The Kevin Sheehan Show - Nats-Astros Recap and Cooley

Episode Date: October 23, 2019

Kevin and Aaron open the show with a full recap of the Nats' 5-4 Game 1 win in the World Series. Cooley came on after that and talked Redskins and NFL for 45 minutes. <p> </p><p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p> Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You want it. You need it. It's what everyone's talking about. The Kevin Sheehan Show. Now here's Kevin. Third youngest players you saw it and hit cleanup in a World Series and he just pitch was up. The game is tied and that's up onto the railroad track. Atop the wall and left 20 years old and just bursting with power. Wow. Joe Buck on the call last night for Fox. That was the home run by Juan Soto that is still traveling out of Minutemade Park. He's young, he's really good, and now the rest of the world is finding out about Juan Soto. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, whenever you're listening to this. Aaron's here, I'm here. Kooley's going to join us before he heads to Minneapolis for the call of the game tomorrow night, but World Series

Game 1 is in the books and the Nats won it against Garrett Cole. a guy that everybody thought was unbeatable, unhittable. They got eight hits off of them. They got five runs off of Garrett Cole. Just so everybody understands. Garrett Cole had not allowed more than five earned runs since his last loss, which came on May 22nd. The five earned runs and eight hits allowed were the most for him over his last 25 starts. The Nationals got to Garrett Cole. And that's your game. You know, everything else about this game is secondary to the fact that they got to Garrett Cole in his first start in the World Series. The ace, the guy who had 32 strikeouts and just one earned run and three postseason starts coming in, hadn't lost since late May. By the way, his six strikeouts were the fewest for him in his last 12 starts. The Astros have two aces in Cole and Verlander, so there was the possibility that you were going to face each of them twice and maybe even Cole, three times, who knows. I still think that's happening. If it goes to a game seven, and they're one and oh against those starts right now with their shot at Verlander tonight. And the way they

did it was one of the shocking things. Those two early home runs by Zimmerman and how awesome was that Zimmerman got the first home run. But Zimmerman and Soto, that was great, but it wasn't completely unusual against Cole. Cole hadn't given up a non-home run since late August. I didn't know that one. Yeah. So everything had been a home run. September and his runs. And by the way, not many of them were multi-hom run. So that fifth inning was the shocking moment to me of last night's game. Here's something they did last night. They hit his fastball last night. And I saw this stat just before the podcast started on MLB Network. Through the ALDS and the ALCS, he had thrown, they were seven for 44 against his fastball, hitting 159.

Last night the Nats were five for 16. They hit 313 with 200. runs against Garrett Cole's fastball, which by the way is pretty damn quick. Zimmerman had the home run, which was huge in the second inning, and then Soto had the blast that you heard coming in in the fourth, and the game, after starting off poorly for the Nationals and Max Scherzer in particular, you know, by the way, what can you say about Max Scherzer? The Astros should have gotten five or six runs off of him. He wasn't at his best. His fastball wasn't very good. His off-speed stuff was lousy last night. He allowed multiple base runners in just about every inning except for the final inning he pitched, and more on that coming up here in a moment. But hitters were

routinely getting to counts that were three and two. Scherzer had 25 pitches after one, 48 after two, 69 after three. He ended up with 112 pitches in just five innings. But he kept the Astros to two runs. Houston had five total hits, three walks, two earned runs against Max, even though he didn't have anywhere near his best stuff. He was huffing, he was puffing, he was laboring, he was in trouble, he looked spent physically after the second inning, Aaron. He just threw, he threw 65 pitches on 112 total. That's well below his strike, you know, average. Somehow, though, he got five innings. He got five innings. and allowed only two runs.

And by the way, his final inning was his best inning. By far. One, two, three. And I talked to Ray Knight about this this morning on the radio show because I said to him, was it me? Was I the only person thinking that he may come out for the sixth? He would have faced the bottom of the Houston order. In the sixth inning coming off, his best inning, his only stress-free inning of the game.

And Ray Knight said to me, I love him as an analyst. He said, I was thinking the exact. same thing. That was the first inning. He walked off the mound, even though it was 112 pitches at that point, where he didn't look exhausted, where he looked confident. And I thought he was coming out in the 6th, especially considering bottom of the order, and who were you going to turn to? If you turned to Corbin in the 6th, were you going to get 2 at a Corbin, or were you going to go Corbin and then you were going to have to be forced, you were going to be forced to go with someone like Rainey or Rodney or somebody else before you got to the Hudson do

do little, do little Hudson finish. But Max Scher pitched a competitive, grind it out, keep my team in the game even though I don't have my best stuff. I've got to get to at least five and got to keep the run count down to keep us in the game. And he did it. It was really, you know, that is when, you know, you sort of separate, I think, the truly, you know, really good pitchers from the great pitchers is when a great pitcher doesn't have his stuff and he still finds a way to get through and give you enough to give your team a chance to win, which he did last night. And it was more than that he didn't have his stuff.

It was that the Astros hitters knew his scouting report. Exactly. They knew what he did at certain, you know, tendencies. They knew that he really relied on batters chasing. And with the exception of that one L2-Ve strikeout, they were not chasing him at all in that game. And it took him a little while. It took him a good three or four innings to really adjust to that to realize, oh, I can't throw this out of the strikes. And I have to completely change what I typically do here.

And he did in those last, you know, definitely that last inning and a little bit in the fourth inning. He stopped throwing it out of the zone a little bit more. And that's, you know, as you said, that's the sign of a really great pitcher. And that fourth inning, which, you know, had a very very. good chance of going sideways. You know, you had the Alvarez single to center. And then, by the way, you had the redicate bat, which should have been catcher interference on Suzuki, which would have put two runners on with one out and the top of the order up. But when Springer walked and you had two on, and by the way, that Springer at bat was a long at bat and Altuve's up. And it's a

long at bat. He got out of that fourth and it's still two-two. You could see how fired up he was that he got out of that inning. There were so many moments in the game, and I want to go through him sort of chronologically, because I think we've hit on the two, you know, Soto, getting to Garrett Cole, shurs are lasting five incredible innings, I mean, by guile, by compete, by effort, by whatever it was, but he gave him enough to give him a chance in the game. Because imagine if you've got to come in with Corbyn earlier, or you've got to come in with Rainy and you got to hit the middle. I really thought the Nats were in trouble in this game as that pitch count got higher because you weren't going to see just a Corbyn-Doolittle Hudson bullpen. More likely than not,

you were going to have to bring other guys out. And Rainey's appearance was not very good. Somehow they got out of that just giving up a run. But anyway, Zimmerman's home run in the second was really big because it felt like two nothing with coal on the hill was going to be, enough almost. You didn't know that for sure, but you didn't think that Cole was going to give up much more than two runs in the game, and you thought the Astros had enough juice to generate more. And Zimmerman, on the second pitch he's ever faced in the World Series, drives it over the center field fence. And you're like, wow, that's a, and by the way, off one of those fastballs that Cole threw. That's a huge home run. It's two to one, and then you get the Soto home run

in the fourth to lead off the fourth. And it's a two-two game, even though it felt early on, Aaron, like this was going to be a big Astros night. They were a huge favorite. They got off to the two-nothing lead. It's Garrett Cole on the mound. But the Zimmerman shot proved that if you wait for the right pitch, you can hit Cole.

You know, they hit Flaherty in game three, a guy that was red-hot coming in. And so those were huge moments in the game. There were others. Obviously, the Nats' fifth inning was big. In a 2-2 game, Suzuki walks. That had to kill Cole because he walked him on four pitches. Robles, who by the way, was a disaster in center field last night, singles, you know, off of Cole. And all of a sudden, you got your first two runners on in the fifth in a two-two game.

You get Turner to line out, and then Eaton comes through again. You know, with a big hit, a big RBI situation, he hits a slider to right field, and you've got a 3-2 lead. Rendon then, I thought, in the first key moment of the game, Aaron. Rendon hits into a potential double play that would have gotten Cole out of the fifth with a three-two lead and not having to face Soto with runners on. And Rendon hits a hard ground ball into the hole. It's a great play's made. The throw to first Rendon just beats out. No double play. Rendon gets to bat with two runners on. And that was huge. You know, one of those underrated things that Rendon, Rendon was 0 for 4 on the night. Yes.

But running that out and beating that throw allowed Soto to come to the plate. And I was talking to Ray Knight about this earlier. And I don't know if you picked up on it during this at bat. But Cole didn't throw him one fastball. You know, after he had taken him deep in the fourth, he got behind 3-0 in the count. And I was thinking before that 3-0 pitch with two runners on and two outs at that point. I was wondering if he would have the green light on the fast. And he didn't throw a fastball.

He threw something off speed. And it was in the strike zone called strike. And I'm like, wow. Like it's three, don't you always see a pitcher pipe one right down the middle on 30? Well, especially when you have an overpowering fastball for the most part. Yes. And he throws something off speed.

And I mentioned that to Ray Knight. And he goes, oh my God, let me look at my notes. He goes, you're right. He didn't throw him one fastball, even at 3.0. That's how much he feared Soto and feared that Soto might. have a green light at 3-0. Then he got him on the change-up. Remember that change-up where Soto actually gives him a nod and says, that was a hell of a pitch. And that got it to 3-2. And then he threw him another off-speed pitch. And Soto knocks it off the wall. And it's a double. It's a two-run double.

And it's a five-to-two lead. And you're like, wow. And then Kendrick's up and lines out to a shortstop, which was the best hit of the night. He got robbed on that hit. But it was a big moment to, to not throw Soto in a 3-0 count. Like at that point, I'm thinking maybe he just wants to walk him and get to Kendrick with the bases loaded. You know, why serve something up on that 3-1 pitch? But he got him on the change-up, and by the way, he came out of his shoes on that change-up,

and then that double in Soto's a superstar. Like we all knew that anyway. Last night on the biggest stage, he goes three-for-four with three RBIs in his first World Series game. He becomes the fourth youngest player in history to hit a home run. in his first World Series, in the World Series, period. Pretty good company, those other three guys, too.

Mantle, Andrew Jones, and Miguel Cabrera. And Miguel and Cabrera. Yeah, pretty damn good company. That was big. And then you get to the eighth, all right? You get to the eighth inning, and you've got a 5-3 lead after Rainey gives up the home run. And you get that, it gave up that home run in the seventh. And you're in the eighth, and Hudson's in there.

And you get to. Tucker to single to center, and then Tucker tags up on a flyout to Robles and center, where Robles makes the bad decision. My thought was, tell me if you think I'm wrong, I think he saw Tucker running and thought that he hadn't tagged up, and he was trying to double him up at first. Yes, that's exactly. Like, that's the only thing that makes sense is he just saw him off the base

and figured he was either heading back or, you know, he just, he went for whatever reason. But Tucker had tagged up, and he made it easily to set up. because Robles threw to Zimmerman at first, and then Springer's up, and Springer, who is already homered, he's homered in the seventh off of Rainey, and now he hits a deep shot to write that looks like a game-tying home run, two-run, homer. And he sits there and he poses. It should have been a triple. It absolutely should have been a triple. I also thought that Eaton had a decent chance to make the catch. You said that the probability was 20%. It seemed higher to me than that, but whatever, Springer not being on third in a 5-4 game with Al-Tuve up next and one out

was a killer for Houston. You don't know that the at-bat for Al-Tuvei doesn't take on a different presentation, that it's not pitched differently, it's not hit differently, but Al-Tu-Ve lines out to right to Eaton, which would have scored Springer, and the game would have been tied. But Springer sat there, you know, like a lot of young players, not just young players. and sat there and watched what he thought was a two-run game tying homer, and he should have been on third.

And his excuse, by the way, was lame. He said that he didn't want to catch up with Tucker. He wouldn't have caught up with Tucker. Well, that ball was high. He would have had to slow up around second. That's the one thing people are saying that, and I don't know for sure he would have gotten to third. It would have been fairly likely he was on third.

But yes, he probably would have had to slow up around second when that ball did eventually land. still, to have a runner on third more likely than not with one out in a five-four game would have been rather big. Altuvee lined out. Brantley then gets Doolittle. Doolittle had 13 pitches for four outs. That's pretty impressive. And Brantley's line out to Soto to end the inning was well hit. You know, the only ball that was legitimately well hit, I guess the two center field fly balls in the ninth. None of them were super, super deep. But Doolittle, gets through a four-out save, safely.

And there were moments in this game that were interesting. You know, I go back to, you know, Robles having a difficult time in center field. He overjumped that ball early in the third, made the throw. Again, maybe that's excusable because he thought Tucker. You got to give him, I played enough baseball to know that you're getting an indication from somebody in the infield on where to throw the ball, and he threw it to first. but there was the Suzuki interference that's not reviewable. There was the play where Brantley was held up by the third base coach, Pettis, on his way home,

and there was no contact. They said that wasn't reviewable. I actually didn't think there was contact on that. There might have been some contact, but it was very incidental contact. It would have been one of the, like, a lot of people were up in arms about it and maybe by the rules, but it was one of those things were really tick-y-tack. Actually, I went and read the rule this morning. Base coaches can be called for interference if the umpire determines that they physically assisted a runner

by grabbing or holding said runner from leaving or returning to first or third base. And that was not what happened. Catcher interference by Suzuki, I thought was more obvious, but that was not a reviewable play as well. Couple things. Number one, Corbyn being used last night. You know, he came in, had 21 pitches. He certainly would be available tonight, even though he pitched 21 pitches.

I guess if he doesn't pitch tonight, game three is still a possibility. If he pitches tonight, there's no chance. It's a possibility he goes to game four. And maybe you sort of, you looked at me like you think he's pitching game four after last night, regardless of whether or not he pitches tonight. I won't say regardless, but I think four is far more likely than three at this point. Yeah, and why not? Because you do have a good option in Sanchez.

He was brilliant the last time, you know, he went out there. You have a good option in Sanchez. You're not going to be down 02. You know, at the very least it's 1-1. So you can kind of, obviously you really want to win game three, but it's not one of the situations where, okay, no matter what we're throwing out, you know, who's considered our absolute best guy there, no matter what the tiredness is. You know, you have a good option in Sanchez.

I think most likely right now they're thinking. Three goes to Sanchez, four goes to Corbyn. A couple of other things. Especially, by the way, because I think Cole does go game four right now. Yeah, well, they don't have a legit fourth star. Right. If they were up 2-1 or 3-0, they might have messed around with something. But, you know, when it's, you know, at best 2-1, they're going to throw Cole out there.

You know, Tanner Rainey actually, he's got good stuff, you know. And he gave up the Homer to Springer. Then he strikes out Altuve in like four pitches, I think it was. Had forced, and then he got into, he couldn't find the strike zone. You know, he walked Brantley, and then the first three pitches to Bregman, he had like seven straight balls, ended up walking Bregman as well, and that was it for him. Like, you know, Hudson's coming at that point to face. And he came in before Doolittle because there were right-handers in that spot.

There have been lefties in that spot. it would have been do little than Hudson last night. But, um... But, I mean, that's, that's been his, that's why he wasn't really a factor for most of the season until late is because he does have those control problems. He's got some good stuff, but clearly couldn't find the strike zone in big spot. That's the story of, you know, how many Nats relievers over the years? Yeah, exactly.

Um, big win last night. Tonight it's Verlander against Strasbourg. You know, Strasbourg is the Nats. He's the Nats best pitcher. He's a big underdog tonight as well. the odds have actually dropped Verlander early this morning was still a minus 200 favorite. He's now down to minus 175 in the game tonight. So the Nats clearly getting some action.

I actually played the over six and a half last night. I think I mentioned that I was interested in the over on the show yesterday. The over under right now is seven and a half. I've seen some sevens too. I think most people, the public just is expecting a low-scoring game with these great starting pitchers. I'll probably bet over tonight as well. Well, here's the thing about this series, even if the Nats somehow win tonight, this series is not over. Remember, Houston lost game one to New York, seven to nothing.

They were down in game two. They needed a Correa walkoff in the 11th to even up the series. They're so good. This is not St. Louis. Like when they came back from St. Louis after the Sanchez and Scherzer starts, I was like, feels like the series is over. If they were to win tonight with Scherzer and Strasbourg, yes, it's unbelievable that they've beaten Cole and Verlander. But there's zero chance I'm going to feel, you know, tomorrow like the series is over. Houston's too good. They're too explosive. In fact, I'll tell you what, last night, the most shocking thing to me last night is what they did to Cole and that Houston didn't come back.

You know, they had the opportunities in the seventh and eighth and then really went out meekly in the ninth. You know, I was expecting a better night. Do Little's been really good recently and I'm happy for him. And, you know, the first battery he came in for was a lefty in Brantley, and he got him out. You know, and that was huge in the eighth inning. I just thought the Astros had so much, you know, so much offensive power that once Scherzer was out of there, I was thinking they're going to, the Nats are going to need six, you know, five or six minimum. They needed five minimum. But, you know, Houston's too good to get swept or to lose this series in five.

Although the only way you can sweep a team is to win the first game. You know, you can win it in five by losing the first, but you can't sweep them if you don't win the first. Here's the truth. The matter what happens in this game barring catastrophic injury, the Eshers are still going to be favorite in game three. Maybe not game four, but if Cole pitch is very likely game four. Yeah, yeah, true, true. They may, I mean, right now the series odds. I mean, it's going to be Verlander Sanchez.

Or, yeah, excuse me, it's going to be Granky Sanchez. in game three, Greg, he's going to be favorite in that game. Right now, the series odds after one game have dropped from minus 235. Houston was a massive favorite for the series. They lose game one with Garrett Cole, and they're minus 120. They are barely slight, slight favorites to win the series now. I think there were two major reasons why Houston was a massive favorite before game one and now are barely favored after game two.

Number one was the layoff, and they, history of teams that sweep that have a long layoff and the momentum they typically lose offensively. That was a big deal. The other one was Houston's been there and the Nats hadn't been there. And I think that was responsible for the big price, you know, the hefty, you know, number on Houston. But after last night, the Nats, you know, five runs, nine hits, eight of them, all five runs and eight hits against Garrett Cole. And they certainly didn't seem to be overwhelmed by the moment, including their youngest player and their oldest player who had never been there before. And that's why now the odds makers have dropped it so significantly.

It is not only that the Nats are up one, nothing in the series and have the advantage, but the big disadvantage is that they thought the Nats had coming in, no experience and the long layoff, those are eliminated now. Now they do have some experience and they don't have any layoff because they both played last night. Anyway, we're going to be back tomorrow, talk about the World Series, get to Cooley here in a moment. Quick word about my bookie.ag. If you're looking for reliability, fast payouts,

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Go to MyBooky.ag today. Use my code. Kevin D.C., that's K-E-V-I-N, D-C. They'll double your first deposit if you use my code. MyBooky.orgie. Today, you play, you win, you get paid. All right, let's bring in Chris Cooley, talk some Redskins. Skins and Vikings tomorrow night in Minnesota. Minnesota is a 16-point favorite tomorrow night. They've won three in a row. The Redskins are one in six, as we all know. I'll just start with the question that I think everybody is asking each other in Redskin Nation, if you will. And it's a question that we keep asking each other. Why not Dwayne Haskins now? I'm asking that same question, Kevin.

I don't know the exact answer. My thought would be that if you come in as an interim head coach, you want to prove to your team that you can win some games. That's also saying that you don't think he's ready as an interim coach or as a coaching staff in its entirety. But he threw 12 passes last week in the rain. I mean, I don't know. And I'm sure that game plan was that going in.

We all knew because they talked about the fact that he had a Wednesday practice that he did take reps in the week. But, you know, really interesting if they get to the by week here. and then don't play him. I think that will be fascinating to not play him after the by week. Well, he is actually indicated, I guess. I forget who had this, Aaron. You can update everybody on who had this.

I don't want to misrepresent anybody. Could have been JP. Could have been standing. I don't know who it was. But that really, you know, he's not even sure that he'll be ready after the buy week, which would be a lead-up to the jet game. I mean, I mean, I know we're having fun with this to a certain degree, but it's also mystifying, because if you keep coming up with excuses as to why he can't play, you know, Minnesota's a short week.

Buffalo is a ridiculously good defensive team. The Jets, it's Greg Williams, and you know what Greg Williams will do to our rookie quarterback. And then, you know, where do you play him? The lines are decent defensively. And the lions are a man-to-man defense that plays just like the Patriots, and they're going to show you multiple fronts. So then we're going to go back through and recycle the eagles and the cowboys. I mean, maybe it fits in that Giants game with the defense that's going to be depleted lately. But there's no answer to when you play them based on the other team's defensive abilities.

You play them now, in my opinion. I do understand this. Let's not change the dynamic. Let's go with the guy that we all believed in to start the season, and let's try to get our team some wins. as an interim coach who's trying to get guys to work harder or whatever you're trying to do. So I don't agree per se because I think the longevity, like the macro is that you probably need to understand what you have in Dwayne Askins as soon as you possibly can, i.e., like when your team is still willing to work really hard, even though you're 1 in 6th. Yeah, like, you know, you said it, and I was going to ask you anyway.

I mean, with the bad weather and the game plan that they had, I mean, would he have really been at risk handing the ball off 26 times and throwing at 12? You know, especially some of those, you know, four of those passes were just, you know, behind the line of scrimmage shovels. Like, would he, would his whole psyche been at massive risk if he had, you know, gone in there and operated the way Case Keenham operated? probably has bigger hands. He probably would have been able to grip the ball better.

No, he wouldn't have been. And it wouldn't have been. Obviously there was something going on behind the scenes with when Dwayne's going to play in the timetable for who wants him to play when and how. And, you know, we'll find out. I just think, in my opinion, it's time. Because I don't want the by-week. Let's just say that he,

You go, even if you go one in one over the next two, which is tough, but you go one and one, you're sitting there at two and seven, and you've had a week off, and the players have had really a very, a very good moment to look at it and have some clarity and say, look, this is where we're at. I mean, come on. The season's over. Of an NFL team.

So, yeah, but right now they're still in the midst of the grind, and it's the next week, and it's the next game. And so I think it's a good time to find out what you have in Haskins. But maybe there's a longer plan that we'll find out about. You've mentioned that a couple of times, so I'm going to follow up on that. I know nothing about that. Okay, I'll ask it this way. Yeah, yeah, let me put it this way.

Yeah, there's a plan. We don't know. Do you think there's a possibility that he doesn't play at all this year? I can't in any way imagine that. Okay. But you do think there's a possibility that we're still several weeks. away from him playing. I think there's a possibility.

I don't. But I'm saying the foresight of wanting to play him. I know. No, I mean, you've made that clear. If it were you, he'd be playing right now. I understand that. But, you know, there... I just want to know what to do with that second draft picker, that third draft pick

or potentially that first draft pick. I want to know what I have in my guy and how do I want to build around him. And, by the way, Bill has said, you ran the ball a lot against San Francisco, Bill's made it very clear that he wants to be a run-first team. And so the theory is that you're going to be in a lot more run-downs. You're going to go with a lot more run-action pass. And so you're operating a lot in the style of the way Duane would have the best success. Right.

His offense right now. I mean, it's not like it was a rain game, so he ran the ball. They're going to run the ball. That's Bill's M.O. So, you know, I think that when you're in a world where you're not going to drop him back 35 times a game, then what do you? you, what are you worried about? But when we have our team, we'll do it our way. Yeah, when we have our team. Hey, maybe that'll happen one day.

You know, so you've alluded to the macro, the big picture. And I want to go to the, you know, the more immediate picture of what happened Sunday and what may happen tomorrow night before we get back to some of the bigger picture issues. I actually thought, and I said this, you know how people hear and they hear what they want to hear and they read what they want to read on Twitter. But I basically said, you know, you can think, as I do, that the organization, big picture, is a total mess and it's a disaster. And there's not much hope moving forward. But you can also say about Sunday, they actually played pretty well for them. You know, I'm not comparing it to any good team in the NFL, but for them, it was a pretty decent overall effort.

and they had a legitimate chance to win the football game. You know, they're driving down 3-0 late in the third quarter. They're already in field goal range when Peterson fumbled. But I actually thought it was one of their better overall games, even though it was ugly to watch, but that they had a legitimate chance to beat an undefeated team. You can say both of those things. What do you think about my feeling that it actually wasn't, you know, it was far from the worst game they played all year,

and it may have been the best game they've played all year. I think the rain helped them. Really, you looked at the game, and you said a miss Phil goal, a fourth and one that you didn't convert on, and a fumble all in 49ers territory, and nine points out of those three drives would have obviously given you a chance to tie that game or put you in the lead. And if you get a touchdown there, you probably win that game.

And so I look at this, and we've talked about it. this is a roster that's built to stop the run first because late in the season in the NFC East, you're going to play some weather games and people are going to have to run the ball, and that's the way they design this defense. It's unfortunate that they gave up so much through the air through the first six weeks that they didn't necessarily compete enough. But this is the strategy of this defense. You bolster that front, and you say, look, even good running teams are going to average

3.5 yards to carry, which is what San Francisco did. So it gave you a bunch of opportunities. offensively they just had to take advantage a little bit more and I think they struggled and you look at the game that you had an opportunity to win but couldn't figure it out so I was impressed with the way the defense played for sure I was impressed with the effort across the board and I just look at it and I think look they just got to find a way to operate better on offense yeah um you know there was a lot of discussion about you know how many passes they threw and you know we've always heard in the past, you know, a wet field is advantage, you know, offense because the defensive

players don't know, you know, what the offense is going to do and they don't have good footing. I actually had sort of a contrarian view to that on Monday, and I want your thoughts. I would have much preferred more shots, more early down, you know, play action shots from Keenham and from Kevin O'Connell. But I thought O'Connell actually felt the game, you know, in a way in which it's like this is going to be a low possession game, which it was the Redskins only had seven possessions in the game. It's going to be a low scoring game. Mistakes are going to be magnified.

They're really good defensively and fast, and if we drop them back too much, that's going to lead to a big mistake. That'll make the final score 23 to nothing instead of maybe 6 to nothing with a chance on the final drive. And I actually thought O'Connell, again, I would have preferred more shots you know, in more opportunities to throw the ball, but not a lot more. I actually thought he felt the game pretty well.

Do you agree or disagree? I am split on that. So I think that first and ten was a situation where they could have been much better and have to be this season. They're last in the league and yards for play on first down, and that is a big down play. At 17 first and tens, if you can include one first and five, which is to me the true balance situation.

They had 14 runs, three passes. Two of the passes came in two-minute drills at the end of the half and at the end of the game. And one pass came in the second to last drive down six-zero. Right. One of the 14 runs, you had two 15-yard carries, which were good plays for them. But essentially, other than that, you didn't get anything.

And as they got into the second half the ball game, it was all duo or dive or pound draw or whatever you want to call it, and they were getting like one-yard-of-carry. So I think that those first down situations, San Francisco, absolutely dared them to throw the ball. They played eight guys in the box, and even if it was a sub-package or 11 personnel, they said, you're not going to throw it, and we didn't throw it.

And it's not that it just has to be a play-action shot. I mean, you can go three-step. You can go screen. You can go some of those different things. But you could run outside. I mean, you at least have to have to be inside outside of the ball. find a little to get outside. Like, they had two tosses, one to small wood early, but were very well-blocked plays, and they only went back to it once.

Right. So I thought the second down was much better. Kevin got him into some good plays in third-down situations. And then other than a couple third-down calls, you know, and it's tough there. I thought he was fine. They scored zero points. Yeah, well, I understand that. But what you're saying is you didn't give the 40-9. You got to talk into the phone. We're losing you there. Yeah. What you're saying is you didn't give the 49ers points. So there's something to be said about that. But I think first down balance has got to be better for them. By the way, I think you know this, and I'm assuming that you guys talked about this. Do you know what the Niner defense, past defense, has allowed in their last three games now?

Yeah, the Niner defense is amazing in almost every category. So I do understand. But have you ever heard in this era? I haven't seen. this stat put out there. They held Baker Mayfield to 100 yards passing, 78 to Goff and 77 to Keenham. These are numbers that aren't low. They're unheard of in today's NFL. And they've done it to three straight quarterbacks, which I just find, you know, remarkable. Like, I can't imagine in the last 20 years of the NFL that a past defense has gone three consecutive games. of holding the starting passer to 100 yards or less through the air. I just can't imagine that that's happened.

I would bet not in the last 10. Baltimore did it when they went to school, which I'm sure they did, which was within the last 20. But they're awesome up front, man. They create great pressure, and they play sound coverage behind it. They're mostly a zone team. They play cover four and cover three, essentially. It was very few man principles, and they do it very well.

So it's a good defense. but it doesn't mean that you can't find a way to try to throw the ball in first and 10. And that's, to me, just even if you're trying to take a couple shots, it's opening it up for the next first and 10 where you want to run the ball. Sure. One other thing, two other things from the game on Sunday. I know we've had this conversation before, but I want to have it again briefly. In the NFL, when it's fourth down and one, or even less than one, and you go heavy with like 18 offensive linemen and one running back,

and the other team's got basically 10, if not 11 in the box. It just seems to never work. Like when you line up and you say, hat on a hat, we're going to win at the point of attack, we're giving the ball to number 26 here. He's getting the ball, trust me, and you're not going to stop it, that it just doesn't ever seem to work. I knew pre-snap, based on just watching football,

that that wasn't going to. going to work. Am I right about that or wrong? Well, I'd like you to be wrong because I would like to be good enough up front for you to be wrong. But you're right. You added the strength of the 49er's defense, even though they happen to pass, is their front, four, five, six, even seven defensive linemen. So you're putting one of their best players on the field to add your fullback who got here this week or to add your backup tight end who got here two weeks ago. And so you're putting one of their best players on the field in a critical situation

and taking one of your best players off the field. That said, man, if they would have had some kind of leak to one of the tight ends or some kind of outlet path or some kind of option off of that. And it's funny because, I don't know, you watch teams like New England get quarterback sneaks all the time. And I promise you those are what Bill Callahan or what anyone we call can systems. with me systems. If Tom has a gap, he takes a sneak.

He just nudges the center and says, let's go, let's go, or whatever. And if he doesn't have a gap, then he touches his helmet and they get to play B. Like, you needed another play opportunity in that situation. When San Francisco matched your goal line front with their goal in front, there had to be another call. And sometimes it's hard. Like, here's the other thing that's hard about what they did. How many times have you seen on film? in the field, what San Francisco is going to do to a goal line front.

Right? Like, so you, I don't know if, I watched every San Francisco game. I don't know if anyone went straight, heavy goal line personnel in the field against them. Right. So you don't know exactly what front they're going to play. When you say in the field rather than at the goal line? At the goal line. Right.

How they're going to match you? Right. Are they going to match you with their heavy? Or how they're going to match? What front are they going to play for what run you're going to get? It's stunt into those. look, kind of provided an unknown entity to what you were going to see. So, yeah, I didn't particularly like that play call.

I did think in real time, like, AP should have just went hard over the top. And maybe he should have, but I don't even know if he's getting a phone. That run was smothered. That thing was smothered. He had no chance for a liftoff. By the way, while you were talking, I was looking up the 2000 Ravens that won the Super Bowl with that great defense. they didn't have a three-game stretch of holding the starting passer to less than 100 yards.

They had a two-game stretch. They were really good on defense. That is really one of the great defensive teams of all time, and I'm not in any way putting the 49ers into that class at this point. I just find it absolutely remarkable and unprecedented that you could do what they've done in the last three weeks. First of all, they've held the Browns, Rams, and Redskins to 10 total points. You don't see that in the NFL

But what you really don't see in the NFL anymore Is a passing, you know, stat line of 13 of 24 for 78 yards Which is what Jared Gough was last week You just rarely see that, let alone three times in a row The most astounding number For San Francisco right now Because I looked at it going into the game

Third down No, that's good, but first down's against They were giving up 65 total which led the league going into last week, we had 10, so they're at 75. The next most team was like at 1.15. And then it goes like 115, 117, 119. You know how everyone does, like, just one or two better than the next. They were 45-50 better than the next team.

It's unheard of to be that much better in a single statistic. They do not give up first down. Well, you're talking about a first-down play. No, first-downs against. Like another team achieving a first-down. first downs and moving the change. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, the numbers, their third down defense was one for 20 coming in in their last two games.

And now it's four for 29. I would assume that right now for the season, they've got the number one third down defense. I'm going to check on that right now. It's got to be, if it's not the best, then maybe New England's got the best. The 49ers are actually third. They're third. Yeah, but you don't have to give up first downs on first. They simply don't, and they don't.

Understood. Understood. No, I know exactly what you're saying. By the way, the Patriots are number one in the league in third down defense, allowing third downs on 14.3% of the third downs against. They still haven't played anybody. Exactly. They're excellent on the defense.

There's no doubt about it, but they play the dolphins, the bills, the jets twice. You know, it's not like they've played any powerhouse offense. Totally. They all right. trust me, they're a good defense. There's no take to that. No, I agree with you. I mean, I talked about it yesterday with Tommy on the podcast and on the radio show.

They're really good, but how can you really measure? And how can you even, you know, begin to talk about them as an all-time great defense, which, by the way, Aaron, Joe Tessitore the other night was, I mean, so obnoxious, off the charts about the Patriot defense

against the Jets. They have now played the Jets twice, the Redskins, the Giants, the Giants, the Bills, by the way, without Josh Allen, they faced Blaine Gabbard for half the game, right? Was it Blaine Gabbard or somebody else? I forget who the backup quarterback was in that game. The Dolphins and the Steelers when Ben Rothelpsberger was playing with one arm. Matt Barclay. It was Barclay, not Gabbard in the Bills game. All right.

Joe Tonset, the tour is insufferable, but I haven't said this. You've got to talk into the phone. You keep moving away from the phone. I'm talking into the phone. Boy. Okay, do it better and more consistently. So Joe, this is the way, by the way, we talk to each other all the time, on and off the air.

All right, continue. But Booger McFarland, can he, I hate being overcritical of color guys, because that's what I do. I mess up as well. But I have no problem saying I did something wrong. He's got to stop guessing at coverages and going crazy. Like, Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass on a scene ball

early in the game or like second quarter. And he's, the boogers sitting there going, I just don't understand what he's doing. It's clear man to man cover. It's clear cover three, and he's keen quarterback eyes

and Brady looked it off. It's like, it's not man to man, Booger? You're killing me. I mean, just four or five times in the first half of that game.

He's guessing it coverage of that. He's wrong. And I'm like, I can't watch this. Right. I can't do this with you, buddy. And then you're killing another guy,

and you're saying he's doing something. You're killing him for something he's not even doing. Okay, that's off my chest. All right. There's a few more things I want to get to before you have to get onto a plane or whatever you're doing here today. They play Minnesota tomorrow night.

Kyle Shanahan, by the way, gave the game ball to Mike. You saw that, right? I did. That was nice of him to do that. I can't imagine. You think it's weird? His dad didn't earn that game ball. No, he didn't.

You're right about that. He did not earn the game ball. Although you don't know that because you don't know how much Mike is helping the 49ers from, you know, his house in either, you know, Cabo or Denver. I mean, he's watching a lot of film. I can tell you that. He's watching a lot of film. He knows the 49ers inside out and knows the opponents. His dad put together that offensive game plan that got them 3.5 yards for rush nine yards. So good job. You know, I love, you know, I like mine. I'm not being critical of Mike right now. That was weird. Now they get the Kirk game, which if the Nats weren't in the World Series, somebody tweeted this to me. They said Thursday night, well, if the Nats aren't playing on Thursday night, but somebody tweeted to me, Thursday night's game against Kirk Cousins might break Twitter, you know, for Redskin fans and Viking fans. He's obviously gotten it together. By the way, and I, you know, last year this was the case like four or five weeks into the season, so, you know,

take it for whatever it's worth. But, The last three weeks of Cousins, you know, he became the first NFL passer in history to go three consecutive games with 300 plus yards and a passer rating of 130 or higher. He's got the number one passer rating in the NFL right now. And Aaron, somebody tweeted this to me and I was shocked. Do you know that right now, Kurt Cousins, is number seven on the odds for MVP behind Rogers, Wilson, Watson, McCaffrey, Jackson, and Brady? I think it depends on the book.

I've seen it anywhere from 7 to 9, but yeah, he's up there right now. He's not going to win the MVP. They played three very average defensive teams, but they have a different mindset, and that is they're going to let him throw and they're going to run a lot of play action. How much have you watched any Minnesota tape? How is he playing? What are the challenges against the Vikings? Well, the challenge is that Kurt gets the ball out of his hand quickly,

and he knows where he wants to go with the ball. And combined with the fact that they've run, it very effective. Yes, he do. I'm interested in how that conversation went with Zimmer after what four weeks and everyone complaining, finally what Zimmer say, fine, just 10% more passes. That's it. But I mean, you paid a quarterback,

X amounted fully guaranteed money, and you want to show up and run the ball every down. Like, okay, sounds good, coach, let's go do it. He's got great weapons. Cousins does. Stealing and Diggs are exceptional. Diggs provides that true over the, the top read, which gets other guys absolutely wide open.

And Kirk's been really good over the last three games. Is it Kirk or Kurt? I think it's Kurt. Yeah, it's Kurt. Do you know who's really good for them? Dalvin Cook's really good. Everybody knows about Dalvin Cook. Their backup running back at a Boise State, who they took in the third round, Alexander Madison, is a really good back. Number 25, Cooley, this dude's really, really good. I'd like to actually know what he's averaging yards per carry right now. I'm going to look that up because every time he touches it, it's a big chunk play.

He's averaging 4.9 yards per carry. And he's getting, you know, early on he was getting, you know, 8, 9, 10, 14 carries when they, you know, when they were running Cook on every single play. Yeah. But there's no doubt, I don't think their offensive line is very good, but I think the play calling now is keeping people off balance and the fact that they can run the football, or at least they have against three, two, you know, average defensive teams. Philadelphia was banged up in that game. The Giants are terrible. They're secondary for sure. Yeah, they're secondary. Detroit's actually

been pretty good defensively all year. But anyway, do they, I was thinking actually going into this that I think the Redskins defense has a chance to play well tomorrow night. What do you think? I would agree that they have a chance to play well. I think they could stop the run. And if I'm playing Kirk, I'm playing tight-press man-to-man coverage, you get him off his one read as soon as possible. Because when he gets off his one, that's where he starts to get in a little bit of trouble. Get him off as one read, play the checkdown, play the back close, or blitz the back to keep him into the back field. You should be in pretty good shape. You know, that's – like, Kurt's deal is understanding where he wants to go with the ball.

So you've got to take him off his first couple shots. Yeah, and then if you take him off those shots, there's no doubt. that's his weakness. Like we've all watched him enough, and I've watched him a lot in Minnesota. When that first read and maybe that second read isn't there and there's pressure, that's when he feels it. And that's when he's got trouble hanging on to the ball with traffic, and you can get him to cough it up once or twice in the pocket.

Fumbles are actually more, you know, a bigger opportunity than even interceptions. But what I think they've done recently here is they've said, if you're going to play tight man and take away his first thing, we're throwing the ball deep. Like, he's going to go deep, you know, against man coverage. And Diggs is really a difficult cover. They may not get Thielen tomorrow night. He got hurt in that game against the Lions. I don't know what his...

Yeah, if they don't get feeling back, I put Dunbar on whoever number two is in that game because they'll rotate throughout. And I just bracket Diggs all day. I try to lock Dunbar on there, too, and I bracket digs all day. Play them, double them up all day. And so you turn down their one reach of their two receiver. You make it really hard to get it to digs, and then he's got to check it down, and your backers have to be good.

That's what I would do against these guys. So it's kind of a man-zone combination. And then interior pressure is what really hurts Kirk. Don't blitz him a ton. He sees blitz really well. he's a good quarterback against the blitz. I wouldn't blitz for a bunch. But you shouldn't have to. You know, you should be able to get pressure with four.

Yeah, they're not a great line. Their offensive line is not good. All right, a couple of other Redskin-related things. This Trent Williams thing now has gotten to the point where it's almost like, you know, when Bruce thought $53 million

to Kirk guaranteed was a good deal that that was market value and he was so far from reality. He has this thing. He said something towards the end of training camp that the best time to trade a player is before free agency or at the latest before the draft. It's ridiculous to consider trading people sort of after the draft.

Meantime, he traded for Haha Clinton Dix last year in the middle of the season. This is the time when you can actually get somebody really good when they're desperate. Why isn't Trent Williams tradable? Why are they holding back on trading him? It doesn't make any sense to me. All of the reports last week, Dorsey's calling him every week to check his availability. And Bruce is saying no. Give me a logical reason as to why the Redskins wouldn't be listening and actively trying to trade Trent Williams right now in a market that would be hot for him right now with at least two teams, if not more than that? The Trent doesn't want to play for somebody without them negotiating a new contract.

Okay. So the Jalen Ramsey thinks perfect is Jalen Ramsey goes to L.A. and he says, I'm not going to hold out for the Rams. I'm going to play the deal and we'll work it out in the future. The more I think about it, the more because everybody heard, the Patriots offered a first and what, the sixth, the first and, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the offer initially. And then they went to Trump.

Cool. Are you ready to do this? He says, not without a deal. And they go back and they say, no, we're not giving you that to try to negotiate a deal with him. Because if you have to negotiate a deal, it looks more like the Antonio Brown trade. Where the Raiders got him before they thought he was crazy, where they gave up a third end. Right. So I think when you have to negotiate a deal with Trent, you're talking somewhere a second and something.

and that probably hasn't been appealing enough to the Red Tons. That would be my guess. But me saying that right now, you don't have a second this year, unless you really think you want to work out a deal at the end of the year and things are going to be fine and you're going to make this better, I'm going to take a second. Yeah, I think some of these teams would have done that, maybe not the Patriots. I think you might be 100% right about the Patriots.

I think, you know, whether it was Cleveland or, you know, recently, or Houston. Cleveland's almost out of it. Yeah. Houston, they would have been willing to take the risk without a new deal. You know, they've done it already. They did it with Tunsell without a new deal. Exactly. So I don't think that, I think that explanation actually... Tuncle's younger, though.

I understand that. But what they gave up for them, even if you got half as much as they gave up for Tunsel, it would have been a phenomenal deal. Anyway, that's that. Yeah, that's my only thought is that Trent doesn't want to do. or we've had a new deal, but I don't have the guess. Yeah. You've been so right about so many things, and I'm not doing that just because you're on.

I say this even when you're not on. Your ability to sort of evaluate talent coming out of the draft or players in the NFL already or coaches, I just have always sort of been amazed at how often you are spot on, you know, after the fact, you know, a year later. I mean, I've already mentioned multiple times this year that you really liked Gardner Minshu, thought he would be a great third, fourth round quarterback option for the Redskins. And you said about Lamar Jackson coming out in that draft, you said, look, he'd be the best running back in this draft. And he's going to be a really good football player if he gets to the right team that uses him in the right way.

We're seeing that with the Ravens right now. And just how electric he is and how when he's on the field, he is, he is. he may not be, look, they may be going one read and the checkdown is you running, the RG3, you know, 2012 strategy. But when he runs, he looks like the best back in the league. And it's just, he's so exciting to watch. What do you make so far of him and the way the Ravens are using him? Well, Greg Roman, about an assistant coach of the year right now in the way he's using Lamar Jackson. And I said, I take him the first round if you would play running back receiver. If he'd be Christian Caffrey, I'm going to take him early in the first

round. He had the ability to do that all along. He'll keep developing for the quarterback. I don't want to take away from the fact that he can become a decent quarterback, but I want to put it more in the picture of this is, this could change this position to some extent. It's not derogatory to say a quarterback's a better runner. It really isn't. Can you win games? Yeah, they are. The only question you're going to have with Lamar is how do you pay the guy? if he develops to where he can protect himself in the pocket and make throws, it makes it a little easier, like with Russell Wilson over a few years.

But I want the guy that I know, when I pay him, I know I'm getting 16 games a year. Or my belief is I'm getting 16 games a year. And so it makes it a little. But the one thing, that's why those guys want to be passers, because they want to be paid like passers. It's hard to trust that you pay a running quarterback. But outside of that, man, it is so much fun to watch Baltimore play football. It's different.

It's exciting. Lamar is insane with the ball in his hands, and he still makes some big throws. Yeah, he does. He makes some throws that you cringe, but at the same time, he makes up for it. So I've been impressed with Ball Torn and how they've used him. And my thing is, if I'm coaching that offense, and he's willing, there's no way I'm not utilizing his skill set as a runner in my office. He's so good. Yeah, and the funny thing.

is that he does have a big strong arm. He's not always accurate. You can see that. He's, you know, he throws balls, as you said, make you cringe at times. Not in the way the ball is actually coming off his fingertips or being spun, but just, you know, where he'll throw into, into an area where there's nobody but defenders. Where the ball's going? Yeah. But what he does is he, every called pass play is like a look one read if it's not there you just do your thing you start creating and he makes he makes a lot of those big throws after extending the play and he's so he's got great vision you know griffin did not have the peripheral basketball vision lamar jackson does russell wilson does obviously russell wilson's a different quarterback lamar jackson once that first read isn't there

He's making big plays throwing the football because he's able to avoid the rush and move around and sprint sideways and then back to the middle and make a play. And then by the way, the entire defense is in conflict because once he comes off that read, they know he's about to kill you with his legs. That team is scary with him. He's really fun to watch. Yeah, and it's not just that they can dictate coverage in first and second down because you're so, afraid of them running the football. And they are a very good team when it comes to running the football with Ingram and what they're doing with all their tight ends. But you do get coverage in third down a lot of the time. And that's what you, like, you just

got to have a guy or two that can dictate coverage. We always talk about the one receiver can dictate it. You can't, you can't, there's a limited amount of things you can do in third down. You have to spy him. Right? Like, you have to put your line. You can't, you can't really drop your linebackers to real depth because he takes off. And, you, you know, you have to spy him. You can't, you have to, you can't, you can't really drop your linebackers to, he's able to put his foot in the ground and juk somebody like every play. So he's able to dictate and simplify what he's getting the coverage because of his ability to run.

He should not stop doing it. My advice would be you. Just be Lamar Jackson. It doesn't matter what people think of that as of today. You can change the position. And by the way, so much of college football is that anyways that guys will be proud to be that. kind of player in five years.

You know, you brought up the issue, and it is going to be the issue, is, you know, he's in his second year. The rookie deal is four. You got the team option for the fifth. Once you get to, you know, having to pay him quarterback money, that's going to be the challenge for them. You know, do they, you know, totally invest 15 to 17 percent in the quarterback position, you know, when he's up for a new deal?

rest of the league what's really impressed you what's you know been disappointing with other teams and maybe you don't have quick answers to this and if you don't i'll bring up a couple i have been really impressed with the colt again and what they've been able to do with brisette and ever plus his defense is just awesome they're able to shut the chiefs and the texans offenses down that's a no-name defense still to this point they are awesome I was so impressed early with the Chiefs offense, and it's been a little bit disappointing, but that's because Mahomes has been hurt over the past few weeks, and the defense is not very good. Carolina has been really interesting over the last few without Cam Newton.

Their defense, McCaffrey's unbelievable. I think the Rams have lost creativity offensively. Sean was so creative, and now everybody's kind of playing them in quarters and understanding that to play them. and I think Sean's going to get back to his creative roots because he is so creative. Seattle's been really impressive, and Russell Wilson's having an unbelievable year. I think that's been awesome. I don't know what Dallas is. I'm getting the feeling that Philly's not as good of a team as everybody made the odds be early.

So the NFC East is not as strong. The Cardinals have been fun. They're an interesting team. That division, that NFC West, is really interesting. Yeah. There's good football going on. It's a weird year because there's like six teams who absolutely stink in the NFL,

and there's six or seven teams who are awesome. I mean, let's not pretend the Patriots haven't been great. Brady's been impressive. They just got Sunu. They'll be a good team. It's a good year for NFL. Yeah, I'm glad you mentioned Carolina. I think they're impressive, and I think they're well-coached.

I mean, Norv's got a guy that's actually running Norv's offense in a way that probably Norv really appreciates. I don't know what you, I forget if we've had conversations about Rivera in the past. I actually think he's pretty good. And I think his defenses are always really good. And that's a good defensive team right now. That division. Well, he just took over calling the defense.

Right. He hadn't for a few years. Right. He took it back over. He's a very good defense coach. You're right. Right. And I was going to say, mentioned the other team in that division that continues to win and look so impressive without Drew Brees.

New Orleans defensively. Good God. I mean, I know they were improved. Remember, we're just two, three years removed from them being among the worst defensive teams in the league. They're stopping everybody. I mean, it's hard to do anything against them. It's so amazing. I mean, they've added everywhere, but what a true lockdown corner can do for a defense. That defense was historically bad. They draft Latimer in the first round years later. They're one of the top five defenses in the league. You want to build pass rush and you want to build all these studs up front. But when you do things like New England can do where you have three guys that can play really good man-to-man defense, you can do anything you want up front.

You can do so many things with your front when you can play their three best players in man coverage. Well, and they have good guys up front. I mean, Jordan and Davenport are having huge seasons already. You know, didn't they, am I wrong about this? Did they trade into that spot to take Davenport? I think they did. I can't remember either. Yeah, you're right.

I mean, it's actually, you know, I want Mahomes to get back. I want to see the Chiefs at full strength. I don't think they're very good defensively at all, which was their problem last year. But, you know, the AFC with a potential postseason involving Kansas City, hopefully healthy, New England, Baltimore. You know, you mentioned the Colts. I still think Houston's pretty good. Yeah, they are. And then the NFC is really loaded.

I mean, you think about just the NFC, North, NFC, South, and NFC West. Like, the South has potentially two very good teams in the Saints and the Panthers. The North, everybody's capable, you know, and then the West everybody's capable. Man. Yeah, I left out Green Bay, who's been really good this year and better on defense, and the floor's done a heck of a job there. Yeah. You know, like, you're looking at an NFC that 10 and 6 might not get through a wild start.

That's right. That's right. So that's 100% right. I mean, if you think about right now, the 49ers are undefeated. The Seahawks have, after losing to Baltimore, they now have two losses. The Rams have one loss. I'm sorry? Rams have three. Packers have one loss. And so do the Saints. But I'm thinking about the wild cards. Like Minnesota's got two losses. The Panthers have two losses. Seattle's got two losses. Rams three. Rams three. Carolina. Carolina. Carolina.

line is four and two or five and two. So, yeah, you're probably right that the two wild cards in the NFC, neither one of them is going to be worse than 10 and 6. Well, I think, yeah, well, I think one's going to be 10 and 6. And one's going to be 11 and 5. And another 10 and 6 team will not go. Yeah, that happened a few years ago. You know, the year where Bruce said that the Redskins were one game out in 2017 when

they were actually four games out from the playoffs. I think that particular year was the year where you had the Panthers and the Falcons as wildcard teams at like 11 and 5 or 12 and 4 and 10 and 6, and then I think somebody else was 10 and 6 and didn't make it. Or a bunch of 9-7s didn't make it. I'm sorry? Speaking of the Falcons, how are you not? Dan Quinn's getting fired this year.

You have Julio Jones, the kid who first having a proble year that's a tied-in. Matt Ryan, Roaningbacks outstanding. How are you losing games the way they're losing games? Their defense isn't very good, but I mean, they've been trying to build to the draft. They're just trading. We've put Beasley on the trade block. They're bad.

They're bad team. Beasley's on the trade block. They got a second for Sunoo from the Patriots. I couldn't believe that. I couldn't believe that. Me neither. That's why, like, you're going to tell me you can't get a first and a third for Trent Williams contract or no contract? Come on.

give me a break. But all you're trading for is the rights to negotiate a contract, well, you're also trading for him this year to play. Are you telling me that if he gets traded to New England or to... What I'm telling you is if I don't know I can work out a deal, it's not worth a year for anybody to give up my first. Okay. A first is five years.

Of someone that I think is going to be an impact player for a long time. It's actually two with Trent. But if he says he's going to hold out if you don't pay him, it's none. Is he going to try to come in before the accrued season deadline, week 10, I think it is? That would be my advice. As much as you hate walking in the door anywhere without whatever, you can't let the Redskins toll your contract another year, which is what they'll have the right to do.

Yeah, I mean, you're already in a position where the team president has essentially said that he wants to bleed you. You know, he does, he's in a, in a mono a mono. Damn the well-being of the franchise, that doesn't matter at this point. It's about winning head-to-head with Trent Williams. And if you don't come in, that dude will sit there on next year and just let you hold out again. And then all of a sudden, nobody's going to want you because you're going to be 48 years old with two years left on your Redskin deal. He'll sit there for 10 weeks.

He should come in. Can you imagine coming in at 1 in 9 or 1 in 8 and saying, hey, I'm here. How's it gone so far? Let's play some ball. By the way, you know who stinks? You're a backup. Morgan Moses isn't very good. You know, I did this segment on radio yesterday, I think, and maybe I did it on the podcast.

There would be no less than eight players that I would be actively trying to deal for future picks right now. and, you know, Carrigan could bring something back. If Mohamed Sunu could bring a second back, Kerrigan could bring a second back. We know Trent Williams could bring a boatload back. Brandon Sheriff did tell, I guess, NBC Sports Washington that he wants to be a redskin moving forward. You know, it's probably not helping his cause

where he's picking up these holding penalties each week. He had two of them last week. I still think he's a pretty good player, though. I think teams will want a Brandon Sheriff. He's an athletic guard. Do you agree, right? Brandon Sheriff. Callie, you know how much fun it would be to run an outside zone scheme with Brandon?

Oh, my God. Wouldn't the Shanahan's love themselves some Brandon Sheriff? He would be a dream in that scheme. Yeah. All right. Can I give you one what he got before I go? Yeah. I thought this was fascinating.

I invited you to go to the MGM last week. I had a Washington-up dinner. Right. So we walked through. And we were going to go talk to a couple people, and Larry Michael and I walked through. And Trey Turner and Juan Soto are sitting in one of the little, like, not a dining, not a restaurant, but just a little dining area.

Yeah. They're just having a nice little dinner. Not one person knows they're there. Isn't it funny? Like, these two are the two stars of these here, I know. It won't last any longer for them, but I remember those. It was like, hey, let's just go hang out. They just look like kids, man.

I'm so excited to those guys. Did you win any money? No, I lost. Actually, that night I didn't play. I went to the Redskins alumni event, which was like one of the coolest things in the world for me is the first one I'd went to. And all the hogs were there and St.

And, I mean, just go down the line of alumni. It was amazing. But I lost money that night. Well, we'll do one of those nights coming up. I actually, God, you know, I told you that I was there over the same. summer and it's a it's really a terrific casino like the mGM does it right and it's easy like if you're not going there on a weeknight it's six o'clock in rush hour i the last when i the last time i went i

think i told you this i went with with the wind donation guys i went with harley and some of his guys um we went to the nat's game and then coming out of the nat's game we're we're at the tables within like 15 minutes you know after leaving the nat's game that's actually a good night to do a baseball game and then do the MGM afterwards. All right. What else? Is that it? I think that's it. Thanks for having me on.

Thanks for coming on. I always enjoy this. I had a couple of what he got this week that would have been good for you had we been doing the show together, which is what we would prefer to do. One of them was just, you know, this is a sports one. But you know what was really upsetting? Was the Sunday night game between the Eagles and the Cowboys? I don't know if you watched it. I listen to you.

What do you got? Yeah, I mean, they made such a big deal about that rivalry. Like the Redskins cowboy rivalry from outside the two markets doesn't mean anything to anybody anymore. That really upsets me. Yeah, I get it. But you know what you got was more about the coin top. Oh, yeah, I did that one too. Yeah, I mean, it cracks me up.

The rivalry will go back to what it is if the Redskins win games. So it's not going to go away. But you play twice a year. It'll become a rivalry against. But now the coin passing is so funny. People get so excited about saying you're trying to gain an extra possession. Or, hey, you know why we defer the coin passes? Because we want to ensure that we get back-to-back possession like Bill Belichick does every week.

It's unbelievable. There's no way that you can dictate this is a little possession of the first half. Yeah. The old double possession deferral on the coin toss. And Al Michaels. Although you can't get it if you don't defer the team. No, that's true. It increases your odds of getting a double possession because you're going to get it to start the second half.

But to suggest that, by the way, there's like a huge advantage to have the double possession. Like, okay, the other team might end up with the first possession of the game. and the last possession of the game. That might be really impactful, too. Anyway. It's funny because Jay just chose to receive at home two weeks ago or three weeks ago into England. You don't receive.

If it has to do with the crowd coming out of halftime, he all cares what you do. We're going to put them in a bind. Well, I mean, Jay was the road team at home, so he probably should have started on defense, but he could not wait to see Colt McCoy, quarterback. That's why he took the ball. He wanted to get cold out there to start kicking some ass. Anyway, all right. Tomorrow night will be interesting. I know you're watching the baseball,

too, and you're excited about the Nats. We won't get into that. I just spent a half an hour on that. That was so much fun last night. And it looks like, you know, there's a chance for a second DC championship team here, you know, in two years, which would be awesome. There is a chance. Remember that day that we sat together and talked and said, we don't want anybody else to win it before the Redskins do. I know. But you know what? I don't feel the same way anymore.

I really want the Nats to win the World Series. I really want the... I mean, look, the Caps thing, I've been very honest about this. I'm not a Caps fan. I never have been, really. I don't love hockey. I love playoff hockey. But I am a Nats fan, and I really do want the Nats.

Somebody, by the way, took offense to this. I don't even think I mentioned it. Aaron. Somebody, when I mentioned a few weeks ago that I'm not a Caps fan, somebody tweeted me, well, then how can you be doing a sports talk show in Washington? That was really, really demeaning and really ruined your credibility. And I'm like, really? There are a lot of people in this town that are doing sports talk radio that have other favorite teams that aren't D.C. sports teams. A lot of people. That's not the requirement, by the way. But it does help when you are a fan of the local teams. And I am. I'm a fan of all the local teams. I'm just not a big caps fan. Never have been. Can't really answer it other than I never really got into hockey. But I'm a huge Nats fan. And that parade that day was really impressive and I was thrilled for Alex Sovetchkin as you were. I'd be really happy for Ryan Zimmerman if they won the world series. Oh, no doubt. That home run? Oh my gosh. I just got out of the car. I know. All right. It sounds like you're getting out of the car. I'll talk to you later. Thanks. Have a good trip.

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