- 1 week ago
We finally made it to The Sports Junkies annual Crab Kickoff! In this two part segment, the guys went through the Washington Commanders entire schedule and gave their predictions for every game. What’s your record prediction for the Commanders?
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00:00It's now time for us to give our commanders final season schedule predictions game by game.
00:09I think this is at least the third time we've done this.
00:12Maybe the fourth.
00:13Probably.
00:14You're doing it at various stages.
00:15Somewhere in that range.
00:17Around the draft, around free agency.
00:19All right.
00:19Play it.
00:21Yeah, you get all pumped up.
00:23We were talking about the death of the planet for the last 20 minutes.
00:27Need to get back into a cheerier mood.
00:29Yeah, I mean, this is why we live right here.
00:31That's right.
00:32This is why we're here.
00:33Another season or two to enjoy.
00:35That's right.
00:37Maybe they can get us to the new stadium.
00:41My buddy was listening.
00:42Just so you know, Robert E.
00:43My buddy was listening.
00:44He has a wealth company running by AI.
00:49AI Wealth Company is how he describes his company.
00:51It's done very well.
00:52He used to live next door to John Feinstein.
00:56He said, you don't just have to assume that it's going to wipe out society.
00:59And he has a meeting with Anthropic today.
01:02All right.
01:02Whatever.
01:03He's been on the stage.
01:04Whatever.
01:04Good for him.
01:05Now we're going to do it.
01:05Well, I hope he's able to enjoy his money for the next 40 years.
01:08Glad he's going to get rich while he destroys society.
01:11Now we're going to use some HI, human intelligence, to pick the commander's final schedule.
01:17Game by game.
01:18All right.
01:18I'll lead off.
01:19They kick off the season at Philadelphia.
01:22You keep track of all this, by the way.
01:23You can keep track of your own picks.
01:25I'm not keeping track of everybody's picks.
01:27This is how I'm keeping track of it right here.
01:29Well, that's fine.
01:29When I speak into this.
01:30That's fine.
01:31I'm not writing it down.
01:32I'm going to write down my picks.
01:33All right.
01:33So at Philadelphia, commanders on the road to start the season with the first of two division
01:39road games.
01:40I have the commanders upsetting the Eagles in week one.
01:43I got the commanders with a road dub.
01:45I think you flipped.
01:46Start the season.
01:47Because three weeks ago or so, I think you were on the Eagles.
01:51It's very possible.
01:51Weren't you?
01:52No.
01:52He's been pro commanders, but he's also been hyping up all of their injuries.
01:58It was like a weird spot he was in.
02:00I know, but for this particular matchup, I felt like...
02:02No, he's been picking Washington.
02:03In week one?
02:04He's been leaning towards it, yeah.
02:05Okay.
02:06I've been monitoring him.
02:07I've been actually going the other way and just doom and gloom.
02:10I hate the way the schedule lays out.
02:11First 11 games, I see only about three of them that I think are reasonably good situations.
02:16But the narrative has turned so much against them that I am going to pick Washington to
02:21shock everyone.
02:23Everyone's just acting like we're in the 31st.
02:24NFL power rankings yesterday had us the 31st.
02:27Well, that's stupid.
02:28Yeah, it's just stupid.
02:29Disrespectful.
02:29If you think that Jaden's a legit top 7 or 8 quarterback, you don't pick them 31st.
02:35That's crazy.
02:36So I think the narrative's gone too much in the wrong direction, so I'm going to actually
02:39pick them to upset Philly.
02:41I've got Philly winning this game.
02:43It's at home from Philadelphia.
02:44I think Washington has too many questions.
02:46We didn't see much in the preseason, and that's the case for all of these teams.
02:50But I think offensive line questions, defensive questions, rookie at middle linebacker.
02:58Meanwhile, we know what the Eagles have, and Washington hasn't had success stopping Saquon
03:03Barkley, so I'll go with the Eagles.
03:04Yeah, I think Barkley bounces back this year.
03:06He was basically 1,000 yards less last year running the ball than he was two years ago when
03:11he put up 2K.
03:13So I think he bounces back.
03:15Yeah, I agree.
03:15There's a lot of questions for Washington.
03:17I'm not saying they're going to look as stale as New England did last night offensively.
03:22I just think that Davis and Carter up the middle are going to give them problems.
03:25They've got really good DBs.
03:28I think it's going to take a couple of weeks for the passing offense to kind of get into
03:33a rhythm.
03:35I think Washington's defense will play better than what people expect in this game, but
03:40I do believe that the Eagles win this game in a tight one.
03:43Maybe not 13-10, but maybe in the high teens, low 20.
03:46So I'll take the Eagles in week one.
03:48All right.
03:49Cakes, week two.
03:50At Dallas.
03:51So we go at Dallas, the second of back-to-back divisional games.
03:55I have the Commanders taking a loss to even the record at 1-1.
03:59I just feel like the combo of Lamb and Pickens may be too much for this Washington secondary
04:05that'll still be without Trey Amos at that point.
04:08So I have them losing to the Cowboys in week two.
04:12Yeah, I hate to agree with Cakes, but I do.
04:14I'll take them losing.
04:16I just want them to split.
04:16It doesn't really matter how they do it.
04:18If they could split and go one-on-one, that'd be great.
04:21So if they lose to Philly, they've got to find a way to beat Dallas.
04:24But I'll have them beating Philly and then losing to Dallas.
04:28I think Dallas has got a very, very prolific offense.
04:30It might be hard to keep up.
04:31I'm reverse of you two guys.
04:33I think they'll be desperate after an 0-1 start and they'll bounce back with a win against
04:36the Dallas Cowboys.
04:37All right, so one-on-one.
04:38That's all I'm looking for.
04:39I'm reversing it as well.
04:41I think they go down to Dallas and win.
04:42All right.
04:43Look at that.
04:43And I am keeping track, Chase.
04:44Excellent.
04:45Excellent.
04:45Yeah, we usually do.
04:47All right, so we're through two weeks now.
04:48The Commanders come home to face the reigning Super Bowl champions who we saw in action last
04:55night.
04:55I've been on the fence with this one, but especially if Sam Darnold misses.
04:59Yeah.
05:00And we don't know his status at this point.
05:02We don't know how serious the hip injury is.
05:04But if Drew Locke starts this game, I don't care about how vaunted the defense is, Draft
05:10t-shirt.
05:10I have the Commanders upsetting the Seahawks at Northwest Stadium.
05:14Okay, what if Drew Locke doesn't start the game?
05:16I mean, I give them a little bit of a bigger chance if Darnold is there.
05:19So you're just assuming that Locke is going to start this game?
05:21I'm assuming this is a multi-week injury for Sam Darnold.
05:24That's just, I'm just assuming that.
05:26I'm just going to give credit to the defense.
05:28Defense, I think it's one of the more dominating defenses I've seen in a while.
05:31So I will take Seattle to defeat us at home for our home opener.
05:36It'd be a bummer.
05:37But yeah, I got us at one and two at that point.
05:39I agree with you.
05:40They're the Super Bowl champs.
05:41They only allowed 10 points last night.
05:42Had three interceptions, three sacks just in the fourth quarter.
05:45That's a tough team to beat.
05:46Even at home.
05:47Well, they were playing in Seattle.
05:48It's a little different.
05:49Now, remember Seattle came here last year, boat raced the Commanders.
05:53And that was ugly.
05:54Well, that's...
05:55That was an ugly performance.
05:56Darnold played, and Washington was a terrible defense.
06:00That's true.
06:01But I still have Seattle winning this game.
06:03I mean, I'm on the fence because I don't know who the quarterback's going to be, but...
06:06None of us do.
06:07Darnold and Orlok will win this game.
06:10All right.
06:10Colts, week four, Cakes.
06:12All right.
06:12So the Commanders are packing their bags for their international trip, playing this game in London.
06:18I have the Commanders traveling well and beating the Indianapolis Colts in an international affair.
06:25E.B.'s going to love it because that game's going to start at 9.30 a.m.
06:29That has the Commanders at 3-1 on my schedule.
06:33Yeah, I'll have them at 2-2.
06:34But if you can't beat the Colts, I mean, we got no shot at doing anything.
06:37So I will take the dub over to Colts.
06:41I think they're going to have a tough time stopping Jonathan Taylor.
06:43I'll take the Colts in that one.
06:45The Commanders beat the Colts in London.
06:48All right.
06:48Very good.
06:49Love that.
06:49Love to see that.
06:50All right.
06:50So I believe I've got them 2-2.
06:52So we're through four games.
06:53We will get the rest of them when we come back during the crab kickoff.
06:56We will give all of our Commanders picks for the rest of the schedule for 2026.
07:01Don't forget, coming up later, Dave Richard joins us at 8 o'clock.
07:04He'll help you set your fantasy lineups for week one where the Junk's will be right back.
07:09But before that, we have to finish picking the Commanders' final regular season schedule.
07:15We give our predictions.
07:16We do it every single year.
07:18All right.
07:18These are the official ones.
07:20We're held to this.
07:21We got through the first month, right?
07:22We got through the first four games.
07:24So now we have the Giants coming to Northwest Field.
07:28I have the Commanders off to a 4-1 rousing start.
07:33What?
07:33Where they win over their division rival.
07:36That's an unbelievable start.
07:37The Giants.
07:38I mean, with this schedule, if they can start out 4-1, it is all on, buddy.
07:43I'm not quite off to as good a start as you can, but I will have them beating the Giants.
07:50So for me, that would put them at 3-2.
07:53Which, you know, okay, no panic.
07:55We survived the first five games.
07:58That would be a good spot.
07:59They could be 3-2.
08:02I'm going to give them a win against the Giants as well.
08:04I have them in the midst of a two-game losing streak.
08:07They got to get a win against the Giants.
08:09It's at home.
08:09I think they'll probably split during the season.
08:13So I'd have them at 2-3.
08:14Jason?
08:15I think Jackson Dart will be out for this game.
08:17So Jameis Winston will be playing.
08:20Not that that's a huge drop-off.
08:22But I still believe that Commanders do get a win at home.
08:26Beat the Giants to improve 2-3-2.
08:29All right.
08:30All right.
08:30Up next, a road trip to Santa Clara to take on the 49ers for Monday Night Football on October 19th.
08:39I have the Commanders dropping this one after a three-game eater.
08:44I have them falling to the Niners 4-2 at this point.
08:48Yeah, it's hard for me to imagine us beating the Niners.
08:50I don't think we're on that level.
08:52So I'll take a loss.
08:54Can't disagree with you.
08:55I think they lose San Francisco.
08:56We're all on the same page.
08:57Yeah, I mean.
08:58Who knows?
08:58The Niners could have a ton of injuries.
08:59Yeah, if they lose McCaffrey and all these other guys.
09:02Great.
09:02Jaden could also be out by week six.
09:04Anything could happen.
09:05Of course.
09:05But I'll take, on a Monday night out, San Francisco, I'll take the Niners.
09:08I have to assume Jaden's going to be healthy making these predictions.
09:11I can't.
09:11Yes, that is clearly what I'm doing.
09:13These are not Marcus Mariota predictions.
09:17All bets are off.
09:18These are with J.D. 5 at the helm.
09:20If we lose Jaden, I predict we lose every single game.
09:24All right.
09:25So after the Niners game is the bye week.
09:28Then they come off the bye.
09:30At home, another divisional game on tap.
09:33The Eagles are in town.
09:35I have the Commanders sweeping the Eagles.
09:39They improved to five and two on my docket.
09:42I don't know how you can do that.
09:43I'll have them splitting with them.
09:45Can we do a $2 bet that they won't sweep the Eagles?
09:49Sure.
09:50Or more?
09:51No, I'll bet $2.
09:52All right.
09:53Why not?
09:53All right.
09:54I have it.
09:54It's two measly dollars.
09:55We're all going to kill my robots at some point.
09:58So what does it matter?
09:59It doesn't matter.
10:00All right.
10:00So I have them losing the Eagles.
10:01That puts them at three and four.
10:03JP?
10:04I'm going to have them bouncing back and getting a win against the Eagles in that game.
10:07I have two weeks to prepare.
10:09I have them beating the Eagles as well.
10:12All right.
10:13Splitting.
10:13I like it.
10:14Splitting with the Eagles.
10:15All right.
10:16Coming up next, the Rams make a trip east for a one o'clock kick at Northwest Stadium.
10:21If you pick them against the Rams, you're just dumb.
10:22I have the Rams topping the Commanders, and I have the Commanders falling to five and three
10:27at that point.
10:29Yeah.
10:29Loser.
10:30I mean, nobody realistic on the planet can pick them to beat the Rams.
10:33I mean, that's just dumb.
10:34Someone will.
10:35No.
10:36It's just dumb.
10:36It's not going to be me.
10:37I'll have them losing to the Rams.
10:38It's not going to be me either.
10:39If you pick them against the Rams, you're just being stupid.
10:42I mean, it doesn't mean that they can't win, but no one can realistically predict that
10:45they're going to beat them.
10:46Well, the Rams have lost on the East Coast a lot.
10:48Okay, but I mean, there's no real logical reason to pick the Rams.
10:51No, I mean, the Rams are better on paper.
10:53Yeah, I mean, the Rams are going to beat them eight times out of ten.
10:55Rams.
10:56Yeah, but that's two times that they don't beat them.
10:59Yeah.
10:59Eight out of ten.
11:00Yeah.
11:00All right.
11:01Well, go ahead and pick them then.
11:02I'm not.
11:03I'm taking the Rams.
11:05Yeah.
11:05All right.
11:06So that means they are four and four in my book.
11:09So on a short week after the Rams game, the Commanders have to travel to the Giants.
11:15That must be a Thursday night game.
11:17It's on Prime Video.
11:18So that is correct.
11:19I have the Commanders sweeping the Giants as well.
11:24I have them at six and three.
11:26Yeah.
11:27I mean, if Jaden's there, I mean, this is the code red game for them.
11:30So I'll have them also sweeping the Giants.
11:33Disrespect.
11:34I know Vinny is upset.
11:36I'll have them beating the Giants in New York.
11:39I think the Giants win that game.
11:41And for me, I'd have the Washington Commanders in a code red situation because I haven't met
11:47three and six at that point in the season.
11:48Yeah.
11:49I have them losing to the Giants in New York.
11:52Jackson Dart's back on the field.
11:56He's good.
11:57He's not great.
11:58He's not.
11:59But he's their starter.
12:00Okay.
12:01All right.
12:02Next up.
12:02All right.
12:03Next up.
12:04We have the Bengals.
12:05By the way, I may have botched the bye week draft.
12:08Can you tell me exactly what the bye week is?
12:10I thought it was a bit earlier in the schedule.
12:13Maybe it's between.
12:14No, the bye week is between the Giants and Bengals.
12:16Giants and Bengals.
12:16Yeah.
12:17I misspoke.
12:18So coming out of the bye, the Commanders host the Bengals at Northwest Stadium.
12:24I have that as an L.
12:25I think since he's one of the top teams in the AFC, especially if Joe Burrow is upright
12:30at this point, I have the Commanders taking an L to the Bengals.
12:34It's hard to pick them against Cincinnati.
12:36I mean, I'm sure they can win.
12:36But yeah, I'll take the Bengals for that one.
12:41Is this a Sunday night game or a Monday night game?
12:44This is an 8-15 pick.
12:46So it's on ESPN.
12:48So that's a Monday night.
12:49Monday night game.
12:49Yeah.
12:50JP?
12:53I kind of want to pick Washington to upset them.
12:56Monday night football history, not great.
12:59Bengals.
13:00I think later on when we make our NFL picks, I actually have the Bengals win the division.
13:05So I will go with the Bengals getting the win.
13:07Commanders in a shootout beat the Bengals 37-30.
13:12Oh, they're humming.
13:13All right.
13:13That's good, though.
13:14If you pick that, they're humming.
13:15Two approved to 5-5.
13:17All right.
13:17Next up for the Commanders, two straight on the road, starting with the Arizona Cardinals,
13:22who are widely expected to be one of the bottom feeders in the league.
13:26I have the Commanders heading west and getting a W.
13:29All right.
13:29No one's taking the Cardinals.
13:31I think it's stupid.
13:33JP's not taking the Cardinals.
13:34I'm always going to pick us against Cardinals.
13:35I don't care.
13:36They're the Cardinals.
13:37I mean, unless they had Kurt Warner there back in the day.
13:39I'm taking my boys.
13:42JP's taking the Commanders.
13:44I'm taking the Commanders to improve to 6-5.
13:46I'm also going to take them against the Titans.
13:47Following week, they're at the Titans.
13:49I have them winning their second game in a row, both on the road.
13:54I have them topping the Titans in Nashville.
13:56That means nothing to me.
13:57I'm taking my boys.
13:59I hope Cakes is right, because that would mean 8-4, and we're riding high.
14:03That would mean 8-4.
14:04Yes, that's correct.
14:05Jason has them at 7-5.
14:06Yep.
14:07I've got them beating the Titans to go to 7-5.
14:09All right.
14:09After that two-game road swing, back home to Northwest Stadium, hosting the Texans.
14:18I kind of disrespect the Houston Texans.
14:21I kind of do, too.
14:21I think CJ Stroud's kind of overrated.
14:23You don't even talk about defense.
14:25You don't even mention the word.
14:27I don't.
14:28All they do is make the playoffs every year and usually win 8 playoffs.
14:31Their defense is absurd.
14:32Defense is a dirty word to me.
14:33I have the commanders beating the Texans, improving to 9-4.
14:40God, I hope Cakes is right.
14:42I'm right, too.
14:43I'm going to have them losing.
14:45I just have to respect what they've done lately.
14:47This goes against my grain.
14:49My grain is to pick us, but I'm going to pick Houston.
14:52Coming off two wins on the road.
14:54I love how yesterday it was like, you can't go 8-9 or 9-8 in these picks,
14:58because you're trending towards that.
15:01Yeah, I mean, it is what it is.
15:02You've got to make your picks.
15:05I think they lose to the Texans.
15:06I believe they lose to the Texans.
15:08Texans' defense will control the game,
15:10and I believe they're going to attack Jaden, sack him four times.
15:15Texans win.
15:17All right, another home game on the slate after Houston is in town.
15:22The Falcons pay a visit to the commanders.
15:24Who knows who's going to be the quarterback at this point of the season?
15:28I mean, this is the date here.
15:30It's five days before Christmas, December 20th.
15:32Probably be Cooper Rush at that point.
15:34I mean, it very well could be.
15:35I have the commanders getting to double-digit wins, improving to 10-4.
15:41You might as well just get Jaden's bowl jacket ready.
15:43The Atlanta Falcons.
15:44Atlanta Falcons.
15:45You're having another 2024 season.
15:47They're going to be a one seed.
15:49According to Cakes, they're going to be the one seed.
15:51I mean, 10-4 would be sweet.
15:52You have to wait for our preseason predictions later in the show.
15:55I may have the commanders in the playoffs.
15:57All right, I have them beating the Falcons.
15:59I don't see a scenario where I would ever pick Atlanta over us.
16:03I don't.
16:03Unless Mariotta's playing.
16:04No one's taking the Falcons.
16:05I mean, if Jaden Daniels is alive, I'll pick us every time.
16:10Yeah, so I'm also going to take the Washington Commanders.
16:138-6.
16:14Better quarterback.
16:158-6.
16:15Yeah.
16:17Final three games.
16:18Next up, a roadie taking on the Vikings.
16:22I have this as an L for the commanders.
16:25I think Kyla Murray's going to be pretty good in that offense.
16:29I have this as an L for the commanders.
16:30They fall to 10-5.
16:32So I know Cakes.
16:33He's doing that because he feels guilty.
16:34He has them at 10-4.
16:36He's not going to pick.
16:36He doesn't want to just keep winning.
16:38I mean, I don't buy your Kyla Murray propaganda.
16:42You sound very anti-Kyla Murray.
16:43I think you just saw that your record was 10-4, and you're like, uh.
16:46I mean, you've got to pick with your heart, Jaden.
16:50You've got to pick with your ticker sometimes.
16:52All right.
16:52I'm taking us with a road dub.
16:56Wade over the Vikings.
17:00Yeah, I like Washington in that game.
17:04I'm not buying Kyla Murray in Minnesota.
17:08J.J.
17:08McCarthy, by the way, named the number three.
17:11Yeah, that was not a great flag plant for old Cakes on his quarterback.
17:15My quarterback scouting service, by the way, has been a little bit faulty.
17:18But he wasn't your number one, was he?
17:20No, no, no.
17:21But I was doing a lot of flag waving for J.J.
17:23He was doing it all based on O'Connell being the quarterback.
17:26Who was your number one?
17:27That year?
17:28No, when we did our little board.
17:30Oh, it was Caleb or J.D.
17:32Caleb or Jaden, too.
17:34Yeah.
17:34Okay.
17:35All right.
17:35I'll take the Manders as well.
17:39I'm not a big Kyler guy.
17:40Nice.
17:41I like that.
17:42I mean, who knows if Kyler's going to be playing that late in the season.
17:44But either way, I'll take Commanders to win in Minnesota.
17:49All right.
17:49On to the final two games of the season now.
17:52At the Jags.
17:54Should be one of the best teams in the AFC.
17:56The potent offense there for the Jags.
17:59I have the Commanders dropping this game in Jacksonville.
18:03Yeah.
18:03You know, this is rare for me.
18:05I would typically pick us against Jacksonville.
18:07But all right.
18:08I'll pick an L there.
18:12So you have them at 500.
18:13I don't know what I have to do yet.
18:15I haven't done it yet.
18:16Eight, eight.
18:17Yeah, I think they lose to Jacksonville.
18:19It's on the road.
18:20It's a tough one.
18:21I'll take the Jags.
18:22All right.
18:23The final game of the season is a divisional tilt.
18:26The Cowboys are in town.
18:28I have the Commanders topping the Cowboys and finishing the season at 11 wins.
18:35So this is going to be for the division.
18:36You have them winning the division because this will be for the division.
18:40Yeah.
18:41Have them winning the division.
18:42Washington wins the NFC East.
18:45Shocking the world.
18:46I have them beating Dallas, but more of a meaningless game.
18:50There will be nothing really to play on it.
18:52But, yeah, because that would put them at nine and eight for me.
18:56Do you think Dallas are sitting a lot of their guys because they already wrapped up the division?
19:00The last week is such a wild card.
19:02I'm with you, EB.
19:03We don't know who's going to be playing for what.
19:05A lot of times the division's already set.
19:08The playoff stuff is set.
19:10It's a weird game.
19:10It's a meaningless game.
19:11Often I'll have Washington getting the win.
19:14I have them one loss less.
19:17I have them at eight and nine.
19:18I'll take the Commanders.
19:20Cowboys already wrapped up the division.
19:22They probably sit a lot of guys.
19:23All right, so that's my final pick.
19:25I'm not wavering on it until, you know, something massive happens.
19:29I have them at nine and eight on the season, Cakes.
19:32Cakes, 11 and six.
19:34Bish, 10 and seven.
19:36I'm the only one that has them with the losing record at eight and nine.
19:39Very good.
19:40All right, that is our official Commander's schedule prediction.
19:45No crossouts.
19:46This is our final tingle feel on the Commanders.
19:50I got it.
19:50You already got it?
19:51All right.
19:52So two of us have them at double-digit wins and two of us do not.
19:56That is correct.
19:57I'll take a picture.
19:58My handwriting is terrible, but that's what I will tweet out at Junk's Radio.
20:05All right, continuing on our crab kickoff.
20:08Coming up next, Brian Baldinger, analyst for NFL Network.
20:12He's going to join us.
20:13He'll help us break down the Commanders.
20:14And week one, we'll do that next on The Fan.
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