- 8 hours ago
The Sports Junkies react to the Washington Commanders schedule.
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00:00The NFL does it, so it kind of just builds to crescendo,
00:04and you finally get the full schedule release.
00:07We're going to actually give our official picks coming up at 8 o'clock
00:11going through the schedule, but what jumped out to you at first?
00:14It was the worst schedule I've ever seen.
00:17I'm not kidding.
00:18I'll be honest with you.
00:19The schedule stuff doesn't move me.
00:21I think it's silly.
00:22But you already knew the opponents.
00:24Of course.
00:24That's why it doesn't move me.
00:26And so it's just like whatever.
00:28However, when this schedule came out, they couldn't have front-loaded us worse.
00:32It's tough early.
00:33It is catastrophic.
00:36Like, DQ should start looking for new spots.
00:39The first nine weeks.
00:41He needs to start looking.
00:43He needs to start.
00:44I don't know where he wants to retire, but he needs to start looking.
00:47He's got a silly place in Hawaii already.
00:49It's going to be hard to recover from.
00:50This is going to be very hard.
00:52The way I look at it is you're just going to have to look at two-game blocks
00:55and get splits.
00:56Or you're going to have to get lucky.
00:57It's going to take a miracle.
00:58What jumped out at me was the back-to-back division road games to start the year.
01:02Of course.
01:02That is a brutal one-two punch.
01:05Honestly, you couldn't come up with this.
01:07There's no way you could come up with a more difficult start,
01:09given our opponents.
01:10We already knew them.
01:11They couldn't have front-loaded us worse.
01:13It is a catastrophic schedule.
01:16Now, who knows?
01:17You never know.
01:18Hopefully, some guys.
01:19I mean, Dallas isn't a juggernaut.
01:20No, but you're playing a match.
01:21But you're playing a division rival.
01:22Typically, those are tough games.
01:25We've been horrible.
01:26We've been the worst defense over the last five years.
01:29I think somebody pointed out, I saw a stat, where we've gotten more touchdowns than any
01:33defense in football the last five years.
01:34Well, that's why they brought in O.A. and Chason and Chennault and Cross.
01:38Agreed.
01:38And maybe we'll be able to get through there four and four or something.
01:41That's some miracle.
01:41I have no idea how.
01:43Well, that, to me, and I know the HTTR crowd doesn't like to hear it, that they're all
01:47rah-rah.
01:48That is a brutal start.
01:50If it's five playoff teams in the first eight matchups.
01:54I agree.
01:55However, look, the Cowboys are not a juggernaut.
01:59They're going to be better.
02:01Colts, a middling team.
02:03Giants should be better, but they're a bad team.
02:05Yeah, but the problem is you're playing the Colts overseas, so that's kind of unpredictable.
02:09You're playing them at that.
02:10It's a division rival.
02:11We already know they're offensive weapons.
02:14Everybody knows the stats.
02:16Typically, if you start out 0-2, you're at 10% or whatever to make the playoffs.
02:21Now, with the 17 games, guys, you go to the 0-3.
02:24There's been one team that started out 0-3 that's made the playoffs in history.
02:29One team.
02:30It's like 1-25.
02:32Texans last year.
02:33Oh, I thought it was the Giants for some reason.
02:34Texans last year.
02:38They could easily go 0-3.
02:39That doesn't mean you can't recover from it.
02:42I don't think the odds have changed much.
02:45Maybe they'll get hot.
02:46Maybe they'll surprise people.
02:47The 0-2 start, the odds haven't changed much.
02:49It's pretty much identical, even though they expanded from 16 to 17 games.
02:55I agree.
02:56It looks like a very difficult, especially early schedule, but the Cowboys, the Colts,
03:03the Giants, those are the games you've got to get in the first six weeks.
03:06If they can somehow manage the first 10 weeks close to .500, the second half is much softer.
03:14Yeah, yeah, yeah.
03:15But it's just a matter of, is the damage going to be done?
03:18Yeah, you don't want to be 3-6.
03:20It's going to be painful.
03:21I almost feel like somebody's sadistic over there, like a human being, maybe Mike North
03:26or whoever's coming on, a human being said, we're just going to bone the Skins.
03:31We're going to bone them as hard as we can, because I don't think you could have come up
03:35with a more difficult situation, other than maybe just making your first six games all
03:39on the road.
03:39They also have back-to-back primetime games.
03:41Yeah, I mean, it's brutal.
03:43One of them, they're traveling all the way to the West Coast.
03:45I think the Eagles are on the decline.
03:47Let's hope.
03:50Yeah, but they're still going to be good.
03:52Probably, yes.
03:52It could be declined from...
03:53That's not an easy opening assignment.
03:55I'm not saying it's easy, but...
03:56Pick a game you think will be a favorite.
03:59In the Giants, potentially.
04:01In the first nine.
04:02In the Colts.
04:02They'll be favored against the Colts.
04:03They'll be favored against the Giants at home.
04:06Probably two out of...
04:07That's about it.
04:07Two out of six.
04:09Yeah.
04:10That sounds right.
04:11Do you like the week seven bye?
04:13Two out of nine, I'd say.
04:14I do like the week seven bye instead of week five.
04:16Yeah, better than week five.
04:17It's not generally after international travel, but I'd rather bank it and have it in week
04:22seven than week five.
04:24It's the middle of the pack.
04:25It's still kind of early.
04:26All right, so actually, in the primetime games, they have the bye.
04:28I'd much rather have it in the past.
04:29They have the bye in between those two.
04:31Yeah, at the San Fran.
04:31All right, that helps.
04:32That helps a little bit.
04:33A week five bye, then you're just on a death march to the end of the season without any
04:37break in sight.
04:38How many primetime games did they end up with?
04:40Four, I think.
04:40Four.
04:41Four.
04:41Four.
04:43Two Monday nights, one Sunday night, one Thursday night.
04:46But the stretch where they have the Cardinals, Titans, Texans at home, Falcons at home.
04:50At Minnesota.
04:52And then at Minnesota.
04:53They've got to go on a run there.
04:55They have to go on a streak.
04:57Their record has to be around 500 or better before that stretch.
05:00Yeah.
05:01I would agree.
05:02I just, in my lifetime, 56 years old, I've never seen a schedule so impactful.
05:12Just on the face of it, on paper, anything could change.
05:15You don't know.
05:16Guys get hurt.
05:17Teams are worse than you think.
05:19But I've never felt so boned.
05:22And I already knew all the opponents.
05:24Now, what helps is the two of the toughest teams on the schedule, the Seahawks and Rams,
05:29they are playing them at home.
05:30That helps a little bit.
05:32And the Cowboys have a losing record last year.
05:33Even though the Seahawks came here and destroyed them.
05:35I don't feel like we have much of a home field advantage.
05:36No, but at least you're not flying out there to play them.
05:39Yeah.
05:40We have a very average home field.
05:42The Cowboys had a losing record last year.
05:44The Giants were one of the worst teams in the league.
05:47Okay.
05:47And the Colts finished 8-9.
05:51So, it does look tough.
05:53But three out of those six teams had losing records.
05:56All right.
05:56Well, Washington had five wins last year.
05:59I'm aware.
06:00We've got a brand new offensive coordinator, brand new defensive coordinator.
06:03I think you have to kind of erase what those teams did and what they looked like last year
06:07because they look totally different.
06:09Look at how many defensive parts the Cowboys added.
06:12Including Caleb Downs.
06:13They just better.
06:13But so did the Commanders.
06:14That's what I mean.
06:15Including Sonny Stiles.
06:16Right.
06:16But you're going back to last year.
06:18All of these teams look different.
06:19But that's how we talk about schedule strength.
06:22And when people are saying it looks like such a daunting schedule, this is unbelievable.
06:27This is the worst schedule I've ever seen.
06:29Three out of the first six games are against teams that had losing records last year.
06:34Understood.
06:35But I mean...
06:35So did we.
06:36Dallas...
06:37They lost to Dallas with backup quarterbacks.
06:40It kind of doesn't really matter.
06:41When you're playing a division game, it's...
06:42I can't go back to last year.
06:44Dallas is going to be better than we were at.
06:45All I know is this.
06:46They've got to find a way.
06:47Honestly, the bar's low.
06:48They've got to win one of the first three.
06:50And I don't know how the hell they're going to do it.
06:51But they've got to find a way to win one of the first three.
06:54It's a must.
06:55Well, Jaden has to play like he did two years ago.
06:57Jaden has to carry the football team.
07:00Jaden has to play like he did two years ago.
07:02He's got to carry the football.
07:03I find it hard to believe they're going to beat the Seahawks because I still have just
07:06the memories of that Seahawks drubbing fresh in my brain from last season.
07:10I mean...
07:11I understand that the commanders have made...
07:13You'd be a fool to pick them to beat Seattle.
07:13They've made upgrades defensively, but I don't think that they're going to be able to beat
07:18Seattle at home.
07:19I mean, maybe they can win.
07:20Anybody can win any given week.
07:22But you'd be a fool to pick them.
07:24I think.
07:26I think in the first three weeks...
07:28Against Seattle.
07:29Be a fool to pick them against Seattle.
07:30Sure, they can win.
07:32Upsets happen.
07:34But...
07:34And it's hard for me, honestly, to pick them at Philly and at Dallas.
07:38I'll probably do it just because I'm a blind homer, but I don't know how the hell they're
07:41going to do it.
07:42Just maybe surprising people.
07:44New offense coordinator.
07:44They've got to find a way to go three and two in that first five.
07:48I just need to win in the first three.
07:50You've got to find...
07:50I can't start out 0-3.
07:51But you also don't know...
07:53Like, you know, using Jason's, we just don't know.
07:56The Niners could take a big step back this year.
07:59And Purdy missed a ton of games last year.
08:01It could happen again by the time you hit October 19th.
08:04It's all true.
08:05Anything could happen.
08:06Of course, you can't predict.
08:07Teams won't be the way we think now.
08:09But even...
08:10That's not going to be an easy game.
08:11But some bad teams are going to be better.
08:13It doesn't even matter who's playing quarterback.
08:14West Coast travel.
08:15Yeah.
08:15Primetime game.
08:16I don't think that...
08:17Well-coached team.
08:18It's obviously not a layup type game.
08:20Like you said, they'll be an underdog in that game.
08:23And like the Niners taking a step back under Shanahan basically means they would win like
08:28nine or ten games instead of 12 or 13.
08:30So there should still be like a really good unit.
08:33Sure.
08:35I just think they have to find a way to win...
08:37I think they've got to find a way to win one of the first three.
08:39Three of the first five.
08:40Got to beat the Colts in London.
08:42Got to beat the Giants here the following week.
08:45Steal one of the first three.
08:46And steal one of the first three.
08:47Steal one of the first three.
08:47The season hinges on that.
08:49Otherwise, buy a relocation service or contact them because they're going to be looking for
08:54a new staff.
08:55Mm-hmm.
08:56Well...
08:56They can't start out 0-3.
08:58Yeah, 0-3 is going to be bad.
09:01I mean, it's bleak.
09:02I don't think they'll be 0-3.
09:03I think somehow they'll finish...
09:04They'll steal one, hopefully.
09:05They'll be 1-2 in the first three.
09:06Hopefully they steal one.
09:06I mean, the Eagles, I understand they've won the division back-to-back, been in the Super
09:12Bowl, have a Super Bowl MVP at quarterback.
09:16But all he's, the entire offseason is, all he's been, is been a scrutinized quarterback.
09:24Yeah, I don't think he's that great.
09:25They don't seem to like him.
09:26But he is a winner.
09:27Saquon Barkley had a down year last year.
09:29They're probably trading A.J. Brown.
09:31Yep.
09:31That's good.
09:32Might lose a key piece to the offense.
09:33Losing A.J. Brown, which I think is a given, is good.
09:37That's helpful.
09:38Even though he won a Super Bowl and has this great record, nobody's really a big Nick Sirianni
09:43believer, I could see them having a down year.
09:46At some point, they're going to regress.
09:47I hope they have a down week one and the Commanders can upset them in Philly.
09:51I mean, the Cowboys were a losing team a year ago.
09:54But everybody's picking, as you said, just a couple days ago, everyone's picking Philly,
09:59Dallas, and the Giants ahead of us.
10:01I don't know that the Giants are always picked ahead of them.
10:03I just heard somebody, I can't remember who it was, like when ESPN had the Giants still
10:08last.
10:10I'm going to guess the Giants are going to be picked last by most pundits heading into
10:14the season in the NFC East.
10:17I mean, didn't neighbors just have a cleanup surgery?
10:21If I were Harbaugh, I'd be concerned about that, about his top offensive weapon, getting
10:27cleanups and getting his knee tweaked a few months before camp.
10:31It doesn't seem great.
10:32I had the same injury and I had a cleanup surgery.
10:34That's never a good sign.
10:35Yeah.
10:38It means there was a bump in the road during rehab.
10:41It does look difficult, though, the first nine weeks.
10:43It does.
10:44It really does.
10:45It's very difficult.
10:46I was stunned when I looked at it.
10:51Because I'm like, oh, let's see, did they get Arizona in week one?
10:53Philly again?
10:55At Dallas?
10:56Seattle?
10:57And honestly, I have more respect for Indy.
10:59Because I actually have more respect.
11:01Daniel Jones plays well against us.
11:03Well, Jonathan Taylor could run for $1.60.
11:05Yeah, I mean, I don't think that's a gimme at all.
11:08Like, I'm looking for gimme's.
11:09And I don't see them until later.
11:11You know, and even that's a laughable statement in this league.
11:15I mean, you hope that at Arizona and at Tennessee, back-to-back weeks are relative gimme's.
11:20How did your schedule go, Cakes?
11:22Oh, I don't think I got one correct.
11:24Aside from the...
11:24Hero for 17?
11:26Aside from the Colts game, which I already knew was confirmed.
11:29Because you had the Cardinals in week one.
11:30Had the Cardinals in week one.
11:32Incorrect.
11:33I had Atlanta in week two.
11:35Wrong.
11:36At Jacksonville in week three.
11:37No, you...
11:37Wrong.
11:38You had them finishing against Dallas.
11:41Yeah, but at Dallas.
11:42So maybe that's half...
11:43Yeah, but you had the right opponent.
11:44Maybe that's half credit.
11:45Yeah.
11:45I had them ending with a bunch of division games, not starting with a bunch of division
11:48games.
11:49Well, because that's how it's been the last couple seasons.
11:51So this is the curveball.
11:53Now, here's the other side of it.
11:56But if they have greatly improved, the way a lot of us do think they have, and they shock
12:01a couple people and you knock out...
12:02Like, let's just say, you know, they play close games, but they're a much more formidable
12:07team.
12:08And they think, you know, they win a field goal game against Dallas and a field goal
12:11game against Philly.
12:12You know, start out 2-1 or whatever.
12:14And you got a little momentum and you beat an Indy team.
12:173-1.
12:17Now you're really setting yourself up.
12:20If you get, you know, just shock people, play competitive, you got Jaden there, a little
12:26heroics, you got your defense much better, creating a few turnovers, and you actually
12:30shock people early, the back end is great for that kind of scenario.
12:37But if you start out 0-3, it's over, it doesn't even matter.
12:40Right, because your last six games include the Titans, include the Falcons, Texans...
12:46Put it this way, in my world...
12:47They're the kind of opponents I want to play every week.
12:51The Vikings.
12:52You have bravado against them.
12:53Yeah, give me those teams, you know, in a league that's brutal.
12:57I mean, if they don't win both the Arizona and Tennessee games, I find it hard to believe
13:03that they're going to be in contention for a playoff spot.
13:05Those are road games.
13:05Those are the must-wins.
13:06They are.
13:07Those are the must-win games.
13:08But if you look at the schedule, if you're going to pick out a couple where you say,
13:12all right, those are wins, those are dubs, those back-to-back weeks, you would say
13:16those are wins.
13:17Anything can happen, you go on the road and lose to anybody.
13:19We'll beat some teams we think they're going to lose to, and we'll lose to teams we think
13:23we're going to beat.
13:23But even some of these other games, I mean, the Texans at home, Texans had kind of a down
13:27year, certainly offensively.
13:28They won 12 games.
13:29Well, their defense is ferocious.
13:30Their defense is absurd.
13:31Yeah.
13:32That's not easy.
13:32Now, hopefully, Jaden carves up that defense.
13:34Jacksonville on the road?
13:35That's not easy.
13:36No, it's definitely not easy.
13:37They're a playoff team.
13:39Vikings with Kyler Murray?
13:40Vikings on the road?
13:41That's not easy.
13:42Well, I kind of disrespect Kyler Murray.
13:44Yeah, but the Vikings have found a way to be a solid team, even when they have quarterback
13:49issues.
13:50Sneak preview, I might have that as a dub.
13:53We'll get into all the picks later.
13:55Eight o'clock.
13:55Eight o'clock.
13:56Our official predictions.
13:57I have no idea how many predictions.
13:58Which I think is the second time, because we went through this when we knew the opponents.
14:01Third time, at least.
14:03Third?
14:03I think so.
14:04Because when the schedule first, when the opponents first came out, we did it.
14:07Mm-hmm.
14:08At least I think it was the second time.
14:10After the draft.
14:10But this is the first official.
14:12Yeah.
14:12Those were all just preliminary.
14:15Yeah.
14:15Because you don't want to save those?
14:17Good.
14:17Good.
14:17Because mine's going to change dramatically.
14:19Mine's going to change dramatically.
14:20This is the first official.
14:21We'll refer back to it.
14:22I have never been so affected by a schedule release.
14:25It's never been.
14:26You're definitely shook by the schedule.
14:27Oh, it shook me.
14:28Yeah, you're not looking.
14:29I sleep on it.
14:30I laugh at people that try to predict it.
14:32How could you predict it?
14:33Nobody can.
14:34And you already know the opponents.
14:36You mean Cakes got half a game right?
14:37No, you can't predict it.
14:38They'll just all be wrong.
14:39Yeah.
14:40I mean, I don't know how many Kevin Sheehan got right on his mock.
14:43He does it every year.
14:44I'm not sure how many he got right.
14:45But I think he did predict that they would start at Philly.
14:48Well, they always start at Philly now.
14:50That's just what we do.
14:51I know.
14:51That was amazing.
14:52Versus Philly.
14:53You were bringing that up, too.
14:54They play Philly all the time.
14:55I think this is five times in the last 20 years where they've opened up against Philly.
14:59I actually could not believe it.
15:01I could not believe how front-wheel it was.
15:03It's either Philly or the Giants that they open up with.
15:04I mean, I was staggered.
15:06I mean, I was just stunned.
15:10I've never been so impacted by a schedule release.
15:13All my optimism literally went down the toilet.
15:16If you flipped, how would you feel if you simply moved Dallas week two and Seattle in week three?
15:23If you flip that with Texans-Falcons, which is later in the season.
15:27That is manageable.
15:28Yeah, that's a manageable thing.
15:30I mean, of course, these guys are pros.
15:33They'll play hard.
15:34Maybe they'll win.
15:35But, man, I just feel like we're decided dogs.
15:39But, I mean, like you said, you can't predict what teams are going to look like in week 12.
15:43Yeah.
15:44I mean, the Bengals might.
15:45I mean, who knows?
15:46Burrow could be on the injured list when they play him.
15:48Who knows?
15:48We just don't know.
15:49But, yeah, for sure.
15:51But, on paper, first nine weeks, brutal.
15:54Brutal.
15:541-800-636-1067 is the number if you want to chime in.
15:59You can also tweet us at Junk's Radio.
16:02Coming up next, our pal Neil Greenberg and his take on the schedule.
16:05Plus, he's got Preakness picks.
16:07We'll talk about the Wizards trade market and more with our pal Neil Greenberg here on The Fan.
16:12We'll talk about it.
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