he missed it. It was a big miss. Washington would have been in the game. Instead, Seattle went down, kicked a field goal to extend the lead to 10, and that was it. Carlos Rogers had it in his hands for an NFC championship trip to Carolina for a birth in the Super Bowl. I think the reason I've referenced that play so many times, especially from the moment it happened up until really last year, is that it was the closest they had gotten since

91 or really 92 to the NFC championship game. The year after they won the Super Bowl, they went to San Francisco in the divisional round, and they actually had a really good chance to win that game as the defending champs to go back to an NFC title game against Dallas. It would have been. But during the Snyder years, as we grew into them year by year, you know, moments like that just seemed so distant. And it was the only moment during the Snyder.

regime in which they had a legitimate shot to get to a final four setting, you know, a game away from the Super Bowl. You know, even if you look at the RG3 year when they lost to the Seahawks at FedEx when he got hurt, that was a wild card round, you know, game. Yes, they were up 14-0, but it was wild card round. This was the divisional round, and it was the last time until last year they played in that round of the playoffs. Last January, when they beat Tampa and went to Detroit, it had been the first time in 19 years they had played in that round.

And the game that they had last played in that round was this one on January 14, 2006. Carlos Rogers had it in his hands. Now, look, we grew to learn that Carlos Rogers had terrible hands. Or so we thought. because years later, Sean Springs, on the air with me, said that Carlos Rogers had bad vision. He ended up getting LASIC when he got to San Francisco, and he caught everything. He had a lot of interceptions in San Francisco, but nobody identified the vision issue here. Of course not.

And so he went through his years here in Washington with bad vision and maybe some bad hands, too, although the hands got a lot better when the vision improved in San Francisco. Yeah, 20 to 10 the final, but the Carlos Rogers dropped pick six against the Seahawks in the playoffs 20 years ago today. Seattle went on to the Super Bowl against Pittsburgh and lost that Super Bowl 21 to 10. That was their first ever Super Bowl trip. They had never made one when they were an AFC team. They had been in the AFC championship game, but they had never made a trip to the Super Bowl until they moved over to the NFC. All right, that is it for the day back tomorrow with Tommy.