- 1 day ago
The Washington Commanders had plenty of highs and lows during their loss to the Lions on Saturday afternoon. John Keim stopped by The Sports Junkies this morning to analyze Washington’s narrow loss and discuss his biggest takeaways from the game. What are you hoping to see from the Commanders in their third preseason game?
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00ESPN's Commanders beat reporter.
00:02Hey, John.
00:04What up, guys?
00:05Should fans be worried about the Commanders after two preseason games?
00:10I mean, I think everybody should be lined up on the bridge ready to panic to no end, right?
00:15No, I don't.
00:16Well, here's what I say.
00:18I think I would say, based on what we've seen in practice in the collective,
00:23like in the joint practice against Miami and all that,
00:25like there are reasons to think like, hey, this could be like Jane Daniels looks good.
00:30The receivers look good, right?
00:33Like there's depth and there's actually now with Stephon Diggs here
00:35and then you also have Chico Conco in the past game.
00:38So that all looks good.
00:39The defense has been, looks very aggressive.
00:42What we've seen in practice is not what we've seen in the games,
00:45not just in terms of play, but in terms of style.
00:48So I think like there's, so you see that and you say, okay, here you go.
00:53And then, but I think we all know the concerns and it's like,
00:56not just there's the injury, the Tunsil injury is a massive one, right?
01:02Because of the trickle-down effect.
01:04And you have Brandon Coleman's gone out there, he's done a fine job,
01:07but he's not Laramie Tunsil, but then it also takes away what they really need too,
01:11which is interior depth.
01:12And so I think like, you know, so there's concerns or if nothing else,
01:17there are questions there.
01:17Whether you call them concerns, questions,
01:19things that have to be answered a certain way to feel better about things.
01:24And I think the hard part there is with Nick Allegretti out,
01:27if he's your, you know, most likely going to be your starter, that's tough.
01:32And I know these guys know him.
01:33He knows, you know, he's a smart guy that he knows them,
01:36but you still got to work together.
01:38And, you know, until you, until we see how that looks,
01:42it's going to be difficult to know like the final product
01:46and you need cohesion up front.
01:48And that's part of the, that's part of the question flash concern for me.
01:53And I think for others too.
01:55And, but it's also like, what, you know,
01:57do you have the depth up there that you now need to get through a 17 game season?
02:02I think that's also a definite question.
02:04Hey, John,
02:04do you think that there's any second guessing going on as to the move to get rid of
02:09Tyler Biotis before the season started?
02:11No.
02:12Okay.
02:13No, that was done so early.
02:14That was not done with a, you know, to me, it's not ever,
02:18it's never the move you make.
02:19It's the corresponding moves that you make to reveal it.
02:22You know what I'm saying?
02:23Like, so if you're going to do that, first of all, you're doing that that early.
02:26You weren't happy with what you had, period.
02:29This was not a money saving thing.
02:31It was nothing more than it's not working for them.
02:35You know, and this is like, not just, and I say like, you know,
02:39when, when, when players get cut, you know,
02:42you know, you're going to hear a team side and you're going to hear things.
02:44Right.
02:45Stuff that I heard more was more about the play, about like protection calls was not coming
02:50from within.
02:51So, you know, like there's, in other words, it's not just a spin.
02:55So I think, I don't think that they regret that.
02:58I think what you have to look though, is like, did you then, from that point forward,
03:05did you handle it the right way?
03:07And they went after Tyler Lindenbaum, you know, they were willing to pay a certain amount.
03:12The Raiders went crazy and got him.
03:14And then it's like, okay, you know, what's next?
03:17And they really haven't, you know, it was all, when this first happened, it was like,
03:22okay, you got Nick Allegretti and you can bring in, you know,
03:25ideally you bring another veteran center in to either compete or to be an experienced backup.
03:29And that's the part that hasn't happened yet.
03:32And, you know, Julian Good Jones has played two snaps in the NFL.
03:37Matt Goldman is a rookie.
03:38Those are your backups.
03:39Like that's the part that it's not the initial move.
03:42It's like, it's the, it's the rest of it, you know, because you can survive anything.
03:47And the artist's film last year was, you know, nobody's film last year was all that good.
03:54Um, so I don't think they regret that as, you know, but did you handle it the right way,
03:59the rest of the way?
04:00That's certainly, you know, the, the question now for sure.
04:03Fill in the blank, John, Sonny Stiles play has been blank up and down.
04:10Okay.
04:10I think there's, so I think the first week, you know, could he have come downhill better?
04:18Yeah.
04:18Um, and I think, you know, there were times the other day that I think he did that better.
04:22Um, I don't think that we've seen all the ways that they're going to use him.
04:27So it's kind of hard to say, like, I think, for example, like that 50 yard touchdown run,
04:31that's not on him.
04:33And it's, you know, I think it's kind of, he's getting, not that he couldn't have handled
04:37his thing better, his, his play better, but the touchdown doesn't happen because of
04:43him.
04:44Um, could he have handled like, you know, could he have handled the block better?
04:47Yeah.
04:47And, you know, can you get, you know, can you find better ways to get off the block?
04:50Yeah.
04:50That's what he has to learn.
04:52Um, and I think one thing with the preseason to me, which is good is you find these, like,
04:56I'd rather for them, for his sake, that it happens in a preseason game than in a regular
05:01season game.
05:02Now, if that always happens, if it consistently happens, you're not being able to set blocks
05:05like that or whatever, like that becomes a problem.
05:08I don't know that we can say that at this point, but I think the other part with the linebackers
05:12is you're really not, again, you're not seeing them used in those preseason games the way
05:17I think we're, I think we're going to see.
05:20And that's where I'll see like, that's, you know, in practice, he's looked good.
05:24Um, but I think in the games, he's looked like a guy in his first season, right?
05:28You know, you have some plays where it's like, you see certain attributes and then others
05:33are just like, okay, can you handle this better?
05:34And even the other night, there are times where he appears to be filling his gap where others
05:40maybe were getting moved out of theirs.
05:42So I don't know.
05:43And that's one where I, without talking to the coaches about that, I don't know, you
05:47know?
05:47So I don't want to, I don't want to say he did a great and others didn't without really
05:51having full knowledge, but that's, you know, sometimes you're like, you stop the film and
05:55you're like, okay, this guy's here, here and here, this guy gets moved from B gap over
06:01here to the B gap on the other side.
06:03It's like, that's probably not what you want to happen.
06:06So, um, but yeah, I think like he can play better.
06:09You know, I think the other thing with him is what they've talked about is just don't
06:13be afraid to make mistakes and just play fast.
06:16And I think like, that's, that's what you really want to see.
06:19And I don't, I don't think we're there yet.
06:21Um, so, you know, I, I don't know.
06:23It's like, I'd say, I think there's been a slight, slight overreaction on social media
06:28to it.
06:29Um, but I think, can you play better?
06:31Sure. Yeah. To me, it looks a little tentative, but you know, he's a rookie learning.
06:35Yeah. And that's, and that's exactly right.
06:37Like, I think it's, don't be afraid that, you know, you don't have to be perfect.
06:40Um, that was something that, you know, a house state, like that was something there too.
06:44Don't be, you don't have to be perfect with it.
06:46You just have to play fast.
06:48And, um, I think we saw a little bit more of that yet the other night.
06:52Uh, but I felt, I still think you need to get there because you were like, how do you
06:56see it?
06:57Like, how's this going to look in the regular season?
06:59Right.
06:59Right. And you're, you're playing a very good run team in that first game.
07:03So you want to make sure that you are coming downhill a little bit more aggressively at
07:07times.
07:08Um, so I think, so I think I would, I would agree.
07:10Like he looked to me, he looks like a guy in his first couple of games and that's it.
07:15Yeah. Uh, overall though, defensively, I mean, I'm, I'm, I'm happy.
07:19Uh, big jump from the week one of the preseason.
07:22And again, take preseason a grain of salt again, vanilla stuff.
07:25You know, you never know what to make, but week one, one great week too.
07:28I thought over on the whole, a lot better.
07:31A lot of guys pop, a lot of guys flash.
07:33Amik Robertson makes a play.
07:34Even Josh Joseph, you say up and down, but he made some play.
07:38Uh, you know, there were a bunch of guys that got sacks, like five guys.
07:41And I'll say this, I don't know where they're going to put the kid, but I thought that international
07:44guy, he looked like the real deal on the one play there.
07:47You know what I mean?
07:48Like, so I don't know.
07:49I don't know what, what they're going to do with that guy.
07:51Um, I think I agree with that.
07:53Yeah.
07:54So I thought this overall, like defensively big jump from week one.
07:58And there are a bunch of guys that popped in my opinion.
08:02Yeah.
08:02And I think, you know, it's hard because like Detroit stops and they suck.
08:06And yeah, you're not facing that.
08:07So it's always hard to see, but then, you know, like chase sounds up playing.
08:11Always not playing.
08:12Deron Payne wasn't playing.
08:14Which is good.
08:14So it's a little, you know, it's, yeah.
08:16So it's a little bit different.
08:17Um, but I think, you know, again, like what the thing that I'm most curious.
08:22I wanted to mention him too, John.
08:23Yeah.
08:24Yeah.
08:24And he's had, you know, I think, I think he's put himself in a good spot.
08:28Yep.
08:28Um, just with a couple of picks and, you know, it's funny cause someone's like, well, it
08:32was against the backup quarterback.
08:33Well, yeah.
08:34And, and nobody else had that pick either.
08:36Yeah.
08:37So he's, you know, so yeah, that's, he's, I think one thing with,
08:41with him is there's still versatility and he's taken the ball away in two games.
08:45And that's a major point of emphasis for them.
08:46But I, with the defense, what I'm most curious to see is when they are all out there together
08:51and you get away and chase on back or Dorrance Armstrong out there starting in week two, what
08:56does that look like with Sonny and Frankie Louvre and how you maneuver with that group
09:01and what you do with them?
09:02Because I think that's when you can start to be really aggressive because you have the
09:06athleticism and speed out there that is just different from what this group has had.
09:11That's what I'm most curious to see.
09:12And I think like the other night, the play where Amik Robertson, um, you get the sack,
09:18like that was, I liked how that unfolded because like they all, the line slants to the left
09:23and you push, you basically push Dobbs to the other side.
09:26And that's where the blitz is coming from.
09:28And, you know, I think what Robertson gives you too, and Quinn said, this is like, he
09:32calls him a dog ass competitor.
09:34And then if you watch my film, that's where he is now.
09:36Are there limitations?
09:37Yeah.
09:38But, um, he brings that.
09:40So, you know, you, you, there are good signs there.
09:43I think I'll be really curious to see how it looks against Baltimore and the joint practice
09:48on Wednesday.
09:49Um, and then again, what does it, you know, when does Oway come back from the string calf?
09:54Um, what does it look like when it's all together and starting in week one and they play, we
09:59know they play a tough schedule early.
10:02What level are they at early in the year?
10:04That's going to be the big question.
10:06Cause I think, you know, you need them to be at a certain level, um, for sure.
10:09And can they get there right away?
10:11Hey, John, uh, one of your colleagues, uh, tweeted, I forget the name, uh, female though,
10:16but she was like, um, it wasn't Nikki, but it was somebody else.
10:19But that essentially the offensive line, her claim was, this is what I was saying all through
10:23camp is that we could see the issues in that even when Jaden's making plays that she was
10:28quoted as saying, essentially, um, that would have been a sack in a real game.
10:32When you do these controlled crimps, uh, scrimmages, joint practices, whatever, I know you can't
10:38hit the quarterback, obviously, but like, can you fairly judge like, cause everyone says
10:43Jaden's been sharp and I believe you, right?
10:45I believe you a hundred percent, but like, is he really sharp or would he have been sacked
10:50on a bunch of those plays and they're being exposed in the preseason?
10:54You know what I mean?
10:54I'm trying to, I think, yeah, yeah, no, I, I get you.
10:57I, and it, you know, there are definitely times where like, you know, I'll even talk
11:00about whether it's, you know, whether for ESPN or on the podcast, like, you know, he did
11:04this, but it would have been a sack.
11:06Yeah.
11:06Um, but you know, you continue through with the play and it's like the rest of it's good.
11:10So you take that, but it's really like, yeah, that would have been a sack.
11:13So there's definitely times where that happens for sure.
11:16And I think when, when you're watching it, you take into account, I think the hard part
11:20to always know is with a guy like Jaden, what could he have gotten out of?
11:25Like, we, you know what I mean?
11:26Like that's sometimes, sometimes it's like, it's obvious.
11:29Um, I would say last year it was way, it was much worse, much worse last year with it.
11:35And so, um, you know, I think like the, the hard, the thing too, unless definitely that
11:44happens, I think the other part is, you know, if you have a defense that's ultra aggressive,
11:49are you as ready for it now as you need to be?
11:53Like, if you're facing this kind of being a game, what, what happens, you know, what
11:57kind of game plan do you do?
11:59Yeah.
11:59Like if you're, you know, or, you know, or like Minnesota's last year, like when they
12:03played Minnesota last year, the big knock was like, a lot of guys here felt like they
12:07didn't have the answers to the pressure that Minnesota is bringing.
12:11And that could be with the routes, et cetera, like, and the feeling with this offense is
12:15they feel like they have more answers to handle that.
12:18Well, you know, like, so I'd be curious to see it in the game too, um, to see, but I
12:23think, you know, I think the other thing is it makes when you're switching guys around
12:28or having to move guys around or whatever, like that's, there's going to be some issues
12:32and you don't have all your guys out there.
12:35Right.
12:35And so I think you see the results of that at times for sure.
12:39And so, yeah, like, you know, there, I definitely, there are definitely times where it's funny
12:43because, and this is not a knock on anybody, but the fans are out there and Jano can be
12:47a long pass and it's like, everybody cheers, but you're like, well, that was a sack.
12:51And so you, you know what I mean?
12:53I thought, but I get why they're doing that.
12:55Like that's, it looks good and it's, and it's a good throw and all that, but yeah, it
12:59would have been a sack.
13:00Um, you know, so.
13:01All right, John, good stuff.
13:03Good insight as always.
13:04Talk to you soon.
13:05Thanks guys.
13:06Yep.
13:06Time from ESPN.com.
13:09We're the junkies coming right back.
Comments