The Kevin Sheehan Show - Game-Day Conversations w/Keim & Bram

Episode Date: January 18, 2025

Kevin has more in advance of tonight's playoff game in Detroit. Joining him on game-day, ESPN's John Keim and the Washington Commanders radio play-by-play voice, Bram Weinstein.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 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 Cheon Show. Here's Kevin. It's Saturday, January 18th. It is day one of NFL divisional round playoff football, and Washington is going to be a part of it.

Tonight, in Detroit, a chance for Washington to advance to their first NFC title game in 33 years. I'm here with a little bit more before the game. tonight two conversations one with john kime in detroit the other one with bram weinstein who will be on the call for the washington commander's radio network with london fletcher side by side my good friend chris johnson producing the radio call both will join me here shortly john first in about three minutes the show's presenting sponsors window nation call them at eight six six 90 nation or head to windonation If you need new windows. A couple of quick things before we start with John and then get to Bram. The line for the game tonight has been bouncing all over the place this morning. I woke up,

it was eight and a half down from nine and a half, ten. And now it's back to nine and a half, ten everywhere. I'm assuming that there was some buyback at a plus ten number from some sharp betters thinking that there was just a lot of value in Washington getting 10 points. But the line movement on this game all week long has been interesting to watch. I did this detailed breakdown at the start of yesterday's show about the history of big underdogs against number one seeds in this round. It's not pretty. There have been a few who have won games outright. I'm not going to go through it again. But tonight, if Washington is indeed a 10-point underdog at kickoff, it would tie the game that They played at home in the COVID year against Tampa as the biggest underdog they've ever been in a playoff game any round.

They were a 10-point dog against the Buccaneers that night at FedEx Field. They covered, remember, losing the game 31 to 23. My smell test pick real quickly, I'll just repeat it from yesterday's show. It's one play. It's the under in the Chiefs Texans game. My bookie has it at 41 and a half. right now. That's pretty much where it is everywhere. So the smell test pick is KC. Houston under the total, the total being 41 and a half. If you want to bet that or any other game on this

weekend slate, go to mybooky.orgie.org. Use my promo code, Kevin D.C., and they'll give you a 50% cash bonus on your initial sign-up. They've got everything you need for all four games with hundreds and hundreds of prop bet opportunities. Two other things real quickly, and then I'll get to John. Did you see the news yesterday that the Madrid game in 2025 will feature Miami as the host team? Well, guess who has Miami on the schedule as a road game in 2025? Washington. Could Washington be an international participant in Madrid be a great? place to go see a game. Kevin Zytler is out now. That is official for Detroit. That's a big loss in the game tonight. He is their starting right guard, pro bowl right guard recently. That'll be a

big deal for the Lions. They're starting a rookie. They're getting David Montgomery back. That's also official. He's the pounder where Jemir Gibbs is more of the home run hitter. All right, Joining me right now is my good friend John Kime from ESPN at John underscore Kime on X on Twitter. John is in Detroit right now. The game just hours away, Washington against the Lions and the divisional round. Nobody's covered this team longer in terms of people on the beat than John. They celebrated at one of the games this year, John's 500th game, as a reporter covering the team.

You were around the last time they played a divisional round game in Seattle. But isn't this so much better? Do you tell people like I do, no, no, no, no. We want them to win. It's so much more fun and it's so much better for us. Listen, there's way more interest, sustained interest, when they're winning. There's nothing like it, whether it's, you're doing a podcast, doing a show, you know, for ESPN.com, the stories just get more read. I mean, it's, you know, more people want to talk about them versus the other way, which is story comes out, news for a day, and then people just get disgusted and move on.

You know, so like, so from that standpoint, it's much better. And just, listen, man, if you're a sports fan, how would you not enjoy this? Yeah, I mean. this is like what this is the best story I've covered in my career from start to finish just turn around yes because it was four and 13 we're still only a year and a half removed from the sale of the team you know you and I I mean how many conversations have we had over the years a lot of them and a lot of them off the year but I don't think either one of us two years ago maybe two and a half years ago at this point, would have ever, we would have told anybody that said, yeah, no, Snyder's not going to own

the team in two years. And oh, by the way, you guys are going to be 60 minutes away from the NFC championship game with a new owner, a new coach, a new front office, the whole thing. That's still almost the most incredible part of the story is that Dan doesn't own the team anymore. Well, if he did, they wouldn't be here. Exactly. So that's one thing. But yes, and it's the complete transformation on the field, off the field. They've gone from being one of the most unlikable teams in the NFL to one of the most likable teams in the NFL.

It's because of, you know, it's because of Josh Harris buying the team and hiring Adam Peters and getting Dan Quinn, who's a, you know, if you're a sport and a football fan, like, kind of hard to dislike him. And then you have Jayden Daniels topping it all off and maybe the most important piece on the field for sure. But, like, it's just, he's not, and he's a likable guy. He's, you know, I mean, his play style is fun. He's not about himself. It's just different. The transformation is unbelievable.

Yeah, it really is. And then on top of it, you know, when you just said this is the, what did you say, this is the most fun you've ever had covering the team? Yeah. Because look at this. Like, start to finish. Kevin, the games. It's been 30 years.

Yeah, I mean, the games have a blast. And like, this is the first season. So every year I kind of go into a year like, okay, this is what I want to do coverage-wise. You know, I'd like to start this. And, you know, back when it was with the journal, the examiner, a post, whatever, like you have these ideas you want to do. And usually by late season, you can't do them. Because people check out.

Like, I've had stories. Like, I would love to write this story. It would be a good story. But people, the interest isn't there. and even for the podcast I would do game preview and then it's like you got to the point like they're out of it like why

you know like people so you have to kind of do something a little bit different because people check out so from start to finish the first year where it's been like they've been good from the get-go just pretty much and you know

20199 was close they were 10 and 6 but you know like this is this is easily because again because of the storylines too like because of, you know, because of what this fan-based organization has been through for 24 years under Snyder, and then to have this year, it's like, you know, there was an awakening. And I think that's where the story is just so unique.

Like, whatever franchises in sports have had something like this? No, it's, I mean, that's a good question. I'm sure if we did the research, we could come up with some pretty dramatic turnarounds. but this one seemed so unlikely a year and a half ago. And, you know, the other part of this is just that there have been six walk-off winning games this year. Exactly. I mean, it's just including in a playoff game on the road. And that's the other part of it that, and I've talked about this too.

And my point, my thing is there might be a, they may have years where they have more success in the end, right? Maybe this year. Like, well, who knows this year is still to be determined? But let's say, you know, it doesn't go their way. And like, in two years they win a Super Bowl, I don't know that you'll have more fun than you had this year, just because of

the unexpected nature of it all. From here on out now, expectations go up. So, you know, I know, I know, like, you know, when you have teams that where you expect them to be good, there's just more angst, anxiety, pressure, you know, disappointment, whatever.

But you're just not going to have the excitement level where it's like a Hail Mary Pass, for God's sake. Like all these endings are like Hail Mary Pass and then beating the Eagles in the last play, the Falcons in overtime, the two-point stop, you know, last week with the doink that actually goes over. Like, there is no chance that doink bounces the right way 18 months ago. No chance. You know?

Yeah. But it's like, it's just, you're just, And like I said, because of the transformation this year, coupled with those late game heroics, coupled with Jayden Daniels arrival, I think it was kind of like the football guys got together, realized like, hey, I think we kind of forgot about this fan base for a few decades. Let's go. Yeah, these people need some help. Let's help them out. But, you know, all of it is so enhanced, so heightened because of one person. And it's the quarterback Jaden Daniels. So overall, because you've been out there every day since the moment he got drafted,

what's it been like to cover him specifically? Um, refreshing, because I want to say he's normal because his talent isn't normal. But I think like what he says and the way he acts is what you would want from a franchise quarterback. Like he understands his role with the team. And, you know, it's not an act what he says. He's sincere about what he says. He's not sitting there worried about like he admits he'll read social media, but it doesn't get to him.

I think he's got a good level head. But it's kind of funny, like watching him in the locker room and just interacting with teammates, interacting with Bobby Wagner. It's absolutely a big brother, little brother relationship. They cannot go. If one is being interviewed, Bobby Wagner is being interviewed in the hallway,

and Jayden Daniels walks by, he's going to say something, and Wagner will look at him like, see what I have to put up with. You know, those kind of things, like to see those normal interactions when Robert was here, he would be basically, they'd have a PR person guarding him at his locker for his first year, so nobody would necessarily approach him.

So he felt more unapproachable. It's not like people go up to Daniels all the time in the locker room, but he's there. And, you know, you know what I mean? So it's different, but, you know, it's also, the other part, Kevin, is it's the way teammates talk about him. And you always have to be careful because you'd hear things about other guys and then you find out later well, it wasn't quite like that. But for him from start to finish, it has been like that. And the stuff they like, I remember talking to Zachers before the season,

and he even told me then. I added in a story where he said, I'm not saying he's going to be good later. I'm telling you he's good right now. And, you know, so you and I didn't think that was hyperbolic because I've been around him and you heard all the stories. You'd heard all the stories at that point about him, about the work he puts in.

And I think one thing that I think, is for the fan base, which is cool. And this is what I always tell people, like, the more important thing is not the talent, it's the work. Because if you're doing the stuff behind the scene, then you're going to be a good quarterback. And he's not posting what he does on Instagram because the stuff he does, you don't post the stuff that he does is going in there watching film, going to a walk through at 6 a.m. in the bubble, you know, things like that,

where it's like the private work is what has gotten him here. And I think that's been kind of cool to see that. And, you know, it's also in my job, like sometimes, you just realize you got the front row seat of something special. And there was a time earlier this year during a press conference, I'm just kind of looking at them like, this is it. This is a start of something special for this player, this organization, but also just covering this player.

You just sometimes know. And I think, you know, that with this, with Jane Tandah, you kind of hit that early. I think the good thing here, and you never know how somebody reacts to, success to huge financial reward, but he seems to embrace process. And I think when you do that, the other stuff is great, but you're not typically deterred by it. Yeah, you said something, and I can't remember if I read this or if somebody told me this, but they basically just said

the humility of him is unmistakable. It's totally genuine. It's never about him. It's a always about everybody else. And obviously for all of us, that's refreshing. But it's also, you can't be a leader and be a narcissist. Like, narcissists always make it about themselves, not about the collective. And this guy is the opposite of that. There's great humility. And, yeah, I remember Dan Quinn saying earlier in the year, we may have talked about this at one point.

He said there's a very fine line of being a young. young player at that position where you strike confidence in all of your teammates. They know you can do it and they know and they see the confidence that you have, but it doesn't come off as arrogance. And finding that line in between is hard. It's hard for a lot of people in any line of work, especially when you're young. That's pretty cool that the coach recognized that, and apparently it's been the case all year long. for sure and I think he's just been a mature he's the mature person I think some of this is

clearly some of this is how you're raised and you know how you're brought up the lessons you've been taught you know and so I think that's a big part of it he deeply has a deep faith so that you know for him there seems to be a piece that comes with that but I also think like there's so much work that goes into what he does that it's like whatever he says teammates will view it through that prism. Like he's putting in the work and he's prepared. And so, you know, he doesn't, first of all, he doesn't have to tell you what he's going to do.

He's going to show you. And I think that's also another key, right? And, you know, he loves to compete because that's the one thing you notice all the time. Like, you see these drills where the throwing balls into the footballs and the net, and if he beats Sam Hartman, he's going to let him know. And if Hartman beats him, you know, he'll kind of just, kind of scowl a little bit, right?

But it's, like, I don't know, there's just so many, you know, I just think you like competition, but yeah, the humility part, for example, when he came here, he was asked like, you know, he's, oh, when I shoot,

there's a couple things. So he's like, my role is just to be whatever the team needs, right? And I think he knew, like, he knows what he can do. Right. So he doesn't view himself as a role player, but he knows like his role might be to do what he did the other night.

It might be to throw for 250 yards, run 400, and throw a couple touchdown. That's an all-star game, but to him, that's my job. And I think, you know what I mean? Like he viewed in the same prison as Terry McCorn, Alamedade Vakiaz, right? The Kiens has a specific job. Do your job. And I think it's through that is one thing. And, you know, I don't know, man.

I had another point to make on that, but there's just a lot to talk. about with him because it's real and you know that it you know where it comes from. Again, it all starts with the work he puts in and that's what teammates notice. That's why Zach Erd fell in love with the guy right away because he saw the work. He saw how prepared he was. So, you know, he doesn't, again, he doesn't have to tell you he's going to do it. He can tell you this is the play, go execute it, and then he will at a high level. I'll tell you what.

If it doesn't work out and it's the, it ends up being the opposite of what, we've talked about. We've given a lot of people some good ammo to hammer us in future years, but I've been saying it all year long, and I think you've been saying it, writing it all year long. I want to ask you about something that you wrote that you wrote yesterday on ESPN.com. It was about Zane Gonzalez, the kicker, in his OCD moment, and you got a chance to sit down with him and talk to him about it. What did you learn about his condition, how he's dealt with? with it and how he's handling this incredible week of winning the game, but at the same time, you know, essentially having the moment before the kick go viral.

Sure. And I think one of the things you know is, like, he's talked about this over the years. Right. I didn't know that before last week. I did not know that before last week. Oh, I didn't know it either. And then I found out after. Yeah.

But then you look back and like he has talked about it. So like, yeah. But here's, you know what the funny thing, Kevin? then like, I asked Truss Way about it, about, you know, what he happens on. He starts going over his routine and blah. I said, well, it's the OCD. He goes, really? Like, he had no idea.

He goes, thanks for telling me. He had no clue. This is on Wednesday. And so, you know, he just, was a kickers routine because kickers have, he goes, it's like foul shooting, right? You have your routine. Yeah. So it's not like he just brings it out in the open all the time, but when it's there,

he will talk about it. So I think, like, he heard from a lot of people, you know, on social media or from family or friend about it after the fact because he got, there was some ridicule or mockery, I should say, that occurred after it because people, a lot of people clearly didn't know. Sure. I mean, he's, this wasn't exactly, you know, Michael Jordan talking about a condition. It was a guy who's bounced around the lead talking about who had talked about the past and not everybody's going to know. but I think there's a couple things with it that I think anybody can appreciate that he tackled it head on like he's not going to duck from it I think for him it probably helps to talk about it and I think he also knows he can reach someone else by talking about it I think that's one of

the I think that's one of the things that he the way one of the ways he views it and it's gotten something that it's gotten better over the years but you know it's I can't comprehend it because I don't have that. And I think it's good to learn about it. And just like, you know, little things, like when he was a kid, he was telling us that if he miswrote a letter, he would sit there and have to rewrite the, you know, on a paper. He made a mistake. He would have to rewrite that letter.

He said he would do it for three hours. And he'd go, his dad would have to take him out. Just think if you have your, if your child is like that and like how you have to learn how to deal with it too. And he said his dad would have to take him out of the house just to walk around, get it out of the system, go play soccer, do something just to get it out. And he said even now, the other night, he said he goes, I set my alarm clock like 100 times. You know, but I think what helps him is that he can poke fun at it or at least not run from it. And he said his wife is really good about it too. So I think that helps as well. But it is, you know, I would think that it's hard. I mean, this is a, tough business. It's a perfection business in a lot of ways for those guys. To be in this kind of situation

with that, like, you know, because like he said, and this is something you don't know either, like, unless you talk to somebody, which is why I'm grateful that he shared this with people, that he's like, you know, any little thing, he goes, like, you may worry about everything and someone might tell you that's crazy, he goes,

I know it is, but it's the tick. It's what, it's what, you can't help it. It's just that's how you feel like the most awful thing is going to happen. even if somebody says this is crazy, he's like, he agrees, but he can't help it. So he's talked to therapists over the years for it as well. And then they've, you know, he said they just tell him you have to battle it, and he has. And I think one of the ways he's done that is by being open and honest, which I think,

I think what he can feel good about is I'm sure that there are people reading it to their kids who may have it and say, see, here's someone else. And I think that's pretty cool. That he can, that he has that power, I should say. The one thing I was interested in, first of all, you guys should read this story. It's a quick read, but it's very well done by John. You can get it at John's X account at John underscore Kime or just go to ESPN.com and click on Washington commanders. First of all, you said something.

He definitely has a bit of a sense of humor about it. He's got humility about it. He walked into John's first paragraph is he walked into get a special teams award this week. and he started to reenact the fixing of his hair and the helmet and the whole thing. And people, you know, started laughing out loud. But what I would have been interested to know was the repetitive nature, what he goes through, was it heightened in that last kick more so than it would have been in a kick in a regular season game in the first quarter?

And that's a good question. I don't know. We had like seven minutes with him. Yeah. That's a good question. And he did say that, one of the things he did say is that is what he's like, my wife watched on TV. He's like, this is what she's seen me do in practice and other games, et cetera.

So I don't know that it was very different. I just think it was the situation. Yeah. The situation signed a great, a massive spotlight on it. And, you know, I think what I would say this, like, for the, team, you know, obviously they're happy, be happy they won. For his sake, I'm glad that it went in because you'd hate to have that. Oh, my God, yes.

You know, like that you have that. And then it's like then people, you know, how are they going to view it through that and, you know, et cetera. So, but yeah, no, he did say that his wife has seen him do the same thing many times. So for her, it was no big deal. But he does, like, he said his brother and sister kind of rhythm about it at times, too. So he's, I just, he doesn't run from it. And, you know, I just, I think it's, it's an interesting story. It's not an easy thing. It is, but it's not an easy thing to go through them.

It's a real battle for people that have it. Yeah, for sure. And there are different degrees of it. But I just think what's so interesting about it is his occupation, being a field goal kicker with all the pressure that comes with it. And therefore, you know, the whole world saw it on display before the kick. And to your point, thank God the kick went through. All right. And I think the last thing, the last thing on that, too, is because it is a routine-based thing.

And this is something I couldn't get into because it didn't have the time. But I asked him, like, you know, has there ever been a time where, like, you can't get on the, you're like you're not ready to get on the field, but you have to. Right. And how do you feel going out there? Like, you know, like, you could, like, you know, you watch, I mean, I don't know. Like, that was something that, but I just, that's something that I might ask him to talk to him about later just off the side. But I think that would, you know.

Yes. That was something like that. And even if it didn't stop them from getting out onto the field, would it have affected the performance? Correct. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. You don't feel like you're ready to get out there, but you have to. Right. If you didn't do the helmet or the hair thing, the certain number of times, because it's a repetitive behavior that is a big part of dealing with it. And if you didn't have time to do it exactly. I wonder if it would affect a performance. Who knows? Fascinating. All right. Let's get your thoughts on tonight, and we'll do that right. these words from a few of our sponsors.

I want to welcome a new sponsor to the podcast, and that sponsor is Rocket Money. And, guys, this is interesting, so listen carefully, because we've actually talked about the problem that Rocket Money is solving. You ever sign up for something? Forget about it after the trial period ends, and then you're charged month after month after month.

The subscription's there, but you're not using it. Well, in fact, I just learned that 85% of people have at least one paid subscription that goes unused each month. Well, thanks to Rocket Money, you can now see all of your subscriptions in one place and cancel the ones that you're not using anymore. Hence, you'll save more money. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and help so. lower your bills so you can grow your savings. See all of your subscriptions in one place. Know exactly where your money is going. And for the ones you don't want anymore, Rocket Money can help you cancel them. Rocket Money can even negotiate lower bills for you. They

automatically scan your bills to find opportunities to save, and then you can ask them to negotiate for you so that you're not dealing with customer service. Rocket Money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of 500 million in canceled subscriptions, saving members up to $740 a year when using all of the app's premium features. Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster with Rocket Money. Go to RocketMoney.com slash Kevin D.C. today. That's RocketMoney.com slash Kevin D.C. RocketMoney.com slash Kevin, D.C. Hey guys, prize picks is the place to go to for Daily Fantasy Sports.

I have the Price Picks app. I'm one of the over 10 million members at PrizePix where billions of dollars are awarded in winnings. Prize Pics has made Daily Fantasy Sports accessible to everybody. You just pick more or less on at least two players and their projected stats for a shot to win up to a thousand times your cash. Run your game all season long on PricePix, America's number one daily fantasy sports app.

PrizePix now offers MasterCard for quick and easy deposits into your account this sports season. Download the app and use my code Sheehan to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. Again, download the app today and use my code, Sheehan, S-H-E-H-A-N to get $50 instantly after you play your first $5 lineup. Prize picks, run your game. Hey guys, being healthy is a big part of my life, but I'm not hardcore about it.

I just want to incorporate better habits into my life, like getting more protein in my diet. And our next sponsor makes it easy to do just that. That sponsor is Orgain. Orgain believes real nutrition has the power to make a real difference in people's lives. Orgain's new 30-gram complete protein shakes offer protein-packed real nutrition designed to satisfy your cravings without any added sugar. Orgain's products are handcrafted with high-quality ingredients that make them taste great. Looking to fuel your personal best, need muscle support and recovery, or just looking to maintain a good. a healthy lifestyle, organ's 30 gram protein shakes check all the boxes. I had an organ 30

gram protein shake in the morning the other day. I love how it tastes. Are you busy? We all are. That's why organ is simple. You literally just grab one of organ's protein shakes and go. You can bring it to a workout. Bring it in your car. Wherever you need it, no more time consuming prep to get you the protein you need. And from protein powders to bars, to shakes, to tons of other nutritional products, Oregon has products that the whole family will love. Remember, there are no quick fixes when it comes to your health. If you want more protein, give Orgaine 30 gram protein shakes a try. Head toorgaine.com slash Sheehan. Use code Sheehan for 30% off your order. That's the best offer you'll find, but you've got to use my code

Sheehan for 30% off. One last time, for 30% off, head to orgain.com. That's orgian.com slash shean. Use my code, Sheen.

When Donation's offering a really good deal between now and the end of the month, 50% off all windows with no payments and no interest for two full years. If you've been thinking about new windows, give Windonation a shot. That's all I ask. They can come out and give you a free estimate, and then you can decide what to do. 86690 Nation, Windonation.com. We continue with John

Kimes. So let's get to the game tonight. How do they win? Oh, boy. You've got to throw some punches on offense, because if you don't, you're done. And I think we all know that. So you can, that their defense has not played well down the street. They've had so many injuries, and I think that's the number one area you have to take advantage of. And, like, we can get to the defense, you know, what the defense has to do in a minute. But I think offensively, you have to finish the, it's great to possess the ball. But if you possess the ball for eight minutes and finish with a field goal, they can score a touchdown in two minutes. You know, so you've got to finish.

If you have a long drive, you've got to finish with a touchdown. So that's one. And I think, can you do that? Yes, I think there are areas you can take advantage. I think you can, I think if they play man with those corners against this group, I think Terry McCorrin can have a big day. They have good safety. You know, I like their safetys, but they have holes.

And you watch them against, like, the 49ers, their linebackers were getting fooled left and right with a lot of the eye candy, though. The 49ers threw at them with play action or just, you know, the jet motion that these guys use and the pulling action, et cetera. Like, so you can get them now. Alex Anselaone, their linebacker, one of the best linebackers did not play in that game. And he played against Minnesota. They were better.

but I also, like, I don't know how much you watch with that one, him Donald wasn't very good in that game. He was terrible. He was terrible. And so, like, I'm not going to credit Angela on coming back as a reason why they somehow. No, there are people wide open, and Darnold either didn't throw it or he missed them. He missed three throws in the red zone. I kept telling him, I would text Logan Paulson after I'm watching, like, dude, like, this is horrible.

Like, they're there, and it's Addison, and it's Jefferson. I know. They had to be so frustrated. But the point is, like, for people listening, like, they were open and there were chances. And I think, like, you will get chances in this game. And it's not just about running the ball and possessing it, but I think you can possess it the way they did last week with, you know, their passing game. But again, I watched the Niners, like, you know, it's nine yards here, 10 yards here, 16, 18, you know, lining up is the keyest in the backfield or something like then getting it into a mismatch. Things like that. Like, there is a, I mean, you can move.

But, you know, I'm watching, I was watching the film of the Detroit offense earlier this week. And it's against the Niders. I kept, remember, kept thinking, like, God, this offense is great. So much fun to watch. Look at all these weapons. Look at how they use it. And then I look at the score in the left-hand corner of our, like, all 22-self. It's a shoot-out.

And it's like, they're down 21-13. They're down 28-21. Like, the point, you know, so you will have opportunities is just, you know, converting. and like they're not going to if they get sacks, I think it'll be stem from the crowd in like third and long situations. They have six sacks in the last five weeks combined.

They're not getting a lot of pressure with their four men. And so I think, you know, you might pinch a little bit. I think their rush lanes are disciplined, but they've had trouble against mobile quarterbacks, as I would say, any defensive coordinator would say, like, who doesn't?

So I think that's to their example. Again, watching Donald and Purdy go against them. Purdy has mobility. as a touchdown run, keep the ball alive, full and blah, blah. Donald doesn't have that. And, you know,

and obviously Jayden does. So that's another element they have to defend. I think we'll make it tough for them. So I think they can certainly move the ball in offense and score. I do expect that. The big question is, can you stop them on offense? Can you stop them on knock? You don't have to shut them down.

I felt like playing Tampa was kind of a JV version, a little bit of this, you know, because you had a balance attack, a quarterback operating at a high level, two, some really good receivers. I just think you have more speed here with Gibbs and Jameson and then St. Brown being very good, the Porter being very good.

So I think there's just more to worry about and the way they spread you and the funky stuff they do, you have to be extremely disciplined with your eyes on defense. And the one thing they get you to do, they get the linebackers to do is to hesitate because of all the action on the play, and that's when they have success with Gibbs because there's times, Kevin, man,

3.9 one yard before first contact but that's just amazing. So I think, you know, but the question, and I was asked you too, like, what do you go in there saying, you've got to take away the explosives and just let them drive and hold them down inside the 20s,

you know, or do you try to stop Gibbs because that's, you know, is Gibbs kind of the head of the snake there? You know what I mean? So I think that's the thing, you know, that you have to worry about because they do a lot right. And you have to hope that Dan Campbell goes for it in a crazy fourth-down situation

and they fail. Yeah, I mean, I think that he's a part of this, actually. Yeah, so do I. But my pick for how to handle it defensively from a macro level, you know, Ben don't break versus be aggressive and try to sell out and stop the run is in this game, Ben don't break. For sure. I just think, like you said, it's different than Tampa.

This can be three, four plays in the end zone, the band's playing, and it's another touchdown. Whereas at least on a condensed field, maybe they make a mistake. Maybe there's a holding penalty. Maybe there's one of these fourth down decisions that you get them into. Here's one of the issues, and I think I said this on my keys to the game on yesterday's pod. But they don't get in a lot of – their third down attempts are pretty low for the league because they're so good on first and second down. So we talk about the fourth down attempts.

The truth is you just hope to get them in fourth down several times to present that opportunity because there's a chance they won't have any fourth downs in the game. The way – And I think – yeah. Yeah. And I think the other thing, too, is to your bend it but don't break in the red zone, it's a lot harder to do some of the window dressing inside in the

convention area. It doesn't fool you as much as it does. Now, they still do stuff, and you're like Ben Johnson's got that crazy scientist feel to him, but it's a lot, you know, it's harder to do it down there. Like, so, Jamir Gibbs, you're not, like, when you're running the jet

action and pulling guys one way and he's going another, that's when it's really tough, because the linebackers are hesitating. Inside there, you can, you can be a little bit more aggressive going to the ball. And so I think that's where that strategy comes into place. Listen, if you hold them to a field go on a few of those drives, you're in good shape. Oh, yeah.

And the other thing is, too, and this is my thing on this week, like, if Washington wins a toss, what do you do? Well, I would defer. I would, on the road, I'm never going to be on offense if I don't have to be with the crowd at its loudest. I'll take the ball to start the third quarter when the crowd is still coming out of bathrooms and concession stands. As we know, third quarter, beginning of third quarter, is a totally different atmosphere than the beginning of the first quarter.

And that's, you know what? That's the one point that because, like, I've been like, I would think hard about it to throw the first punch. And I know, you know, I hear you on that. I hear you on that. Yeah. So, but I, but I had, like, the crowd noise, I think that's a great, great counter. And I, like, I like, I like getting the ball to start the third because you have a chance for, you know, dual possessions at points. And I will say, like, to me, and here's the other, the other counter to my own argument would be, to me, the big key in this game is keep the close going to the fourth.

So you have a chance to do that with getting the first drive of the second half, and you also have more information to sift through as far as what you want to do on office. So that would be the one counter to that. But I do like the idea if they get the ball first, throwing that first punch and maybe playing from the head a little bit. Two more. Prediction on the game. Have you made it yet?

No, I don't have to make predictions anymore. I haven't, I have not. I have not done it. So you're going to do it with me? Listen, I mean, you'd have to, you have, if you're... Tell me, hold on for one second. Please tell me.

We've known each other forever. Please tell me that you're not afraid to pick against them? No, I'm not because I think Detroit will win. So no, I don't. Because of fan backlash. Because I picked against them, I picked against them on radio yesterday, and I made the mistake of just looking at Twitter

and people are calling me a traitor for picking against them. I'm like, are you serious? I picked them all year long. I couldn't care less. And here's the other thing, like, look at the matchup. I mean, Detroit's 15 and two for a reason. I think the key is, like, if you went in to saying, oh, they had no chance, that's different. Yeah, no, they have a chance.

They haven't a chance. That's all that matters. Like, so I don't care, like, what you pick, what I pick, who gives the rats behind? But it's like, do you think they have a chance? Can they, can you create a scenario where they can win this game? Yeah. Now, I will also say, like, when I was, I used to coach youth basketball, we play a team, like, I know we have no chance, but I would create a situation.

I'm like, if we do X, Y, and Z, yes, we can contend here. You know what I mean? Like, you can always create a situation. And sometimes, most of the time I was wrong. But that's okay. Like, you always have a chance here. And I think with number five, you have a good chance. If you get to the fourth quarter, all they have to do is get to the fourth quarter in a close game

because this team knows how to close it. And, you know, I think, you know, Detroit plays some close games because they, because they're defense. But I think this team knows how to close it out with number five. So that's, can they get there? Yes. The togetherness of this group is, again, the best I have been around here. And there were a couple teams with Gibbs that had that. But it's so, it's rare.

And this team has. And like, you knew that in the, like, I could feel it in the spring. You could feel it in the summer. You just didn't know. Like, I remember even thinking to myself, like, it's a shame that they're in the first year of this. Because this team could do something special if they were further along. And guess what? They're doing something special.

So it did. So it did. Now, again, a lot of that goes to number five, but you can't just say it's all because of number five. And I think he's clearly the final piece. And if he was a different quarterback, are they in this spot? Well, probably not. You know, because that kid's special. But I do think that the team had that too. So it's enhanced by what he can do as well. I talked about it in the open to the podcast yesterday. The reason they have a chance is they've got the best player on the field. field. And he's playing quarterback. There's a lot of times where the best player on the field is a defensive player or a wide receiver, and that isn't the same thing. Best player being the quarterback gives you a chance. And that one thing I always kept saying, like, if they get in the playoffs, there's not a team that wants to face him because you know, like, there are, this is, this is, like, I mean, think about this. This is his first year where we're already talking about him like this. I know. Like, I mean, he's like, Seth Walder from ESPN Analytics, had him his

like in the MVP voting, he had him behind Lamar, Josh Allen, Burrow, and then Jane Daniels. And you know what? That she belongs in that spot. He does. He belongs in that conversation because, like, how many players would you actually, you know, put above him in the NFL? No, I mean, he's the best quarterback in the NFC right now. He is the best quarterback in the NFC right now. I'm not talking about the NFC playoffs.

I'm talking about in the NFC. Who would you take in the NFC right now? Nobody. Ahead of him. Nobody. There's one player, one player that I think is going to be special, but not him, and that's Jordan Love. I'm a big Jordan Love believer, but not at the level of Jaden Daniels.

And you're not going to take Stafford at this age, although Stafford's really good right now. He is. He is, but if you tell you especially like, and then here's the other thing, like you can say, okay, for their offense right now, Stavard is going to ball a lot. But if you were starting a team right now, who would you take? you're taking him over every single player, every player in the NFC. Lamar, Burrow, Mahomes, Alan Jaden. He's a top five quarterback right now.

In one year. I know. All right. I'm going to ask you this question just to finish up on because Tommy and I got this email from a listener and it made for a very interesting conversation. And you're somebody totally capable of having it because you've been around for so long. So the question is this. It came from Nick, who's 19 years old.

Nick, I'm giving you more pub here again. If you could add one player in his prime from our past players in this organization on offense and on defense to this team, who do you add offensively? Who do you add defensively? You know what? It's funny because offensively, God bless, because I'd want to fix it. the line, but I like with this kid, I want somebody who can go get that ball. That would be like a Gary Clark. That was Tommy and I both had. Gary Clark is one of our top two offensive guys.

The other guy was Rigo on offense. Oh, that was the other guy. That was the other guy I thought of as well. And so for sure, like, just because you get, yes, for sure. Why Gary Clark instead of Monk for you? Because I want someone who can take off, you know, take off the top. That's why. And it's funny because I know, like, obviously the Monk question here, when I first came here, I remember talking, you know, this is like early mid-90s. Obviously, Monk is in the Hall of Fame yet, and he actually just finishing up his career. And there were reporters here who covered the team for a while. Like, Gary Clark was more dangerous. And that doesn't, you know, Monk had a great, great career, Hall of Fame career.

But it was, you know, and even Peter King, I remember on my podcast a couple years ago was like, he's like the reason why he did, he held off on Monk for so long is because, you know, Because the giants told him. The giants told him that Clark was the guy they worried about. Monk's thing was flat-out, consistent, great effort. Like, you can't take any away from him, but the guy that you were afraid of who could beat you. I think, like, Monk is the guy that would kind of, you know, somebody told me this one time the difference between, like, Paul Brown and Vince Lombardi is like, Lombardi would chew you out and you know you're dying.

Paul Brown would tell you something, you turn around, walk away, realize you bleed and death. I think monk is the guy that leads you to death. Clark could just kill you right there just with it because of the speed and playmaking ability down the field. Yeah. You know, by the way, I mean, not to get sidetracked with the art monk, Peter King thing in all the years that Peter King and others sort of kept him out. He's not wrong.

Gary Clark was definitely more a guy that you had to game plan for more than Art Monk. Sure. But the idea that Art Monk only caught, you know, eight-yard possession style passes over the middle is incorrect. Our Monk had very good speed, had deep ability, and caught several big-time, you know, 60, 70-80-yard passes in his career.

And I also think, like, his thing was, too, was sustained excellence in that Hall of Fame. So no doubt, like, it's a misnomer to think he was just a possession guy, but I think in the, like, in the context that we're talking about, when you have Terry McCorme on the other side, give me the guy down the field. right now. So we both came up with the same two on offense and we both came up with the same two in defense. Now let me just tell you, I also considered either Trent Williams, by the way, in his

prime would have been with the 49ers actually in his first two years. Or, you know, somebody like Jacoby or even Lechay, who was, I think, very underrated for the couple of years he was here. So I thought about them too. But defensively, we both came up with the same two names as well. So really? Yeah. Let's see, because I'm trying to remember some of their, like obviously, Darryl Green. Well, that's one of them. That's, that's an obvious.

That's, I think, the most obvious because they also have a major need at corner. Correct. Right. And I think, like, shoot, if you wanted to stay at corner, I mean, Jim Bailey was pretty damn good. Good one. Really good one. Yeah. We didn't have him in his prime, obviously.

But, yeah. No, that, no, no. But he was, like, when he was here, he was still, he wasn't his prime, but he's already wanted the best in the game. He was great. So I'm trying to think, like, because what you'd want is, you know, another, you know, whether it's manly in his prime or someone like that. You just, you just hit it. The first two for us, it was, it was, the first one that came to my mind was Dexter and Tommy said the same thing. And then, of course, we said, well, Daryl Green would be too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. And if you want the pass-ers in the corner and now you're good to go.

You put them out there and like, hey, let's go. Yeah. All right. Well, enjoy it. That was fun. Yeah, we had fun with it the other day. Yeah. Enjoy it, and I will talk to you next week when hopefully we're preparing for a championship game.

It's certainly possible. It's very possible, and this has been really fun. So, you know, it could be fun to continue, too. All right. Thanks, John. As always, appreciate it. See you. John Kime, everybody.

Don't forget, too. He has a podcast. It's the John Kime report. You get it wherever you get your podcasts. All right, we're going to continue the pregame conversations. The next one is with the voice of the Washington commanders on radio. Bram Weinstein next, after these words, from a few of our sponsors. So, guys, if you're like me and you've basically been buying and wearing the same type of underwear for years,

for years, in my case, boxer briefs, same brand, same type for a long time. Well, not anymore for me. I want to tell you about skims for men, something I've discovered recently, the softest underwear I've ever worn. I got a few pairs of the five-inch boxer briefs so comfortable, no matter what you're doing, from sitting in a chair in your office to working out, they are so comfortable. They don't bunch up. They were made to recover from every stretch. The fabric is cool to the touch and it just seems to mold to your body and never loses its shape. This is so different from the synthetic feeling I used to get from what I used to wear. Skims is made with an undeniable soft midweight cotton that allows you to breathe. Skims for men. It comes in multiple colors, multiple sizes. Shop skims men. at skims.com in skim's stores. Let them know I sent you. After you place your order, select podcast in the survey and select this show in the drop-down menu that follows. It's a new year. It may be time for new gutters. Whether you're tired of unclogging gutters on your own or you

don't even know what your gutters look like, it's time for a permanent solution that you can depend on, and that permanent solution is leaf filter. Clogged gutters aren't you. a nuisance, they can cause extensive water damage. Protect your home from flooding, roof damage, foundation issues, and more. Do-it-yourself in-store-bought solutions. They may be cheaper up front, but they'll cost you more in the long run. Leaf Filter uses award-winning patented technology to keep out everything but water. No holes, gaps, or large openings for debris to get through. Every installation comes with a lifetime no clogs guarantee. Call today to schedule your free gutter inspection and get a no-obligation free estimate.

A leaf filter trusted pro will clean out, realign, and seal your gutters before installing leaf filter. Over a million homeowners have trusted leaf filter. Protect your home and never clean out gutters again with leaf filter. America's number one gutter protection system. schedule your free inspection and get up to 30% off your entire purchase. That's 30% off your entire purchase. Just dial pound 250 and say the keyword Kevin Show. That's pound 250 keyword Kevin Show.

See representative for warranty details. Snap good, hold down, kick on its way. That was. well, little less than one week ago. Sunday night at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, that the voice, of course, of Bram Weinstein, who joins me right now, my good friend for many, many years, the voice of your Washington commanders on radio, does the games with London Fletcher, produced by the one and only CJ, Chris Johnson. You know, you've had so many of these finishes this year. This is the dream season for, a play-by-play voice. I mean, how many people have reached out to you and said, oh, my God, every week you've got to walk off winning call? I mean, it's not only that, Kevin. It's, you know, I'll hear from people, you know, that I've talked to in a long time that aren't huge sports fans that are like, they just played your call on the Today Show, or they just played,

like, I just saw you on Morning Joe, you know, like things like that. It's like, oh, all right, you You know, and it's been really, it's awesome, and I agree with you. Like, I think we're set up to have a lot of good seasons, you know, because of the quarterback, because of the organizational structure, et cetera. Like, I feel like we're back at a time where we can be, you know, consistently optimistic that things are going to go well year to year. It just feels that way. But no matter what the next seasons are like, they'll never be like this.

I've never experienced anything like this. It's been a joyride, and I'm really grateful for it because, you know, you know, It truly has been amazing. So which of the games did you enjoy calling the most? And then which of your calls are you most proud of? My favorite game, and this is subject to change tomorrow night, because if they beat them, I don't care how they do it. I have a feeling I'm going to appreciate that more than anything,

because then they'll be somewhere they haven't been in 32 years. and I'll be part of it, and that's really incredible. But I think my favorite, it's two of them. And one that probably most people won't necessarily think of because it wasn't one of the game-winning ones. But when James Daniels made a fourth and 11 against the Eagles to keep them alive with his feet and he juked out seven Eagles players, and then they ended up winning, I looked back at that moment and went,

this team's literally capable of anything. because they, there's no, they had no business winning that game. And he put on a cape and did it. And that play stands out to me as the moment that I thought they could win a Super Bowl. And then the other one that I really loved loved, and there's been so many great finishes, was the Monday night Cincinnati game where he threw that pass to McCorn, and he caught it.

And it's because it was like the first time we saw him and McCorn and this team do something on a stage against the contender, and the world got to see it. We got to see it, and it was shocking. You know, like, we're just not accustomed to them coming through like that. And I was hoping it was the start of, oh, my God, like this guy is the person we've been looking for for a generation. And that one really, to me, I almost jumped out of the booth at that one, because it was the first time we'd seen our quarterback do that in a long time.

So I just want to be clear, those were your two favorite calls. The game... Yeah. God. I mean, I've been so lucky. There's so many of them this year. My, yeah, I think my favorite call is that Cincinnati one, the throw from Dayton to Terry on the Zero Blitz that we ended up winning that game.

That was my favorite one, yeah. Is there a call this year that you'd like to have back? I mean, not really. You know, like, let me put it this way. Like, I, I, um, be like getting the job of the dream come true, but getting it wasn't like, okay, I got it and I feel satisfied. I want to excel at it. Um, and I don't, you know, I feel like I'm doing a good job this year.

And I've been put in a position to be profiled, which I really appreciate that. And I'm getting a lot of attention for it. And I appreciate that. But there's places to go and places to get better. Like last week, I liked the call I gave on the game winning. field goal, but I did not say that it hit the post. So, you know, could I have that one back? I would love to have just added those three words, hit the post, or said something about it. Well, you didn't see it. I would like to have that one back. You didn't see it.

Yeah, I think CJ told me he didn't see it, and he's, you know, with you. Yeah. So, I mean, you know, like, I don't, you know, I could go through all the reasons why we didn't, you know, but it doesn't matter. And we don't have a microphone on the goal post like NBC does. you know, so we didn't, like, we don't audibly hear it. You know, so, and it's so loud in the stadium, but at another point again, you might hear the ring of it, but, like, you wouldn't in a situation like that. Anyway, whatever.

That's just excuses. It's one of those things where, you know, had it hit the other upright on the opposite side, I definitely would have seen it. But because it hit the one on our side, I didn't. And, you know, so what I want one back? Yeah, I'd love to have been able to say that, and I think the same energy and the same feeling would have come out,

but it would have been, you know, it would have added the piece of, of context. It did matter. I mean, they'd made their own breaks the whole time. This is the first time that they got a break to win one of these games. And so I wish I would have had that one back, I suppose, but like, I listen to it and I don't not like it. You know, I haven't heard any of these and I, and I'm not proud of them. I am proud of them. So you do, do you go back and listen to the entirety of the games or just the key calls? Um, a little bit of both. You know, I like to, like I said, I want to, I want to excel at this.

I think there are places I can go to get better. And, you know, I feel like I've been fortunate that this is year five instead of year one, trying to do this, because I don't think I would have performed even nearly as well if this happened in the first year I was doing this. So I'm very, very grateful that I had what I would just consider it is a few seasons of practice before we get around to this time when, you know, this team is extremely relevant and doing things like this, and my voice is going to be utilized in a lot of ways differently than it would have in the past. but no, I do listen to a lot. I don't listen sometimes with the whole game, but I'll listen to drives,

and I'll listen to halves at times because I want to get better, and I just try to highlight places where I can. What's going to be great for you and for London and for everybody is that there's a superstar quarterback that has captured the attention of not just this town, but of, you know, the country.

And, you know, the number one predictor of sustained success in the NFL is having an elite quarterback. And so as long as this team is having seasons like the one it's having now, more and more and more people are going to check in. Let's face it, two-thirds of this fan base had gone away, you know, when you had the job. You took it, which is why I think you kind of admitted this. It was probably the perfect time to cut your teeth on this. But you're going to have a quarterback.

to call and teams that are going to be in contention for years to come, knock on wood, that he stays healthy. Yeah, the first season, too, tried to your point about, like, being the perfect time. It really was for a lot of reasons. Like, they actually played a playoff game. So I got to call a playoff game. That next year. And secondarily, it was the COVID year, so nobody was allowed to go to the games.

So I was in empty stadiums or calling them on TV because we weren't allowed to travel on the road with the team at that point in time. Right. So I described that first year as there is nothing that's going to happen while I'm in the booth that is going to be more challenging than what happened this season. Nothing. Like, you don't have the audience to play with. You have to call a game off TV. Like, it's a weird scenario with little energy in the building to feed off of. So no matter what happens from here forward, I am so happy that that was my first season because of all of those reasons. Sure. It makes sense. And like you said,

and it's probably the advice you give young people, because it's the thing that I'll always, tell anybody that asks, get reps. You want to be good at doing this? You got to find a place to get reps. And for you, it was an NFL season in the environment that you just discussed, which, you know, if you could get through that, you could get through anything. So, yeah, and I think, you know, and I think the end result, again, I'm very proud of it. Like, I think the work we do is good. I think the passion that I show organic, it's not performative. And, you know, in the end, these are high-profile positions that everyone's going to have an opinion about it, and I'm open

to criticism to it. Trust me. I'll hear it out, but I am proud of the work that we're doing, and it's going to continue to get better. This was not the intention of spending the first 10 to 12 minutes talking to you about your performance. I was just really curious because you've had

your line of questioning. Well, what I was interested in is that you've honestly had a season as a play-by-play voice for an NFL team that is almost unmatched in terms of the final, you know, walk-off calls. I mean, people dream of getting like one or two of these a season. You've had six. It's been amazing. It really has. There will be nothing like this in the future. I liken it to,

you know, when the Nationals won the World Series, and they kept coming back in every game that they played, I can only imagine what Charlie Sloes and Bob Carpenter, Bob probably didn't get the call the games because they weren't local at that point in time to Charlie closed, et cetera, got to do because it feels like that a little bit. And I remember thinking after watching that going, well, they may win another World Series, but they'll never do it like that. And this team will never have a season like this again. I mean, this is truly, this is movies, novels, and honestly, there are three wins away

from the greatest turnaround in the history of the sport. And if that were to happen, I don't know how we're going to end up characterizing it. I'm going to get to that because I do want to get your thoughts on tomorrow night and what might be ahead. But real quickly, because you said something, you said you've heard from so many people. Is there anybody that you've heard from this season after, you know, the Hail Mary call or last weekend or whatever that you were surprised to hear from? Somebody of note? You know, a couple of team owners, others, not this one. reached out to me to say that they really appreciated the calls.

That was really kind. Really? You know, from team owners. Can you tell us who? No, I shouldn't say. You know, like, because that stuff, I shouldn't even have said that here, really, because it's this private conversation. But since you asked, that was the one that surprised me.

The other ones that I think are really touching are, it's just people from my past, like that I just haven't talked to in a very long time. You know, like people I went to high school with, people I went to college with, people who I knew, you know, hear from a long time ago that are all around the country that we just haven't touched base in a long time, you know? And it's just like en masse, I think what this team is doing has rekindled this passion that always existed. And I think, like, the calls and just the way, I mean, it's their plays. You know, it's not my voice. It's their plays, you know, that they're doing that's generating what we knew as a kid, you know.

And I think for a generation of people, they don't, and you can tell this to them, they're blue in the face, but only people our age know this. What happens here when this team wins consistently? No, it's impossible to describe. And so this year, like, I have not gotten to that pitch in calls the first four seasons because I think some of it was disbelief, some of it was just sheer joy, some of it was literally falling in love, like it was all of those emotions. And all the people who reach out to me, they're all just kind of, I think,

feeling the same thing. Like, I need to talk to you because we're connecting over this again. And, oh, by the way, you did a nice job. You know, like, it's that kind of thing. Yeah, there's an emotional connectivity going on right now. Yeah. And look, it's a much different city. That's a whole different conversation for another day in terms of what Washington, D.C.,

what the DMV is now compared to what it was during the glory years that you referenced. and it'll be interesting to see how that plays out. But anyway, all right, let's get to the team and its chances. How do you see Washington's path to a win? So similarly to Tampa, I think they got a control time of possession, and I actually think they have a better shot at doing it against this team than they did in Tampa. And I thought the oddest stat that came out of that game was having the ball for 35 minutes, but running it is under three yards of carry.

You know, so I think like that's, they did not run the ball effectively. I didn't expect them to, at least from scripted runs. And yet, they were able to control time of possession, which I think is key here against Detroit. They just score too prolifically and too fast. I think, you know, while Bucky Irving's very good, he's not Jimier Gibbs. This team has not had Washington of very good track record of stopping good run games. This one's one of the best. They've been shredded by Sequin Barclay a couple times.

They had it against Derek Henry. I think they're facing a top three running back, who's got a different level of speed than even those two. So I think he's the key. I think they're going to need a couple breaks. I think they're going to need a couple turnovers. But the thing that does really stand out to me, and I know they're all different teams, but go look up Jared Goff's record against Dan Quinn coach teams, whether he's in Atlanta or Dallas. And you're going to see a path where his numbers aren't very good.

And then if you just go look at, and this is, I think it's all, I think it's all injuries personally. But before that Vikings game, the Lions for a month running were giving up 428 yards a game and 32 points a game. Yeah, it would be over the course of a season to be the worst defense of the NFL, and that's injuries. You know, they just lost too many people. So the idea that this team is going to get blown out is preposterous to me, and we've been held under 20 twice the whole season. That's probably not happening. we rarely turn the ball over. I trust this guy in the fourth quarter.

I expect this game to be close. And if we somehow can tilt time of possession in Washington's favor, well, I like my chances in a one-score game in the fourth quarter because I've lived it for six weeks straight. It's so true. No one's blown them out since the opener. Detroit defensively was an absolute mess before they got Sam Darnold. I mean, hell, Caleb Williams,

lit him up, had one of the best passing days of his season against him. And Brock Purdy lit him up to the tune to 377. And the last dual threat quarterback they faced Josh Allen, that team had 559 yards and 48 points. So like I think, and it sounds like you agree, the thing that I'm most confident in is they're going to move the ball and they're going to score and Jaden's going to have a really good game tomorrow night. The issue is what happens on the other side of the ball. Right. Are we in a track meet? If we are, those guys know how to win those games, and they are a top five scoring offense all time. They have four position players who have

1,000 yards from scrimmage. No one's ever done that before. So it's not like one guy is having some crazy year. They're just an outstanding offense. Their offensive lines, amazingly great. Like, they are a dynamo. They are the 91 Redskins offense. That's what they are. So I don't want to be in a track meet with them. But what's interesting about that is I've seen this team win in every possible way, just not that one, but who says they can't? Because they've won every other possible game in the way that they've shaken out. And oftentimes they've done so with some statistics that really don't even make any sense. Five turnovers.

So winning. It's funny, Detroit did that too. Yeah, Houston. Yeah, it's funny. Five bigs. That's right. But in both of those cases, like, you would never expect a team to win, so they're both very capable. I'm not worried about them being shook by the crowd. I know it's going to be a rabid crowd.

I know what they get in prices there. I can't wait for the atmosphere. But this team, they've taken so many punches and punched back and stayed composed, and their poise is unbelievable, especially for a rookie quarterback, unbelievable. You know, we'll see. I think the one of the thing that really stands out to me is they're both obviously very aggressive teams. Dan Quinn calls it bold but not reckless. I think Lions fans, if they're being honest, would call it bold and sometimes reckless.

Will Dan Campbell do something reckless? And will it hurt them? It didn't the NFC championship game a year ago. It has a number of other times. Yes. If they go for some fourth and seven at the 50, you're going to feel the tension. You know, in that building, if they do something that might be crazy, and they've done crazy before.

I just called it reckless at times. And I expect sometimes impulsively he'll do something that it doesn't make analytical sense, that nobody up there that's handling analytics is saying, oh, go for two after that holding penalty from the 12-yard line. But he'll be pissed off at the holding call, and he might go for it. Yeah. So you have that as part of it. I think he's partly responsible for them losing that NFC championship game last year. Yeah.

Yeah, I think so. So we'll see. Over under on fourth down is gone for, probably eight combined. You know, like it's going to do that kind of game for sure. Let's hope we can get them into fourth down. You know, that's a big thing tomorrow because they've had, you know, it's like the fifth fewest third down attempts in the league because they've been so prolific on first and second down.

Let's hope we get them into four or five fourth downs. Then you've got a chance, you've got a chance to get off the field. All right. One other guy, too, and he's just lost in this, is, Washington really hasn't handled tight ends very well. And Sam LaPort is on high end. He's their fourth or fifth option. You know, like that's what just makes them so difficult to deal with.

All right. Good job. I appreciate you doing this, as always. Have a great call tonight. Let's hope we've got one more thrilling finish so that we can take this at least one more week. I'll talk to you later. Thanks. Appreciate it.

Bram Weinstein, everybody. I think we are ready to roll now. We've done a lot. in preparation for tonight. Enjoy the game. I'll be back tomorrow with a recap.