The Kevin Sheehan Show - Wentz Time

Episode Date: December 28, 2022

Kevin with a quick pod today on the announcement that Carson Wentz will start at QB Sunday against the Browns. You'll hear from Ron Rivera, Wentz, and Taylor Heinicke on today's show.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You don't want it. You don't need it. But you're going to get it anyway. The Kevin Cheon Show. Here's Kevin. The announcement came at 803 a.m. this morning via Twitter. Yeah, the team's Twitter account announced that Washington will start Carson Went Sunday against the Browns in a near must-win situation. I say near must win because, yes, there is a chance they could lose Sunday and still make the post-season.

I won't go through all of those. Clearly the most direct route to the postseason is beat Cleveland, beat Dallas, and then play in either Minnesota or San Francisco in the first round during Super Wild Card weekend. But yeah, that's how the team got the news out. And I waited until Ron Rivera spoke after practice today. And Carson Went spoke after practice today to put together this podcast today. because I thought what they said would be relevant.

By the way, Taylor Heineke spoke as well. You'll hear what he said also. This podcast today is brought to you by MyBooky. Go to my bookie. Go to my bookie.orgie. Use my promo code, Kevin D.C., and they'll double your first deposit dollar for dollar all the way up to a thousand bucks.

It's been interesting to watch the point spread on the Washington Cleveland game this week. You know, it was about one and a half right around there prior to kickoff Saturday in Santa Clara. Then when Wentz came into the game and played relatively well on two series, I wouldn't call those significant series. They apparently were to Ron Rivera and company. But, you know, one of those series down 30 to 20 with two minutes to go is soft coverage backup players in on defense. But the line went to two and a half after the game.

then when Ron held off on the announcement yesterday, the line came back to one and a half, and now that they know it's Wentz, it's up to two and a half. I don't know if that is specific to Wentz versus Heineke. I believe it is, though. I think the commanders are given a little bit more of a number with Wentz as the starter than they are with Heineke. I would not personally put much stock into that. I'm not expecting a massive difference, but I am totally fine with this change.

As I said yesterday during the podcast with Tommy and on Monday, this isn't a choice between Marino and Elway. We're talking about right now not a lesser of two evils because I wouldn't consider Taylor Heineke to be an evil. Taylor Heineke did some really good things, as he did last year, to keep the team competitive. There are situations in which you would have had to go to a backup quarterback after losing your starter two straight years that would have been much worse than what they got with Taylor Heineke. What they got was pretty average quarterbacking most of the time with some magic moments at the end of games. And obviously just too much left out on the field because of physical limitation, et cetera.

They're going to go with the guy that I think they've been, you know, chomping at the bit to get back to once he became healthy enough to play. Keep in mind, he's only been active for the last two games. That first giant game he had, he was sick, so he was inactive for that game. So it's only been the last two games, the giant game at home and then Sunday against the 49ers where Carson Wentz actually had the opportunity to play in a game. He's going to start. You're going to hear from Rivera here. Shortly you're going to hear from Carson Wentz as well. MyBooky.ag, use my promo code, Kevin D.C. You can bet everything NFL-related.

And in those other games of note, if you were wondering, Seattle's a two-point dog at home against the Jets. Washington can clinch with a win and losses by Green Bay, Detroit, and Seattle. The Lions are six-point. favorites over the Bears. And the Vikings are actually underdogs at Lambo, three and a half point underdogs at Lambo

in the late Sunday afternoon game on Fox. Don't forget to rate us and review us, especially on Apple and Spotify Apple. If you can give us five stars, that's really, really helpful. Steve

wrote a multi sentence review. Gave us five stars. Thank you, Steve. very much. Steve wants more owner talk and less football talk because, as he said, there's nothing more important than Dan Snyder owning this team if you're a fan of the team. Steve, I agree with you. I think number one right now is Snyder moving forward with the complete sale, the 100% equity sale of the team. And I think that's happening. And football and what this team is doing is secondary to that. It always makes me laugh because everybody's got their own opinion and

everybody that has an opinion is convinced that their opinion is the one that everybody else has as well, that everybody else shares. The truth is, I would say more people that I communicate with about this podcast or about the radio show are much more interested in the actual ownership situation. And I would say it's 6040. It's not overwhelmingly. you know, Snyder related. But it's funny because when we talk a lot about the ownership situation, there are some of you that say, can you stop? I don't care about that.

I care about this team and the big games that it is playing. I would say 60, 40, 60 percent, you know, of you aren't as invested in the team right now, certainly not as much as you used to be, but are, you know, excited about the prospect of a new owner and potentially a new brand as well. you know, pulling this latest iteration of branding back and maybe just going with Washington Football Club or Washington football team or just Washington. I don't know. But I also have this year, I know that most of you know that I do like Ron Rivera.

I do like this staff. I don't think it's an incompetent staff. I mean, I don't think Scott Turner is incompetent. I think most of you who say that also said that Kyle Shanahan was incompetent and that Sean McVey was incompetent. I don't know what it is about this fan base and the hammering of coordinators. But I don't think we know really enough. I'll say what I've said all along. I mean, most of you wanted Jack Del Rio gone before the season started and wanted them gone after the first two games.

I think he's done a pretty damn good job this year of getting that defense. to play pretty good football for the most part and be really what's led this team. I'll say what I've said a million times about Scott Turner. Do I think that Scott Turner is the next star offensive mind that's going to be a head coach and a Super Bowl contending head coach? I don't. I don't feel that way. But I feel like it's really difficult to evaluate him fairly.

when they've had six quarterbacks in not even three complete seasons yet that he's had to work with, none of whom have been very good. And so I actually think the fact that they have been a competitive outfit now for going on three seasons, for the most part, at times not competitive early in 2020, early last year, early this year. But I, you know, I'm going to reserve judgment on, on being so definitive as if to say, as some of you have, he'll never work anywhere else as an offensive coordinator. Man, does that sound familiar?

I can remember so many of you, so many in media that said, Kyle Shanahan? I mean, the only reason he's got this job is because of the father. I mean, so many claim nepotism. So many. I mean, he's one of the best head coaches in the game. And if you didn't see his brilliance early on, and you think Scott Turner sucks, your opinion for me has already been discounted.

Because how you didn't know that Kyle Shanahan was an outstanding designer and then play caller in Houston for Gary Kubiak can't help you. Sean McVeigh, anybody that knew him, and I'm not saying that most of you did or should have, it was obvious that he was going to be something. Now, he struggled a little bit with, once again, you know, at times, no running game, a terrible defense. And by the way, he was a newbie at play calling. But you saw in his mind and in his personality and the way he thought that he certainly had talent. I think there's some of certainly the brains and the experience that Scott Turner has. I was frustrated with the giant game. I was very frustrated with that giant game. I was not as frustrated with. the game the other day. I'm not sure what you could really, really hammer him over. The decision to go for the fourth and one, fourth and a foot wasn't his. It was Ron's. I agreed with it. He did everything

that you wanted him to do after the giant game, which was try to establish the run, use the play action off the run. I mean, look, against the best defense in football in a zero-zero-zero game, They had a 17-play 84-yard drive that stopped on fourth and one at the other team's goal line. I actually thought, you know, the first half, you get a deep ball that Dotson's got a shot on. Okay, it may not have been the best throw. Still could have been a 79-yard touchdown pass. Second drive, you end up with, unfortunately, after a holding penalty against Leno, you know, you end up with a third and 13.

By the way, pretty much the only third and long that they didn't convert in the first half. You stuck with the running game despite not really being able to bust a grape, as Doc would say, in the running game against that incredibly fast defense. But you kept him honest. I didn't really have a problem, and I haven't had a problem with Turner. I don't know how I got under the Scott Turner tangent. But anyway, yeah, rate us and review us on Apple and Spotify. much appreciated.

So the announcement was made. Ron Rivera had a lot to say about it in his presser. Again, my position is this. I'm fine with it. My expectations aren't super high. I am interested to see what kind of game plan is kind of employed. My friend Gary texted me during the radio show this morning, and he said, remember what you said,

that if they put Wentz back in there, Scott Turner's going to be tempted to start. chucking it around the park. Look, Cleveland has struggled stopping the run. They get after the quarterback with Miles Garrett and company pretty well. And they've got some playmakers on defense.

They've played decent defense recently, but their weakness, their Achilles heel has been stopping the run. So Washington, I would think, is going to stick with trying to run the football, you know, and take the pressure

off Carson Wentz, which isn't what they did early in the season, but they didn't have Brian Robinson Jr. They didn't have a defense that was getting them the ball back consistently. They weren't as good a team early in the season. But Ron did answer that. I'm going to get to that in a moment. But here was Ron Rivera on why Wentz and why Wentz now. Seeing the way he played, how he handled things, I think, where we are right now,

I'm looking for a little bit of a spark, a little something different, and I think now's a good opportunity for it. What do you feel like he can add that maybe, in terms of spark, that maybe he wasn't able to in those first six-stars? Well, I think the biggest thing is he's more comfortable with what we're doing. That was evident in the game. In spite of the fact that they knew we were going to throw it, they kept coming, and I thought he handled those situations very, very well.

You know, he got the ball out a couple times hot, got it out to where they needed to be thrown. He threw some really nice balls. His decision making was very quick. So, again, I just think that now he's had a little bit more of an opportunity to see the rest of the offense, feel the rest of the offense. And I think that's a big part of it. The other part I think is, you know, he got a little bit of a reset. He missed several games, had an opportunity to heal up, to, you know, to look and feel better.

And I think that's exactly where he is right now. Ron, as you're going through the thought process, how much did you think back to when you made the trade for Carson in the first place? The reasons why you decided we needed to go get a quarterback like him? I thought about those things. I thought about his ability to make certain throws as well. I think that's a big part of, you know, why he's here, obviously, is because we believe he can throw the ball, you know, downfield and make those long, deep throws on the outs and on the seven routes. Those things are a big part of what we do as an offense. So that was Ron Rivera on why wents and why wents now.

The most important part of his answer isn't, I don't think. We needed a spark, you know, and some of the other things he said. The specific thing that he said to me that was the most telling, and it's the thing that I think they have believed for a while now, is that Carson's more comfortable with what they're doing now. They saw it on the field against, you know, the blitzing and him throwing hot and doing it successfully in the game against the 49ers. And the 49ers did keep coming, you know, even at 30 to 14, even with the backups at 30 to 20. But I think what they would tell you about the early portion of the season when Carson was, if we want to be favorable in our description of his performance during the first six weeks, he was inconsistent.

I think what they would tell you is that he just wasn't there on the offense yet. He wasn't comfortable yet in the offense. He wasn't comfortable calling the plays. Wasn't comfortable with the cadence. Wasn't comfortable with what the answers were to what they saw defensively. Remember, Logan Thomas told me, and I've mentioned this a few times on my radio show, two, two and a half weeks ago when I asked him what the big difference between Taylor and Carson was. And he said, you know, Taylor knows the offense.

He's comfortable in the offense. offense. And, you know, Carson, it was still a learning process. You know, of course Taylor knew the offense. He's been in it for four years. So in many ways, it was probably a blessing that Taylor got in there when he got in there because it kept them from having another rough few games before they got it together. And Carson, you know, finally got comfortable in the offense. I don't know, maybe he would have never gotten comfortable this year. We're going to find out Sunday how much more comfortable he is, but that's the reason more than any other. They believe that putting him out there is a major upgrade physically. And then now that he's more comfortable in the offense,

which I don't think they learned that just from the two possessions against the 49ers. I think there's been a sense of it for a while now that him sitting back and watching, and you'll hear what he said about that, has helped a little bit. But that's really where they have been chomping at the bit to put him back in there because they believe he's further along in his understanding of the offense. The next piece of Rivera sound from earlier today that I want to play is he was asked about Wence's connection with Terry and the fact that, you know, it really wasn't a connection early and it was with Taylor.

And then he's asked specifically about the kind of offense that they're going to run. You know, they've been a run first team, especially since Brian Robinson, Jr. came into the lineup. Here's what Ron said about both of those things. When we last saw Carson with Terry, it looked like their chemistry was still a work in progress and the Terry and Taylor seemed to connect a lot. How do you make sure or how can they go about establishing a better rhythm this time around? Well, I think the biggest thing more or anything else is now that I think he's more comfortable with what we do and how we do it, an opportunity to see how things are going, have a feel for the rest of the offense. I think it'll help

them as we go through this. And the running game is, what you've talked about a lot, the downhill running game, having a new quarterback who can make a lot of these throws that you're excited about, is there an emphasis to Scott? Like, hey, let's not forget what also got us here. How do you balance getting Carson in, but also the old kind of formula? We're going to do what we think helps us win the game the most, in all honesty. And so there's a lot of things that we've got to be able to do.

So Ron, not really committing to the formula that they've used with Taylor Heineke, but I believe that's what you're going to see a lot of, especially Sunday against Cleveland. The Browns have really struggled to stop the run recently. That's their Achilles heel right now. Yeah, they've got Miles Garrett and Jadavian Clowny, but they've really struggled at linebacker with lots of injuries. I had Mary Kay Cabot, the longtime Browns reporter for the Cleveland playing dealer,

had her on the radio show this morning, and she said, you've got to run it at them. That's what you got to do to move the football. And I think that's what they'll do. I think you're going to see what Frank Wright decided was the best formula for the Colts last year when they made their run back into contention. And that was to let Jonathan Taylor in the running game take the pressure off of Carson Wentz. Now, you know, the ideal thing would be continue to run it, run it well, and then be able to go play action early down or, you know, short yardage on second down and take, some shots with a bigger arm to be able to stretch the field even more than they've been doing.

This was Ron. It was more on what he said, on what he's seen from Wentz that tells him he's more ready now than earlier in the season. What throws or plays show you that Carson has a better understanding of what you guys want to do now? Well, one of the first things was when you see him throw the huts. And I thought that was probably one of the really good things. things because again if you go back to the to the last game you played against the bears you know we had a

they had a backside blitz on our first third down and it came completely clean and it's one of those things that you know if you sees that he throws that dart and it's a completely different play and now you see him do that and you say okay he's seeing those and then see another pressure and he gets the ball out again quickly and you say okay he sees that those are part of the things we ran a deep cross that he hit in the game. And again, it's all understanding to get it out and when to get it out and who to get it out too. So that was more with Ron, you know, really getting specific about what they wanted to see and get more comfortable with. And he went back to the Bears game where he was sacked a couple of times.

Remember, he was banged up in that Bears game heading into the game and then obviously played with the busted finger through much of the second half in that game. as well. What about Carson Wentz? What did Carson Wentz say today in his first presser since the Chicago, you know, October game as the starting quarterback? You'll hear some of that right after these words from a few of our sponsors. Go to Window Nation.com or call them at 86690 Nation if you've been thinking about Windows. They're going to give you interest free for five years. Plus, pay half price on the windows. You get two free for every two you buy. I've been working with Wind Donation for 13 and a half years. You'll save big on your energy bills. You'll make your home look better and increase the value of it. 86690 Nation, Windonation.com. Tell them that

Kevin Sheehan sent you. So Carson Wentz spoke today back in as the starter for the first time since the early portion of October leading into that short week game against Chicago. And he was asked about just the team that he's coming back to. You'll hear Ben's question, Ben Standig's question. It's a different team. I don't think there's any doubt that this team with Brian Robinson, Jr., as its lead back, makes it different with an offensive line that, you know, has been better in a run-first mentality mode. with a defense that has really rounded into shape

and become one of the better defenses in the league. Here's what Wentz said. You'll hear Ben's question first. You said the other day that they've obviously changed sort of how the offense is going to navigating with more emphasis on the running game and things like that. I guess to what degree are you excited to get back out there with knowing that Brian is going to be there

where he kind of wasn't before the defense is playing well, etc. How do you kind of excited to have those pieces around you. Yeah, I mean, it's been exciting and fun for me to watch, obviously going through rehab, and then as the backup the last couple weeks, just seeing Brian, A.G, even Jay Will, get in there just the way they run, the way the O-Line moves people up front. I think it's always fun to just see, you know, Brian, especially finishing runs. You know, he's hit at two yards, but we're all of a sudden, we're in second and five, you know, stuff like that that I think can just wear down an opponent. I think it has been fun for me to

see from the sideline, and I'm excited to see it firsthand and see how that potentially opens up some other things in the passing game and to be a part of that. And then just distribute the ball to the playmakers. Those guys outside the receivers can't say enough good things about them. They're playing at a high level. You can see they're playing with confidence. They're playing fast and making the most of their opportunities. So I think it'll be fun once I'm out there.

I don't know what happened to Carson Wentz specifically in Indy and Philadelphia. I'm not naive enough to think that it was just about vaccination status with the Colts where the fact that Doug Peterson was leaving in Philadelphia and they had a coaching change. I mean, there was too much expense, too much of a hit financially and otherwise taken by those two teams to move on from a quarterback with talent. If it wasn't about much more than just vaccination status and coaching regime change, I think you're really naive if you think that's what it was about. Clearly, we saw in the first six games here that it wasn't super smooth and that. that there could have been other reasons that those teams moved on from him. But I will give some, you know, possibility, some percentage of possibility to him having matured

through those two experiences. And the only reason I say that, I have no idea what his relationship is with this team right now. I don't. You know, we saw how giddy the team was when Taylor Heineke got the opportunity. That could speak more to the fact that, you know, what Logan Thomas told me. Carson just wasn't getting it. And Taylor did get it in terms of the offense,

and they thought they could be more productive, at least in the short term, and perhaps they were. But man, he comes off as very mature and team first in these press conferences. Doesn't mean shit if he goes out and fumbles twice and gets sacked six times by Miles Garrett on Sunday, and they lose to the Browns. But we'll see. He's got some physical ability. There is no doubt about that.

This dude looks the part. He can spin it. And really, you know, there have been reasons it hasn't worked previously. Maybe we saw some reasons why it didn't work previously in those first six games. But in terms of what they have on the roster and I don't know anything about Sam Howell, it would be nice if he went out, had a better grasp of the offense, has matured as a person through the previous. two experiences and put it all together for these final two games.

It would be one hell of a story and then had a bit of a run in the postseason. Imagine that. I don't think a run in the postseason was possible with Taylor Heineke. I don't. I mean, I think, you know, Tommy thinks it's condescending. It's not condescending at all. I think when you've dealt with young people and in sports, those of you that have heard me say this about Taylor, understand what I'm saying. You'd love to coach a kid like that.

You love the fact that he's fearless, the fact that he is always ready, that he's smart, that he's coachable, all of those things. But at the position, and I guess you could say the same thing about Brock Purdy, but that's even a better team. And by the way, a better coaching staff around him. Like if San Francisco makes a run to the Super Bowl with a third string at the beginning of the season, quarterback, what a story. But I do think that, just like I thought before the season started, even though I wasn't a big fan of Carson Wentz or the trade, I did think that they had a chance to be better offensively with him at quarterback.

And I feel that way a little bit now. Not convinced I'm going to see it, but I do think that, you know, the proverbial ceiling is higher. And maybe the floor is much lower. but I don't know that they are reducing their chances of winning these final two games, putting Carson Wentz in there. And I think in some ways they've increased their chances of being better offensively, which would then give them a chance, a better chance to win both games,

and then a better chance to be productive and perhaps competitive in a playoff game or two. I wanted you to hear Taylor Heineke's response today. Ben Standing caught up with him in the locker room. Were you surprised that ultimately this was the decision that was made? Yeah, I mean, you know, I felt like we were on a roll there for a little bit and got ourselves in a position to make the playoffs. And, you know, this is what they feel like. It gives them the best chance to get the playoffs.

So you got to roll with it. And, again, I'm going to try to be the best back-up I can be. It's two years in a row where you've been the guy that's come in and some degree helped save the season. Do you feel at a minimum you've done more than enough to show this team in the league, you know, what you're capable of? I hope so. You know, two and a half years ago is out of the league.

And you just want to say that as long as you can. So hopefully this year is, you know, bought me a couple more years at least. And we'll see what happens. That the response of a badass baller competitor, the host says very condescendingly, at least according to the other host on Tuesdays and Thursdays of this show. No, some of you actually agreed with Tommy what he said yesterday, that you think you'll see Taylor Heineke again before. the end of the season. Barring injury, I think you're nuts. I don't think we're going to see Taylor

Heineke again this year. There is a chance that the final game of the season is meaningless, and as Josina Anderson reported, Sam Howell would get the start if they were eliminated. There's also a chance that final game against the Cowboys could be meaningless because they could clinch on Sunday with a win over the Browns and losses by Seattle, Green Bay, and Detroit. But I think in that case, they would still play Carson Wentz for him to get. get another game under his belt before a playoff game. I do like Taylor Heineke. I like a lot about him.

I just don't want him to be the starting quarterback of this franchise for years to come. I do not advocate signing some sort of three-year deal paying him starter or even low-end starter money. I don't. I think they have to keep looking for the answer quarterback, whether that's in the draft or potentially whether that's another veteran movement. Look, Carson Wentz has a chance. Despite what some of you think, he has an opportunity here. I'm not saying he's going to succeed with that opportunity,

but if he were to go out and light it up, the final two games of the year look really good and then have them in a very competitive situation in the postseason, there's a chance he could be back. And remember, if he is back, it doesn't have to be at the current contract level. There's a chance they could restructure. I don't know how many options he's really going to have.

But today, Derek Carr got benched in Vegas, demoted to third string for Jarrett Stidham. So it looks like Derek Carr could be a possibility of a guy that's available. Throw him in the mix with Jimmy Garoppolo, maybe Tom Brady, maybe Aaron Rogers. There may be more options than you think veteran-wise in the off-season. None of them super attractive except for Rogers, of course. Brady would be interesting, new owner, good team around him. They do have a good team around them. That's one thing that is 100% true.

By the way, Nick Siriani said that Jalen Hertz is a possibility for Sunday against the Saints. That will be a big deal for the playoff pictures. It relates to Dallas and Philadelphia in the NFC East. And it's a huge deal for Washington in terms of whether or not Dallas will come to DC on January 8th, needing the game, playing it to win it, or playing it as a bye week. I did put out a poll on Twitter. You can follow me on Twitter at Kevin Sheen, D.C. Reaction to the Carson-Wentz news. Right decision, wrong decision doesn't really matter. I think if I was answering my own poll question, I would have probably leaned.

Doesn't really matter, but it would have been really close with the right decision. The right decision, 52.4% out of the near 3,000 votes at this point, doesn't really matter. Was it 36%? And wrong decision, 11.5% right now. So most people agree that it was the right decision or it's, you know, six and one half dozen the other. All right, that is the show for the day. Back tomorrow with Tommy. We'll certainly start to prep you for the Cleveland game. on Sunday and a lot more, I'm sure, on Wentz and Heineke.