The Kevin Sheehan Show - Heinicke Week Continues

Episode Date: October 6, 2021

Doc Walker joined Kevin for much of the show. Everything about Washington's first 4 weeks of the season was discussed with plenty more thought and opinion on Taylor Heinicke. Some Urban Meyer, MLB playoffs, and a look back 30 years ago today to Washington's 20-7 win over the Bears to go to 6-0 in 1991.  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 Cheehan Show. Here's Kevin. The podcast today presented by MyBooky. Go to MyBooky.orgie. Use my promo code Kevin, D.C.

They'll double your first deposit dollar for dollar. And they also have an exclusive promotion going on. You can turn $10 into $10,000. Weeks 5 through 8, make five picks against the number. Get them right. Earn points. Rise up the standings. and potentially take home $10,000 in a grand prize.

And if you needed another reason to head to my bookie.ag, you can celebrate the start of the MLB playoffs, which started last night with a Red Sox win over the Yankees. Doc Walker's L.A. Dodgers going tonight. More on that here in a moment. But MyBooky is hosting in honor of the MLB playoffs, a $20,000 blackjack tournament that's absolutely free to enter. Winning seasons here, go to MyBooky at mybooky.orgie. Use my promo code, Kevin, D.C. If there's something in the promo

area already, erase it, put Kevin D.C. They'll double your first deposit. Speaking of one Richard Doc Walker, he is my guest today on this Wednesday podcast. I'm so, so thrilled that you are available to do this. You're always busy. I understand that. I was very happy you answered my call yesterday when I called you to ask you to come on the podcast. Doc, of course, has his own podcast on Patreon, all right, P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com slash Doc Walker to find his podcast that he does with our good friend Steve Solomon. Thank you for doing this. Honestly, I know you're busy to make time for me. I really appreciate it. I feel honored. Well, I just hope to Cooley recovers and I hope he's not ill for too long, but I do look at the opportunity.

Every time the Chris gets the hangnail, I get an opportunity. And you're my bookie, so it's amazing that you have this sponsorship, and I look at you to where you look toward my bookie.com. So it's all good, man. Well, you know, first of all, that I didn't have coolly scheduled for today, that I called you last week to come on the show, and you said you couldn't do it. And I said, well, let's try to do something next week. and I tried you yesterday, and fortunately you were available,

because you're not always available, which is fine. I understand that you're very busy. But as it relates to the bookie situation, you know I'm not a bookie. However, we both have known a lot of bookies in our days. Yes, yeah. We've known real guys that have done this for a loan. Don't call him out by name.

I didn't do his name. I did his initial. Okay. All right. How are you doing? I'm doing good. I'm relieved. I had to put that game in code red, which is embarrassing.

The fourth game in the year, and I'm also, I'm at the plane. I thought had they lost your whole season would have gone in the toilet. But they won. They found a way to win. So I'm thrilled because I didn't like me on the air last week because I'm violently. I just got a bad attitude. when we lose. And I'm trying to embrace myself because I thought the four and 12s were behind us, but they're really not. And so every week to me is life or death, and I lived another week.

Why would you think the four and 12s are now with the 17 game schedule? The five and 12s are behind us. Why would you think that? Well, I just thought that even though 7 and 9, they had a losing record, but they celebrated as if they had won the Rose Bowl. And what happened was that they were intoxicated all throughout the summer. But we've been punched in the face three weeks in a row, and I kind of think they're responding to it. I see progress. A lot of that has to do with, you know, Heineke and McLaurin making plays,

but fundamentally, to me, we're flawed. And so this is Russian roulette, which it has been for the last two decades for us, but I don't want to die this early. And so I was relieved. Where are the flaws? Well, defensively, we're out of coordination. We're trying to force a square peg into the round hole, which has been two decades of that.

So we are defensive back. We took a kid 29 now. He couldn't cover me. And he's a hell of an athlete. So they're thinking and not reacting. They're confused. And it's unsettling because it's a tug of war not going on between staff and players, philosophy and actually execution.

And when that happens, even the greatest of athletes lose their speed. They lose their coordination. And until they fix it, we're going to be like shooting ducks for any good quarterback. So are you putting the defensive performance through four weeks, which has been dismal? They are down near the bottom in almost every statistical category. But you, if you've been watching, You don't need to look at any numbers. You know how bad it's been.

Do you put it more on the players or the coaches? Well, it's the player's career. The coaches will be hired. You know this league. You can be garbage and you just recycle. They recycle trash in the NFL. So the players have got to understand. Once they run out of talent, they're done.

They're gone. They'll be working at the supermarket, if at all. So what they ought to do is understand They've got to protect it because it's their career I mean No matter what you think about coaches in this league You know They'll be fired by another buddy

Next week And so this crap This keeps getting recycled Okay but who's Anytime you look at Davis Yeah I'm just saying if you look at the two kids Rookies in Dallas

How in the hell can they hit the ground running And your rookie He can't even find how to get to the park Right So you feel like the coaches are part of the problem. Specifically, you know, like from a fan perspective, Doc, and you know this, and you deal with this every day and you have for a long period of time. Like you look at the front four and they're not getting home.

They're not getting sacks. You're one of the people that people were talking about as defensive MVP this year, potentially, has zero in four games. you're not close in coverage. And you say like there's a disconnect here with something. How do you fix that after four games? And whose responsibility is it to fix? Or is it players that have to step up and start paying attention to what the coaches are saying?

Or do the coaches have to adapt to them and maybe change some things? You know this as a youth coach, as I as a youth coach. we can control those kids because they really want to get to the next level. When you're trying to get a millionaire to do something he doesn't believe is in his best interest, you get a stalemate. And so they got to fix it. It's either the player do not trust their position coach or the coordinator's not paying attention to the kid's lack of mental capacity

to retain what he's been taught. It's one or the other. You can't take the two kids in Dallas and look at them, hit the ground running, and you've got a linebacker, which was the easiest thing in the world. Just go get the guy at the ball, unless you complicate it for him

and make them call the defense or make out play, and they're not capable of doing that yet. And so ego, as you know in this league, it's a stalemate. The assistant that's going to be hired, no matter how bad the production is, and the player who's going to be paid, no matter how bad his performance is.

So that's what we're at right now. That's why it takes people that can get through, that can communicate, that can compromise to get the jobs done. You can't flip Dallas's god-awful defense a year ago. One guy, Quinn, who's a communicator, gets the job done, and just like that is six because they made a bad hire. Well, they made several bad hires. It's easy to see.

And you know it. The problem is we can't prove it. Yeah, but Del Rio's been successful in the past. It's not like we're talking about Joe Barry or Minusky or, and I'm not saying that they didn't have some success somewhere along the way. But Del Rio and Rivera have been proven defensive guys in this league. I didn't mention anybody's name. All I did is, look at the scoreboard. Scoreboard doesn't lie.

Yeah. I don't care what you did in the past. They've all been fired. So it's not like anybody, they don't have, there's nobody has longevity for a reason. You can put all the perfume on the pig you want. The bottom line is that people aren't listening and they're not getting results. You telling me 29 is that bad? He couldn't cover me right now.

He's been horrible. Fuller. But he's not, but you know he can play. So what's the disconnect? They're in thought. They have a huge, they need to have a, roundtable discussion, and they're not going to have it, because, again, in my era, the player was desperate for money, was broke, so he had to do this.

These people don't. They don't. And it's clear that there's an ego issue, which there always is, when teams aren't flowing. There's no fluidity because it's ego involved. And everybody has their hand in the pile, but they don't all believe. And you know this, and I know you know, but I'm just saying, We've got to do this because of what we do. But we've done it so long with different people that is proven to you.

It's like, how do you get odor out of a building? Do you have to blow the building completely up and start all over, or can you put a deodorizer in? Or do you have to fumigate the place? What do you do? How do you get it out? You've got to defumigate the place. We've known that forever.

Well, I'm just saying. I'm just saying. They can hire on all the flipping, all the women, and all the black people. Do everything you want to do. The bottom line. What did you say? Do what? The bottom line is that there's a huge.

You heard exactly what I said. I actually, I'm actually, my brain is trying to. When you rewind it, when you rewind. Did you say get rid of black people? No, I didn't say that. I said you can get rid of all the people you want. Oh. And you can hire.

All the new people and black people and what you want. It doesn't matter. Oh, I see what you're saying. If there's a disconnect in that you've got a personal only problem, you've got the three kids from one university, so they all learned the same thing at high production. Well, everybody just say it. Just say it.

Say it out loud. Both the buyers are getting there. And your guy, our guy, is stuck, still running up there. So why? So, I mean, you can't, I mean, I know when you do the 99 and this guy in the same school's Chase-Shu. We're talking about, for those that don't know, we're talking about Chase Young. And if they don't know, they're not a fan, and to hell with them.

How hell are you keeping this so elementary? Like you're trying to drag people along. If they don't know who the hell they're cheering for, that's their problem, not mine. One of my favorite things, and that's the reaction that I was waiting for, very predictable, is when Doc doesn't go names. And whenever we've been doing things in the past together, I'll say, yeah, Kendall Fuller. And typically, Doc, he'll immediately say,

you don't think they know who I'm talking about? Well, I'm just clarifying for those of you that don't know. Seriously, what the hell's wrong with Chase Young through four games? Is he just thinking too much? Here's what I've been taught. Tony McGee, Charles, man, all these guys. rushing the past is like boxing. You've got to set up combinations.

He's just jabbing. He has no undercut, no overhand right. You're just doing one thing. And in this league, everybody's 6-6-7 with long arm. They don't give a damn about him. He's a big thing here because we don't have much. But around the league, they're not doubling him. Not all the time.

That is true. I know, you're right. You know, I hear, I listen. I know. People are doing a damn thing. They're not doing one guy on him. They did in the Buffalo game for the most part. Yeah.

Why would you have to double one guy with one trick, probably? He runs up to Hill, runs out to play. Now, he hustles, why I love it. He gives you superior effort, which makes it even more glaring that he needs help. Not a lack of effort. it's the lack of technique and execution, which means either he and his position coach hate each other,

or the coordinator has the disconnect with the coach. Either way, it's very simple. It ain't that complicated. Both the boys are getting to the quarterback. Everybody else gets to. You seen DJ what? That's a pass rusher. Miles Garrett.

Miles Garrett, we ain't got to bite close to that. The other kid, 90, who I really love, he had a breakthrough. He got there. I like 90 a lot because his upside is the greatest of anybody on their defensive unit. What about 94? The 94 is reckless. He has been just dominant in spurts inside, but not getting there. He's not getting there.

But by God, he's brutalizing his opponent. You know, same thing across the board, you know, 92, he's the same kind of guy. They brutalized their guy, but they're not in sync with the ends. You don't see, if you ever watch the Rams, that's fluidity. That's a concert rushing to the quarterback. And they have a guy who just, he's so much better than everybody else in the world. It ain't close. Yeah, 99.

He's so much better than everybody in the world. But yeah, we put our people in that category. We can even pay them like that. It don't matter what you do. The results tell it all. By the way, as we're sitting here, there's some breaking NFL news. Boy, the Patriots, there's still the Patriots, man. They just don't fuck around.

They cut Stefan Gilmore today. Yeah, yeah. Stefan Gilmore, for those who haven't followed the story, I mean, it's truly one of the better corners in the league. Top three. for a while now. Hurt last year, coming back, wanted a new contract, was eligible to come off the physically unable to perform list after week six.

Yeah. Was he the defensive player of the year? He may have been the defensive player a couple years ago. He's not my team, so I don't get with that. But he, the Patriots can't work out a deal with him. See ya. He's done. They couldn't trade him, I guess, with him, you know, still on the,

on the pup list and coming off the injury, but I would imagine that there will be a bidding war starting today for Stefan Gilmore. And you've already talked about 29. What about 23, the new one, Jackson? Yeah, yeah, I know. It doesn't matter. Now, watch where that kid ends up.

Tampa. You can always feel who's really committed to winning. Tampa. Yeah, the Ravens, Tampa, Diavel. You know. Ravens don't really need them. Well, but don't, but I'm just telling you. I was on Twitter, and people asked the question about what he end up here.

First of all, why would he want to? This is not a desirable landing spot because if he's got a brain, he's going to go wherever they give him the best pass rush. Every DB in the world knows that their best friend is the guys up front. Why would he do it here? you're going to have to be able to afford them that's going to be probably the issue so you've got to look at the teams that have lots of space and Washington's up there Carolina's up there Denver well they added Darby and Darby got hurt Denver could be a spot for him but I think you're right like you'll see the teams that are truly contenders truly contenders you know that are going to figure out a way to Adam you know whether it's Tampa or KC

There you go. And you already know why are you even doing this? You know that we have no shot. And people are going to be dead. They're killing me on Twitter. Say, hey, what are we going to do? And I'm going, you guys, we're so unrealistic. Yeah.

Because we've been sold a bell of crap. And people thinking that, why would anybody want to do that? I mean, no, no, no, no, no. It's not going to happen. They look at your line back. It's not going to get any help. and although maybe things pick up due to injury, we're going to be forced to play some new linebackers,

which is just amazing to me. We get no results, but yet we don't play more people. We stick with the people that are failing over and over and over, which is an indication that their backups are worse. But that doesn't mean it's true. It doesn't mean it's true. It just means your decision on it is what we may have to start. are questioning. Well, I mean, are you, don't you think you're jumping to conclusions on a guy like

Jamie, who's a rookie? Don't you have to, you got to give more time. You, if just because, just because he's SEC, and I know what you think of a lot of the SEC players, you got to, you got to. But the Vanderbilt, yeah, I don't know. And he didn't. You got to give him time. You got to do some time. No, I don't. What I do is I judge the selectors. If the guy's low-eye, Then you know it? What's your process of vetting players? How do you evaluate it? We don't know that he's low IQ.

I'm just doing the thing you do with the SEC schools that aren't Vanderbilt. If he's low IQ, that means your system's, then change your system. Don't blame the kid. Blame the teacher. I agree with that. That's my point. My point is that you don't get a pass with me talking about your system and you've been with eight different teams in 10 years. I don't elevate you to the top of the class,

and you don't have a winning overall record. I don't. Some of you do, I don't. So I'm looking at this to go, I'm looking at this to go, really? Right now we're judging the evaluators. You picked them. You had full autonomy. You got the checkbook.

Is this your result? So far or not good. That means it won't end up good. I'm just evaluating it where we are right now. We won a game by the skinny, skinny, skinny, skinny, but it was a road win, which is even more. Well, wasn't much of a road crowd, but it's a road win. It's a road win, brother.

Anytime you can win on a road and you're not very good, it's doubled because you just avoided disaster. And now you've got you playing the schizophrenic saints, which is just as dumb as we are. So you've got a chance because their quarterback could give it to you or kill you, but it's 50-50. our guy same way. I love him. We're going to get to him.

Okay, that's going to be the big part of the conversation because you and I've been talking about him, not on anybody's podcast, but we're going to get to Taylor. We're going to get to Taylor Heineke, but I just wanted to make one comment as you got into the draft because I said this the other day and a bunch of people were like, why don't you go work in Dallas, Sheehan?

So I said... Yeah, I heard of. I heard it. I'm a regular listener, by the way. I said that, first of all, I think they're very good this year. I mean, we have joked in the past with all of our cowboy friends about, you know, them, oh, you guys have the best talent. You should win the division. You should be a Super Bowl team knowing that we was tongue-placed firmly in cheek,

knowing that they suck, but you know what? They're good this year. The leadership was a clown crew. They had Bozo to Clown running their defense. Right. You know what they do well, though? And I said this the other day. They draft well.

Oh, no question. They draft well. And Micah Parsons, they traded back to pick Parsons. Last year, they got Trayvon Diggs in the second round. Trayvon Diggs right now has five interceptions in four games. In four games? People still throwing at it. Isn't that something?

Yeah. And they've got, you know what? I thought personally they had talent on defense last year, it was just poorly coached. Their best pass rusher is, and he's on injured reserve to Marcus Lawrence. Yeah, Lawrence. Yep. So they cut Jalen Smith, so they must feel good about the young linebackers that they drafted Cox, et cetera. Well, they feel great about persons.

You know what? How high they drafted that kid? Wouldn't that kid a pro bowler? Who, Jalen Smith? Yeah. Yeah, well, when they drew... They drafted him, remember, after he tore up his knee out of Notre Dame in the second round, he would have been a top 10 pick had he been healthy.

Oh, no question. And he was a pro bowler. Yes, he was a pro bowler. That's right. And they cut it. We had never done that here. Are you kidding me? See, that's the other thing I like.

bottom. Cut your mistakes. If you make something, it didn't work out, get rid of it. I don't think he's a mistake on the field. He's a mistake in the pocketbook. I'm looking at something right now. I'm looking at something right now, just looking at Dallas's drafts over the last

10 years. They have drafted a hell of a lot of pro bowl talent, man. A hell of a lot. I mean, forget about the guys now that are going to become pro bowlers, eventually. Perhaps like Parsons in C.D. Lamb and Trayvon Diggs, etc.

Oh, yeah. You know, you've got Vanderech, you've got Gallup, you've got Williams, you've got Zeke and Jalen Smith, who was a poleball, and Dak, who they drafted in the fourth round. And the kid right now who's playing corner, Anthony Brown was a sixth rounder, Zach Martin. Remember they went like a bunch of years in a row to Ron Smith and Travis Frederick and Zach Martin, all their offense alignment. You're right. And the center retired early.

All pro. Yeah. Okay, we won't talk about Dallas anymore. They don't know. They just know how to select. They've been drafting well. Yeah, he kills him because he stifles his coaches. Their problem is not personnel as coaching.

Yeah, I'm not a big Mike McCarthy fan, but I am a big Dan Craig fan. Oh, who is? No, only his family. Outside of his family, who is? The guy that has been given a lot of the credit in Dallas is the guy Will McLeigh. who is for all intents and purposes. I know Stephen has the title, but Will McLeigh is really their personnel guy.

Absolutely. Okay. Well, you're an insider, but the average person, but that's why I listen to your podcast. People don't realize that. The family guys are all front people. I do think Stephen's better than Jerry. I give him that.

And I think he's confident. He'll never get the credit for it because his father's an ego maniac. and he's a coach killer because if you don't agree with him, he gets rid of you. Because it's always about him, not them. But since after a 25-year drought of significant victory, I think by him putting Jimmy in the ring, I think they've gotten to him now to get him to back off a little bit

so they can actually fulfill the destiny. All right. We're going to take a break, and we're going to come back and talk about Taylor Heineke with Doc Walker, right after these words from a few of our sponsors. We'll get to Taylor. Heinke with Doc Walker here in a moment. Just a reminder, subscribe to the podcast if you haven't. That really helps us. It doesn't cost you a thing. Rate us and review us, especially on Apple,

Spotify and Google. Give us five stars. If you don't mind, rate us with a review us with a one to two sentence review that really helps us on the business side of trying to generate revenue for the podcast. And most of you, a lot of you have been doing it and I really appreciate it. So Doc and I are going to get to to Taylor Heineke in a moment. But Doc just said something to me that I didn't know. I was talking this morning on the radio show about some of the things we were talking about yesterday, the attendance being such a problem, even though it's been an enthusiastic home crowd. It's been a very small home crowd, smallest in the NFL.

It's amazing, right, Doc? I mean, largest, you know, season ticket base in the NFL 10, 12 years ago to the absolute smallest by a lot. But there's no team in the league. that has a more attractive home schedule. Washington has their next home games, the Saints, the Chiefs, the Buccaneers,

the Seahawks, and the Cowboys. I mean, you get the Saints, followed by Pat Mahomes and the best show in football, offensive show and football, followed by the defending champions

and the Buccaneers, the Seahawks, and then the Cowboys. And you should be able to get some big crowds, even if it's a lot of the other fans of the other teams. Well, see, but that's where you draw the line with me. Well, they can't. Now we're San Diego Chargers.

They're going to take money from anybody. No, we're San Diego Chargers. It was the most humiliated to see the Raiders take over the SOFi. And that's what we are now. And it hurts me to my heart. But you told me the Chiefs games, the Homecoming game? The Chiefs game. Yeah, you know, in high school, you always picked the worst team to play for homecoming.

You want to secure a win. Right now, from a market, and listen, their marketing team is brilliant because you put the chiefs out there and you say money's green. Money's not burgeoning gold or Kansas City Chiefs color. It's green. And I understand that from a marketing standpoint. But anybody my age that lived through RFK and went through it is hurt. It hurts me. I know.

It is, I don't, I'm not laughing at this. I'm crying inside. My heart is broken that what we thought was unflappable, that would be that way our whole life has changed. And now to get it back, we've got to come together. We can't fragment. We have to come together to get it back or it's gone. Don't forget the Jets won it all in 69. You've got to have to get everybody together in the numbers you're talking about,

it's the team's responsibility to first provide a product that's worth following. By the way, do you remember? They don't call it Homecoming Weekend anymore. I think they call it Alumni Weekend, right? Remember, they got away. Yeah, because Bruce, the first couple years, they called it Homecoming Weekend, and they played the Panthers that one year, DeAngelo Williams, the running back, after they came in and beat him,

he said, I wish I had the sound drop, and I don't. If I find it, you'll see it post the podcast edited. He said, we came in here, and we saw the program, and it said homecoming, homecoming in the NFL. You're all kidding me? We're the homecoming? He said, I was pissed. We were pissed.

And so I think after that they decided to call it the alumni weekend game, which is better because you would not schedule the chiefs for the homecoming game. Well, I mean, the marketing department would, but the football program would like it. Hopefully not. But it's good. You know what? They've got to do everything they can now because all kids are five.

You're hoping to get 40. You're Towson. I mean, you're hoping to get $35,000. Stop. Towson doesn't draw $45,000, do they? No, I'm saying from an NFL standpoint, the charges should be humiliated. The charges have a great product.

Towson. And the Raiders just destroyed them at home from a fan standpoint. You're Catholic University. You got D3 crowds. In our lifetime, you and I have both in a stadium. I would have said that's impossible. Right. We've done pre-game shows outside, and we've had a crowd bigger for our pre-game shows

that they're going to have happened for games. I know. It's true. Back in the day. Back in the day. Back in the day. There weren't 40,000. But we'd have 10,000 sitting around listening to the people.

three hours before the game waiting on us. Yeah. And let me tell you something. And I'm not bragging. I'm sad. It just kills me. Because a lot of these people are here for money. A lot of us were here for pride.

And it meant more to us than it does to the people. Now it's all about checks. So, you know, they created the deal. Now you've got to fight through it. And all I'm saying is that I want, man, I've prayed it. they win. I just, in most cases, don't see how they're going to do it. But it doesn't stop me from wanting to see it done. But the football side of me goes, well, you know, you got to be kidding yourself. Because it's not fundamentally sound. Now, special teams,

thank God. That return in 87, 87 with the block, please let your people know. I want to get another tight income and makes a play. Bates. Bates. Bates. Yeah. Bates. Yeah. Yeah, 87. He missed a block on one of the pressures. I didn't see that. But Bates had a good block. Okay, I want to get to the topic that you and I have been talking about a little bit off the air. And you have strong feelings about Taylor Heineke.

So share those with everybody. No, I love his competitiveness. He gives me what I see why the team gravitates to him. I can see it through TV. let alone what it's like to be around him. And he makes plays. But he has been the 50-50 guy because whatever he gets you, he gives it away. Last week, because of the Falcon's Butterfinger DBs, he got away with it because they dropped two.

But you can't give two away every game. But he also gives you two. So why I like him is he gives you hope. If not, you're hopeless. because you're never going to run the ball because you don't believe in it. The offensive line, I think, is doing a hell of a job. Me too.

Even though I like to see my tackles getting more help on great-edge rushes with tight ends and back. But then again, that's not my thing. That's their thing. I'm so pleased with them. We lost it. We got a guy who wants $18 million to play guard.

We can't get a yard over, over the right side. So now he's out. And I love Swites. Oh, my God, love this big, nasty, comes off the ball. If we would ever allow our people to be slobber knockers, I think we'd do even better. But that's not going to happen.

You really just took a shot at Sheriff. You really just took a swipe at Sheriff. You don't think he's any good? No, no, I don't take a swipe. I think he's being underutilized. Underutilized or underperforming? I don't think he's been that bad this year. No, he's not.

No, no, he's not. But if you want 18 million, I should run every time I need a yard. I'm running behind you. Right. You're supposed to be that dominant. Right. That I can guarantee that the right side gets the movement necessary. That's not the case.

Okay. And now you're hurt again. So same old thing. I'm just saying, if you beat your chest, I don't mind it. I love it. But he's not given the offense that really accentuates what I think he does best. He's a road greater out in the open space. He's a killer.

But we don't run that stuff. The things that made him what he is, we don't do. So we're not vertical. We're horizontal. Well, we've been vertical with the throw with Heineke. Well, yeah, no, he's made some plays. But again, it's Russian roulette. So what is your, give everybody what you think Taylor Heineke is.

Is he the quarterback? Is he the answer moving forward? No, it's a week now. no, no, no. It's a weak to week thing. He's the best option I think we have as we speak because we always have to play catch-up. We give up so many points. We've got to have a guy that's going to attack something

because that's all we've got. We're not going to try to establish the line of scrimmage. That's out. So I love his mobility. I love his competitiveness, but he's reckless. And he gives you two turnovers the game. But if he doesn't do that, and he improves his accuracy,

he's the best shot we have because they're not going to play Allen for whatever reason. So, hey, there's something about this guy that I like. Long term is one week in this town. There's no such thing as long term. You don't have a program that's built to make decisions about what's long term is week to week. And right now, this week,

I think he gives us the best chance to try to win if he doesn't self-destruct. I know. You're giving a very logical response and one that I agree with. But you know we've been in the quarterback wilderness for 30 years. And people want to grasp on to anything. And we've got some people that really, you know, fans and media members who absolutely are convinced that they just found off the scrap heap last, you know, fall, winter, the future quarterback of the Washington football. team. How can you say future

around here? How long it's future? Future's two months. Future's, what is the future? We don't know what this. We don't know what will be. I don't know what the hell of you. I think people say that out of a reflex. And most people are gutless. And they want to say,

look, Heineke, I'm looking for it. I want to win. I don't care if I think they're the dumbest group in the world. I still want them to win. because I get murdered in my personal life, and they don't win because of the people hanging around. And so I'm going, he gives the best chance to win. Do I think that once the bearded one returns,

they're going to put him right back in? Yeah, I think they are. I think they are. You really do. You think when Fitzpatrick's ready to play, that if Heineke continues to have these games, which are more good games than bad, by a wide margin at this point,

he's had many more he's had one bad game and that's the buffalo game if he continues to have for every three games he plays two games in which he gives the team a legitimate chance to win and one where they're just overwhelmed let's just say they get overwhelmed at lamo against green bay you think run's going to put fitzpatrick in there when he gets back yes i do yes i do yeah i do because if that was the case he'd never started him from day one tyler hadn't changed i think he hadn't changed he's same guy they've never said, this is our guy. They've said, bearded guy. That's why he brought him in. And so that's the path Heineke's going to have to take, which is no problem. As long as when he gets in, there's something he does that everybody in that locker room is gravitated towards. Read your team. Read your team.

This is the guy they want to see play, and they play harder for him or around him. I said, okay, good. Now, but if he does two picks a game, then he'll control his own destiny. He'll be out of the league. No, he'll be a backup somewhere else. It's never going to work if you give the ball away twice. You fumble with those interceptions. That does not work under anybody's program.

Well, so does the beard of guy. That's why he's available. Yeah. So to me, I said, Alan to me was always been my number one choice of those three of those guys because it's the least likely to sabotage himself. and he gave my defense because I thought we were going to win on defense. Now that I know that's not going to happen right now, so I switched to the guy with mobility and playmaking abilities.

Is there anybody that he reminds you of from the past? Well, I say Joe, not to piss Joe off, but Joe was so competitive. Joe made you think there's nowhere in the hell we're not going to get this done. and that's what I see from Heineke in terms of he ain't giving up on nothing he's going to fight it through the end and as they get better around him now he's only throwing the one guy and that's the problem but that one guy is special if he ever had a running game that would allow him to genuinely become a great play action

guy it'd be unbelievable but that's not going to happen okay so I accept it for what it is I think he's a good play action quarterback. They ran a ton of play action on Sunday. And you know what? You don't have to be able to run the ball to have good play action. Oh, no, you're right. No, you don't. You don't.

Again, no, no, let me say this. I heard you say it on the air, and I believe you, you're right. You don't have to be good against a crappy team. Right. Against an elite team, they're going to laugh at you. You can do that crap to Atlanta. Okay, try that against some elite defensive teams that are coming here. and you get your teeth smashed in.

Because they know you're not. They know what you're not going to do. You want to skirt out to the numbers. You want to flare it and sweat. You want to do all that. You're not trying to attack people and hit them in the mouth and run right on, but you don't believe in that.

You don't believe in that. So, okay, cool. Heineke to me right now gives you the best chance to win, but he needs reps. He needs to keep playing, and they need to have possessions. Three and out kills your defense. It kills all big people,

all defensive. eight three and out by their offense. But you get a lot of that here, and that's not good. He gives you hope. He gives you hope. The only thing the guy, and that's what I'm saying, now this, our fan base, I mean, the guy gave me a Heineke t-shirt at Gary Clark's NFL experience on Sunday when I was at.

And I go, I don't wear anybody's shirts that's not winning, doesn't win. I need championship gear. The hell do you give him this for? And I said, I'll keep it. And when he gets a winning record, I'll wear it. I wear it on the air. Well, they're 500. That's not winning.

See, you become the product of this property. As a starter, he's two and one this year. I know it. And you know what? And that's great. That's what we've been reduced to now. We're taking anything we can that's like oxygen to stay alive. And you and I both know that's bull manure.

Okay? When we play an elite team, you still pat-not you. We're still patting our back. self on the back for playing Tampa. I love it how they, if you, in five more years, we'll almost have beaten them in that game. They had over 500 yards in the home office. In 10, we won the game in 10 years. We won the game.

They blocked this one-on-one. They never, ever had to help on Chase Young. Never in that game. And their best defensive player didn't even play. And there was- 45 had a play for Tampa. Yeah, our guy might be dead right now. So we BS ourselves so much selling our own propaganda.

And that's the problem. In reality, nobody's afraid of us in this league. Nobody. 45's Devon White, for those of you that didn't know. 45 is Devin White. Chris Godwin dropped five balls in that game. They'd have had 800 yards of offense. No question.

But, you know what? My favorite so far, this year has been, well, we should have won the game against the Chargers if we didn't fumble inside the five. Yeah, I know it. We were dominated by the Chargers. Did they set a record on third down? And they pretty much, 14 of 18 on third down.

I've never even heard of that. We were dominated. It was the biggest fluke of the year that that wasn't 37 to 15 in that game. No doubt about it. But the truth is, we did have a chance to steal it. I mean, it was there to be stolen, but it would have been the all-time steel. By the way, they're a good team. I've got two more...

They're excellent. I got two more things for you before we roll with Doc here. Number one, you think Urban Meyer makes it another couple weeks or survives the season somehow or not? If he wants to. He does whatever he wants to do. Really, in Jacksonville and the NFL. He can do whatever he wants to do in Gainesville or Columbus. But he's 0.4.

every wants to do. Yeah, well, I don't think, one thing about them, that's why you have to see the game. Had I not watched their Thursday night game, I would have thought they were garbage. They're not, they're going to win, and they may win, be good. I love what I saw on a Thursday night game. I agree with you about that. You could see something there with them, too. You could see it.

You can see it. If he doesn't make it, which I don't think he will, would SC hire him? Absolutely. Of course. Of course, right. It'd be a perfect match. Of course. Yeah.

It'd be a perfect. But I'll tell you, who may hire him before USC is Ohio State. It would not kill. Oh, no, no, no. Ryan Day is doing a good job there. Yeah, but see, good don't cut it for them. Good. They lost them.

They don't see. That's what I'm saying. The door's opening for him, but this is what he does. What he did and allowed himself to get in that position, but that's who he is. that's who he is do your Dodgers win tonight in the wild card game with Max on the Hill

yeah we sure you know what in a million years I love Sherger as you do as well the Nats thing is they gave us a chip so I'm learning same thing with the caps how do you how much grace do you give a team that gave you the ultimate

I think it's at least three years in this town it might even be more than that because it had been so it might be five it might be five so I'm not I'm not going to overreact to that last night with the socks and the bombers. I mean, to me, that's how I know. How about the crowd?

Oh, man. Was that, that's America. Oh, my God. That place was so juiced. That's what we used to have. I know. We had that. We had that.

Yeah. We had that. And so we had a legitimate rival in the Cowboys, and we had, we created big-time atmosphere. We created a derived. We created that. We had that. That's what kills me. Because when I saw those people and I watched that entire game,

and I felt like, man, we've been there. We actually understand what that is. And what it saddens me now to the reality. But yet, you know, we got to bounce back. I mean, we just have to find a way. There's no way we can quit. And I encourage people all the time. These people want to quit after games.

Like, are you kidding me? The people didn't quit on us in the 70s. I mean, let's face it. We were not the epitome of pro football. I mean, George Allen put us on the map, got us going, got people out there, Lombardi, named. But these people loved us despite how we played. There was a genuine effect.

The teams were good teams even when they didn't make the playoffs in the 70s. Exactly. That's what I'm saying. but they gave us more than we deserve it's what I'm saying. These people loved us before we became dominant. It kills me, it kills me too when I, you know, like last night I had the game on and at the beginning and Kara walked in and they were doing the intro to the game where they're talking about the rivalry and she doesn't, she doesn't a big sports fan.

She said, so is that hyperbole? Is that exaggeration or is it one of the best rivalries in sports? I said, no, no, no, no, this is one of the real rivalries in sports. It's one to real one. And the atmosphere at Fenway before the first pitch was just off the charts. And I, and I, but, you know, we're of that age, and you lived it as a player, and I lived it as a fan, where RFK Stadium was that. And the entire nation, the entire sports nation would tune in because it'd be like, you want to see a rivalry, you want to see an atmosphere. Wait till you see what Washington. got tonight. But that's so long

ago at this point. I feel like there were years where we, I don't know, man. It's, they got to build it from scratch because too much of that is gone. It's gone and it's gone forever. We can't quit on, I'm telling you. I'm not saying that, but they've already had. You had 45,000 people

in the stadium. I know. So people have already quit. I know. You had a television audience of like one-fourth of what it used to be. I know. I know. But I can't do it. All right. Do the Dodgers win tonight or not?

Yeah, and we'll beat him right in front of Al Cokin. And Al Cokin, we might fly in the St. Louis for the game. I talked to him yesterday. See, that's what we miss. It's in L.A. I miss, yeah, but we miss talking trash because both of our teams were good. We miss being good. We miss being in the conversation.

We're irrelevant. And that's the part that kills me. me. And so I keep hope alive that we can get back because we got the people. If we don't suck from a personnel standpoint, that's the good news. So that, you know, before we've just not had talent or the talent has been overrated, it had been good. I like this guy. I like this roster. I mean, I like the roster. We're not maximizing the roster. We have real, we have some, as coolly used to say, we got a play. We got a play. We got a play. on the team. Terry McClorn is an A player.

Oh, hey. By the way, I think 24 Gibson is really going to be good. I love him. Can you imagine if Joe Gibbs had him? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Logan Thomas, hopefully he's not hurt that badly. Love him. I love McKissick. I like the position. I like, hey, look, let me tell you what. I like that, I like that room. That tight-in room is good. That old line room. room is good. Look, all that

Sadiq, you heard about, oh, we got this, he's not even active. Which tells you. I think he's going to be active this week because of the guard situation. Yeah, maybe. But I'm just saying that's depth. We got a little depth. We got a little thing going, man. And we got eight players on defense.

And let me tell you what two's got to do. Two's got to step up. Diomi Brown, yeah. Step up. I mean, when you got speed, he's got talent. I watch this kid, man, at Carolina. So that's what I'm saying. Step up.

We've had people far less talented and have done more in the same space. You've got skills, man. Step up. Be nice to see. Because he's got cam. I'm still a cam guy. I'm still an 11 guy. I'd have never let him change his number even.

Let me just say that for the record. And hell, you got to do something in the number to change. Did you remember what his number was last year? 89, I believe. Very good. Very good. Yeah, because I only know about numbers. Hell, why would I remember your name until you win? They've got eight players, too, talent-wise, on defense. And I think Duran and John have played really well at times this year. And, you know, hopefully 99 or 90. 94 might have had his best game.

94 has been in the backfield a lot this year. 94 has been disruptive as hell. I'm telling you, it's, it's those two, both those big bears inside, and 97 played his butt up. Can you remember the third preseason game when I called you? I was period. What were you? I didn't remember. I don't remember. I don't remember.

I don't play in the third preseason game. 52 didn't play in the third preseason game. Oh, Jamie Davis? And I called you and said, what the hell is going on? And I'm going, did you think that was genius? We got this lingerie training camp and all these walk-throughs, on this crap. That's why I love Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Seattle, New England, the way they approach the game.

What they approach preseason, it don't matter. It's contact sport. You have to play tackle football or at least tackle football. At some point, you have to at least experiment with it. What about the player that... What? Go ahead and finish. No, I'm just saying, as I'm just so frustrated. I get so frustrated when I see people come in and try,

to active if they've got a brand new way to do something. It's not necessary. They brought in a kicker yesterday, put them on the practice squad. His name's Chris Blewett. You can't make that up. My feeling is Dustin ain't going anywhere. Dustin's not going anywhere. No, he's not. They like them. Well, you don't want my opinion on Justin because I think it's arrogant. I think it's so arrogant. of this team or people to focus in on him if he makes a mistake when he has a bundle of him

because his is isolated and you see it or watch the film. Get NFL rewind. I tell all our people Paciart, hey guys, get smarter about the game. Stop treating this like your kid's soccer hatch. Go watch the replay. And then you'll see what we're talking about. you got guys on defense with perfect no-hitters, which means they don't touch anybody.

You got linebackers going on round blocks. You got all these things going on, and you pissed off at him because he misses the PAT. That means you're not watching the games. There's errors galore. You got receivers running in spaces that there's nobody there. You get all kinds of things going on. But yet if Hawkins misses a PAT,

oh, my God, what's going on? on, stop it. Just stop it. Quit fron. Quit fron. You're outstanding. People make more mistakes on a base, and they're paid for profession. I'm just pointing it out because it's obvious. So I ain't got nothing to say bad about how he just, he is a reflection of their entire team.

And they all need to tighten up. Per usual, at Rick Doc Walker on Twitter, on fire. today here on the podcast. So honored that he had time to do this. I'm glad Cooley. I hope Chris is okay. Chris is fine. Chris is coaching. Chris is, you know, he's really busy. He's not coming on the pod like he used to as much because he's, he's coach. He's kind of a big thing. He's a big thing out in Wyoming. You can listen to Doc's podcast at patreon.com slash Doc Walker. So go do that. Kevin, we're not, this is why I love the Secret Society we got going. We're not fair. everybody. If you want to be pantered to and hear a bunch of crap and make

excuses, don't waste your time. Because I don't play that crap. And again, I'm not a hater. I'm pulling for them, but I don't wear pom-poms. And I'm going to call it straight. There's not a player or a coach that has failed to pick up a check over there every other week. When they start denying checks, and I'll be sympathetic. In the meantime, this is supply and demand. Supply and demand. You pick up your check, I expect you to produce,

expect you to do your job. And if they don't have a scheme and all, that's their problem, not mine. I demand results, and I demand that on Sunday we come out and kick the crap out of the Saints and get a home W. I think they got a shot against the Saints. Yeah.

Tell everybody, that's the beauty of the NFL. There is no Vanderbilt. Everybody's got a shot. The jet. one, the Bears won, the worst teams on earth, the worst managed teams, the worst coached teams, some of them win. So, so what? We'll figure it out in the end. All right, I'll talk to you later. Thanks for doing this. All right, appreciate it. Hey, and Chris get well. Chris is fine.

He wasn't scheduled for today. You were scheduled for today. You don't have me on regularly. You were my priority. You were my priority. I get it. You were my priority. No, I wasn't. I never am, but you know what? Before it's over, I'm going to be. Okay, well, the next time you're on, it'll be time for X's and O's. Burgundy and Go. See ya.

Later, brother. Doc Walker, everybody. A few more thoughts on Taylor Heineke and a look back 30 years ago today, right after these words from a few of our sponsors. A few things to finish up the show today, but just a quick thought on Gilmore. I do think Doc's right. I think that he is going to, you know, end up with more of a contender more likely than not.

But, man, Washington could really use help at corner. And it's not because, you know, Benjamin St. Juice is down. It's because their corners aren't playing well. Fuller's been a problem. You know, I think Jackson's been close at least, even though he's ended up with a bunch of penalties. They signed Danny Johnson yesterday back to the practice squad, or maybe to the main roster. I forget how though.

It's back to the main roster, actually, because you can't sign them off somebody else's practice squad unless you're signing him to your main roster. He won't return kicks, we know that, like he did last year. But they've got him there because more likely than not, if St. Juice is, you know, still banged up. They're not going to want to have APKI as a potential backup corner. They've also got the kid Darrell Roberts.

who was the player that was in Detroit, I think last that they picked up. But anyway, you know, guys like Gilmore and Jalen Smith, you know, there are reasons why, I mean, look, there's never a reason with New England. They just move on. They don't fuck around with, you know, people who are in contract negotiations coming off major injuries. And, you know, they wished them well and he wished them well. But we've already seen what they, you know, what they're capable of in terms of moving on from really good players. Now, the Jalen Smith thing, to be honest with you, was a surprise to me. I didn't realize that he was a true backup this year in Dallas.

That was a guy that, you know, had some Pro Bowl seasons and was really sideline to sideline when he was healthy. I think a very impactful player. But they're deep at linebacker, Dallas. You know, they drafted Parsons. They drafted two other linebackers, including Gibral Cox. They signed Keanu Neal. So they feel good about their situation. in Dallas. But I don't know. You know, I always think about in these situations, like if we had a

surprise cut of a player off of our roster because we knew as fans and coaches knew, yeah, kind of best days behind them or not performing as well. And yet other cities or other teams would get super excited about the signing. Like I can't even give you like a really good example right now of a player that Washington would move on from that maybe another city would get excited about. But anyway, I mean, like if they decided to move on from Brandon Sheriff this year, although Sheriff's a bad example, because he's still a really good football player coming off in all-pro season. But I think sometimes the cities and the towns and the teams and the fans and the media of

those teams, they know. They know that something ain't completely right, especially when you're talking about Dallas and New England. Now, New England's different, but usually they end up being right more often than wrong on some of these big decisions. I wanted to talk a little bit more about Taylor Heineke because I did sort of a deep dive, if you will, a deep dive on a couple of things. And it was prompted by a couple of tweets. One, a direct message from my good friend Pauley, which I'll get to in a moment. And the other one was it was a tweet from, hold on, I'm getting to it here.

momentarily. So a guy named Arun Rahm on Twitter tweeted at me yesterday. And I'm not picking on him because we had a nice back and forth afterwards on Twitter. But he said, Kevin Sheehan's very careful to make sure he doesn't commit that Taylor Heineckee isn't good so that later he can take credit for saying he always thought he was great. He just walks the right rope so he can claim. to be right no matter how it goes with Taylor. And, you know, that got, that irritated me a little bit because, look, I feel the way I feel

right now on him. I don't know. That's the answer. I can't commit to something that I don't have a strong feeling about one way or the other. You know, and I said to him, there are things that I like about him. There are things that I don't like much, much of what I, you know, about him. I just don't have a strong opinion one way or the other because he's only played four and a half games for crying out loud. So I'm not committing one way or the other.

I'm not a believer, but I'm not a non-believer either. That's been my position, by the way, essentially from the Tampa game on. By the way, in the four and a half games he's played, I basically given him an A grade in every single game and lauded and complimented him. but he didn't play well against Buffalo. And don't try to sell me on he was better than I thought he was. No, he wasn't. He wasn't very good in the Buffalo game. It was a bad game.

He had some real bad decisions that he didn't get away with and then several more that he did get away with. But anyway, every other game, I think he's been very good. But the other part of this that really irked me is that, you know, essentially I responded to him and, you know, he said, I said some nice things, and he said, I just think that, you know, it's time and there's been enough now to go on the record one way or the other. And, you know, he essentially accused me of not being opinionated enough. And as it relates to this player, no, I don't think there's been enough to come.

commit one way or the other. But my history of this is in most cases to just be, say it the way I feel, which is not in most cases, it's all the time. But in the majority of those cases, I usually do have a pretty strong opinion on some of these guys. I mean, I was all in, all in, day one on Kirk Cousins. And you all know that. Before there was even a small sample size. And by the way, the initial sample size wasn't that positive, and I was all in. I was a harsh critic of Colt McCoy when people were actually debating, including Tommy, that he should be the starter. I said, no. I've seen enough he is a backup quarterback. I was an early out on Alex Smith. Now, I didn't mind the trade. I did not like the extension at all.

I was okay with the trade, but I was very early on in that 20s. 18 season, despite their record. I was not a big fan of the way the offense was functioning or with what Alex Smith was. I was also all in day one before he played a play on Josh Doxon. You know, I was dead wrong on that. I was all in on Montez Sweat. I was all in on Chase Young before he played it down. And even after a couple of games. So to sort of suggest that I, you know, this tightrope until I'm absolutely sure or everybody else is absolutely sure and then I can, it's wrong. It's unfair because more times, many more times than not, I do have a pretty strong opinion one way or the other, even with a small sample size, but I don't with Taylor Heineke.

I just don't. You know, I don't have a college career that I've viewed. I don't have a career of him in another place that I've watched him. We've got four and a half games of Taylor Heineke. Now, the next thing I wanted to get to, Polly, who, if you listen to the radio show, you know Polly's been a longtime caller to the radio show. Sent me a note, a direct message on Twitter. And Pauly's got, I think, actually a very sharp football opinion. You know, he gets emotional, too emotional at times, but he's got a sharp football opinion. And yesterday, I said, you know, in our show, I said, I think that, you know,

Heineke has been given some big windows to throw in, and that Scott Turner was going to be a huge key, and he makes a lot of plays off schedule, yada, yada, yada, and the conversation yesterday about Heineke. But I emphasize that I think Scott Turner is going to be really important for him moving forward, because I think he needs bigger windows to throw into for many reasons. Arm strength, which is very average, okay, probably below average. wise, and because he at times can be inaccurate. I haven't said he is inaccurate all the time. I've said his accuracy is inconsistent, which I believe it is. So Polly sent me this note. He said, man, you are so wrong about Heineke. Yes, he's usually inaccurate, but it comes early in games

when maybe he's just pumped up. But when he settles down as the game goes on, you know, essentially he's saying he's fine. He also said, Turner doesn't. doesn't have to scheme open receivers. He's connected well with Terry and Diami Brown on slants. He's hit guys in traffic on curl routes. And he doesn't have a lot of off-scheduled past plays. I think you feel like that because the plays that have been off-schedule have been big plays, but most of his plays have been from the pocket. So I took that very seriously, and I went back and watched the Atlanta game, not the other games. I mean, I have a sense of what the giant game was more than anything else. The giant game really was the giants saying,

we're going to play soft, but we are going to contain you and not let you make plays outside of the pocket. And he proved that he could distribute from the pocket in that game, certainly in that game, against a better defense than the one he faced on Sunday. Anyway, I went back and watched the freaking Atlanta game again for, I don't know how, it's like the third time. But this time, I just went through every single one of his past plays, both on the all-22 and the game tape. So he had in the game like 39 actual dropbacks,

if you count the two-point conversion play, which, by the way, he was wildly inaccurate on, and it was late in the game. And it's one of those balls where you don't even have to care about accuracy. You just have to give your guy any sort of chance, and he threw it seven feet over the head of the intended receiver. But if you looked at all the full, plays. It was really interesting, and it led me to a conclusion, a thought that I had anyway,

but it led me to more of a definitive conclusion that I really liked the game that Scott Turner called. And that I think that this is sort of what I'm talking about, that Scott Turner is going to be an integral part of Taylor Heinecke's success for the rest of the year. And by the way, I feel like it would be the same with Kyle Allen or with Ryan Fitzpatrick, because there are, a lot of similarities between the three. The biggest difference between the three is that by far and away, Taylor Heineke is the most mobile and the best off schedule. Anyway, let me get to some of the results from the game on Sunday

and why I think Scott Turner called an exceptional game and why I think my point that I was trying to make that Scott Turner is going to be huge for Heineke moving forward was sort of amplified in the game on Sunday. Again, it was a bad defensive team, and they knew they could attack this team, and they knew that this team at times would have a difficult time really playing too close to some of their receivers,

including Terry McClure. And by the way, they knew that Terry McClureen would win a lot, which he did. Out of the 30, you know, call it 38 dropbacks, first of all, let me just say overall, there was just lots of schemed up thought to what Taylor Heineckee does well and what he doesn't do well, and steering clear of that. I give Scott Turner a lot of credit.

Why? Well, out of the 38 dropbacks, not counting the two-point conversion, nearly a third of them, 12 were quick game, screens, boots, RPO. Okay, so he is running some quick game stuff, even if you call that a pocket throw, which it can be. It is a quick throw to a back or to Curtis Samuel behind the line of scrimmage. were multiple screens in the game, and there was more bootleg action where, you know, that's a play action play, but you've got them play action and then getting out of the pocket

on the move. There was multiple of that, and there were a couple of RPO's as well. So that to me is, that fits his game. You know, let's get him into quick game, because you know what he does do, and we've talked about this in the past, but I haven't emphasized it enough. he is very good with his processing speed and his decisiveness. You know, it's something we really talked about in the giant game, and even in the Charger game, he's really decisive. He knows what he's seeing. Now, sometimes when he gets off schedule a little bit, sometimes that's where the force

throws come. And sometimes when he misses being decisive, it may be the right read in the right place, but he's a little bit high or a little bit late or a little bit inaccurate or doesn't have the arm strength necessarily. If it's against a good team, you could see that a lot against Buffalo. But basically a third of the plays were Quick Game screens, boots RPO. Many of the plays were play action. There were 17 called play actions in this game.

Play actions out of shotgun, play actions out of under center. You know, technically a read option or an RPO, there's some play action involved. And in quick game and screens, there's some play action involved in the way they run it too because they run a lot of screens at a shotgun. But lots of play action. Boy, this is like a theme, right, across the league. Most quarterbacks just thrive and play action. And you don't need a running game to get success off of play action.

That's been proven now over a long period of time. Those backers hesitate, even if you're averaging 1.4 yards per carry on a real good play action fake. By the way, I think he can improve on his play action fakes, just as a side note. But Scott Turner, lots of play action. And that play action resulted in many throws from the pocket with much more time because it was play action. and a lot of the other stuff that I talked about, a lot of the screens, boots, quick game were off of play action looks, you know, early down play action looks.

So that is really a coordinator really getting that if I can play action, especially against the Falcons, where we can really attack their secondary, and I can get the backers to move up, and I can leave big holes behind that first. layer of linebackers, that first line, my guy can throw to guys wide open. And that happened a bunch in this game. And it was caused by really effective play action where Atlanta was, you know, sucking up on the play action. A third of his plays, 12 out of the 38, or slightly less than a third, of the plays, were off-scheduled plays. You know, whether he was in the pocket extending the play,

and I include that because that's one of the things I've talked about. He's also very good at, you know, manipulating the pocket with his feet and stepping up and sidestepping, et cetera. And then you got a lot of just general off-schedule playmaking, you know, almost a third of the time, which is a benefit to him because many of those plays end well. You know, you had five, you know, six total scrambles, one of which turns out. into a minus one. That was the one sack. It was actually a scramble where he was off-schedule trying to make a play and just barely

got back, just short of the line of scrimmage. So that was called a sack. He had five scrambles off-of-schedule, pressure evading, making something happen. And then he had some big plays, you know, off-schedule. We know what the touchdown pass was, and we know the prayer into the end zone for McLaren was certainly an extension off schedule. But he had some really good extension off schedule plays in this game. And by the way, some of the scheduled where you're getting him out of the pocket on bootleg

is also understanding if you can get a defense going one way on the boot and have him come back, he's going to have some people open. So net net, they did some things Sunday against a weaker defense. I understand that. But they did some things. And when I say they, Scott Turner, I think really schemed up a good game. I didn't feel like they did enough of this against Buffalo. Now, you know, game situation, context, being down 21-0 early.

You know, by the way, in the game, let me also just mention, out of the 38 plays, there were roughly 13 pure dropbacks. So that's where, yes, he's throwing from the pocket. But, you know, in third down situations or second along, you're going to, by the way, they're still running play action on second and long. And on some of these dropbacks, they're running play action too. But, you know, I would say about a third of the plays were like pure dropbacks, and they were usually third downs, which is what you are going to usually see,

unless you've got third and short. But I'm not moving off my thought yesterday, even though I think there were a couple of good points that Pauley made. The net of it is I think they really schemed up the game well for him on Sunday. And he delivered. He delivered on that. And it's the stuff that he does well. You know, get him into the quick game. Get them into the boots. Get them into those quick screens. By the way, you've got players that can deliver, you know, on quick game and on screens. Give them a little bit of RPO. You know, because an RPO is a run blocking play where the run is the first option,

pass is the second option. But you only throw the pass if you see a defender way off your receiver. So he can throw that. So some of the slants were a couple of RPO's. A couple of the slants, though, were play action throws that were tight to Diami and to McLaren that he made some really good throws on. It's a work in progress. You know, 95% of the quarterbacks in this league need good scheming and good players around them. And he's certainly in that category. But I thought Scott Turner called a really good game on Sunday. I think the defense Sunday, day with the Saints, and I haven't watched the Saints Giants game, which I'm going to do, and I want to find out how Daniel Jones threw for 400 yards against that saint defense. But I think that,

you know, as you face better defensive opponents, and you're going to get them in Green Bay, and Denver and Tampa, you know, and a lot of the teams that are on the schedule down the road here. But you won't have one against the Chiefs, that's for sure. They stink defensively. By the way, one last thing before I finish up the show with 30 years ago today. I did a poll this morning. You can vote on it if you want at Kevin Sheand-DC on Twitter. And I just wanted a current opinion from everybody on Taylor Heineke. And I gave three choices.

You're all in on Taylor Heineke now and the future. Option number two was you're still not sure. And option number three is, no, you figured it out. He's not the answer. And one of the reasons I did this is because I think what happens when you get a guy like Taylor Heineke and then the fan base gets very sort of passionately and emotionally involved in his performance is if you really have bought into him, you create this false narrative that everybody's against him. Because you want to feel like you're out on a limb.

And if you're right, you are the only person that, was right. And I just don't feel that that's the case with him. I think a lot of people are either bought in or, like me, aren't sure. I don't think there's a large contingent, and I didn't think this large contingent of people who are anti-Taylor Heinecke. I think that's made up by the people who are absolutely bought in. I just, I haven't sensed that personally. And you get that all the time. You know, you get from people who have bought into something and they're putting their foot down saying, I'm going to be right about this. And all of you who are haters, you're going to be proven wrong.

Well, it's not always that way. You can feel really strongly about something and you can feel really strongly about something. And there may not be great opposition to that feeling. And that's kind of the way I feel with Taylor Heineke. So I put together this poll because I wanted to see if there was like this, major anti-Taylor Heineke sentiment. And right now, as I'm looking at the poll, there were 1,800 votes in. And the number one answer, the majority, 54.6 percent, have said they're still not sure.

That's my answer. I love a lot of the stuff he's doing. I'm not anti-Taylor Heineke. I'm not a non-believer at all. I'm just not a total believer at this point. I'm not sure. as we were just talking about. Those that are totally bought in already, it's 29%.

29.3. So essentially 80% are either all in or they're just not sure, leaving 16% of people that are truly, no, he's not the guy. Come on, it's not Taylor Heineke. So I think my gut on this was right. Those that are trying to create this anti-Taylor Heineke sentiment to make their thought that Taylor Heineke's great seem to be so contrarian, so out there,

it's fake. It's just not real. There are things that really are polarizing and really are split in terms of opinion. My gut on this, and this is why I did the poll this morning, is that this isn't split, that most people have seen enough to either say, hey, I'm not sure yet, but maybe. Or people are really bought in. I don't think anybody that's being reasonably objective that have watched the four and a half games he's played in could say, oh, no, he stinks. He's not the answer.

I don't see that. I don't even see it from a point of, no, I don't think he's the answer because, you know, no one else wanted him and he's 28 years old and he makes too many bad throws, but he makes some good plays. But no, no, no, he's not the answer. It's fake for those that are out there trying to create this idea that this is a very polarizing thing when it comes to Taylor Heineckee. It's not. I don't think it is. That wasn't what my gut told me, and the polls backing it up. And the poll is a decent sample size.

I mean, there will be close to probably 2,500 to 3,000 votes in this poll when all is said and done. And 80% of the people are going to be in the category of either all in on him or, you know, either all in on him, or, you know, hey, I'm not sure yet. And only 16% roughly are going to be like he's not the answer. That's not polarizing. That's not, oh, my God, look at this group of just people who are absolutely anti-Taylor Heineke. They're haters. That's not the case with this one.

You know, like I said yesterday, there's this, I think there's a general agreement from all of us on Taylor Heineke about some things that he's really impressive with. you know, that he's a gamer. We kind of all agree on that. He's really mobile. He really can extend plays. You know, there's some things that have been pretty obvious, even in four and a half games, that we all agree on.

If he didn't have those things, and he only had a couple of the results and he got the results in different ways that weren't overly impressive, maybe there'd be a polarizing view. Taylor Heineke's not polarizing right now. I mean, you know, 84% of the vote, here is, hey, he's either, you know, I'm all in or I'm not sure, but something's intriguing

about this. Anyway, all right, last thing to finish up the show, 1991. 30 years ago, our Wednesday look back to the greatest team in Washington football team history, the 1991 Washington football team. We've been going week by week 30 years ago this week. Last week. We did the Philadelphia game that got them to 5 and 0 on Monday night. Well, the next trip was Sunday, October 6th, exactly 30 years ago to the day, they went to Soldier Field to face the Chicago Bears. You know, a team that they had a running rivalry with because they had, you know, they were always finishing first place or in the same place in the division. So they were always playing each other. You know, they had played each other in the regular season in 1990 and it was a 10-9 game at home. The year

before that in 89 they played and the bears came in here and wallop the skins 3814 they played in two playoff games at soldier field and Washington won both of those games they were playing the bears virtually every year in the regular season or the playoffs going all the way back to 1984 so there was this rivalry you know between all of these great nFC teams of the 80s you know Washington Dallas, the Giants, and the Eagles in the NFC East, the Bears, specifically the Bears, the Vikings to a lesser extent, in the NFC at that time Central, and then the 49ers in the NFC West and the Rams to a lesser extent.

But, you know, Washington was playing San Francisco and Chicago almost every year it seemed like during that era. Anyway, 30 years ago today, they were going to Chicago. They were one of three undefeated teams at the time. The others were Buffalo and New Orleans at the time. Washington's playing Chicago, 1 o'clock game Soldier Field that particular day. The Bears were four and one heading into the game. Washington was a mere three-point favorite against Jim Harbaugh, who was the quarterback.

They had Neil Anderson, remember number 35, really? good running back. Had a really solid defense. Washington, again, 5 and 0, Chicago 4-1, big-time games, Summerall and Madden on the call. And Washington went into Chicago. They took a 10-0 lead. And what I'm going to play for you is the Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, Sunday night ESPN recap show. There was no live play-by-play that I could find on this particular game.

But we'll pick it up with Berman narrating the highlight of the game that picks up with the score being 10-0 and Chicago driving in the second half. The Bears bleeding for a victory. Harbaugh. Terran Morris at the 40. Goes all the way down to the 29-yard line. And five more after a penalty at the 40-yard pickup on second at seven. Harbaugh on the flat to James Thornton, 13. yards. And to cap it off, many times have we've seen this. He's able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. As Neil Anderson, it's 10-7. The skins lead down to three. Every team has a go-to guy.

The skins have a few, but Arthur Munk, over the years, is as good as they get. Yeah, you watch Munk go in motion. The tight end runs a check-through. Ricky Sanders clears his own for him, and Munk will make that catch 99 times out of 100. In the fourth quarter on fourth, and four big play here. Rippin to Monk. And he is hammered out at the 18 and he pick up a first down. On the same drive, third and goal, Rippin. Still looking.

Here's the play. I'm third and goal, ripping to the corner. And Arthur Monk has done it all by his loans of just about. The Skins lead at 17-7. Monk lines up inside, gets three Chicago defenders, beats him to the outside. Six catches for seven. 69 yards for Mr. Monk in a pair of touchdown. In the end, the Skins defense, Matt

Millen and company, handled the bears. Deflection by Eric Williams, intercepted by Fred Stokes, and with big pressure, a classic case of putting it up for grabs. Govea picks it off. He goes away with the football. Jim Harbaugh has had some good games this year. Today wasn't one of his stellar performances, three I&Ts, as the skins up there marked as 6-0, with the bills not playing until Monday night, and the Saints Idol, the skin's the only 6-0 team at football. They beat the Bears 20 to 7, and you can see that they have outscored their opponents in those six games by over 120 points. 20 to 7.

They were 6-0. They were on a roll. Their defense in four of the six games had either shut out. the team or held in this case Chicago to 7. And the following week, they would really start to kick into high gear offensively as they would welcome the Cleveland Browns to RFK Stadium. The 1991 Cleveland Browns coached by Bill Belichick. They still had Cozhar, they still had Kevin Mack,

they still had some of their receivers like Webster Slaughter, and some of those guys that had been on some of their. really good teams. It was another matchup between one of their former great players, Ernest Biner, against his former team, just like Wilbur Marshall against the Bears in the game that we just talked about. But Washington was off to a big start, and Cleveland would be their next opponent the following week at RFK Stadium. So that's the game we'll do next week. But anyway, 30 years ago today, a win over, you know, at that time, sort of a rival in the Chicago Bears. All right, enjoy the rest of the day, evening, tomorrow morning, back tomorrow with Tommy.