- 7 minutes ago
How will the defense look? Can Terry McLaurin eat against the Eagles secondary? Will the Washington offensive line hold strong? Ben Standig joins the show to preview the first game of the season.
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00:00Excited now to be joined by the homie Ben Standing. I'm going to put him on Monumental. Check this out.
00:05Put him on.
00:05Solo shot.
00:06He's made for the camera.
00:08I was going to say, I'm about to clean up a little bit.
00:12Ben Standing, of course, Standing Room Only podcast and the Substack. What's up, Benny? How we doing?
00:17What's up, fellas?
00:18How's the Stack doing, man?
00:20Pause.
00:22Pretty good.
00:25Pause what? You say Substack, I say Stack.
00:27Yeah. You know, we'll be asking about no other damn Stack.
00:31Standing, we got to hear from Durante Jones, and on the radio, we're going to hear from David Blau in
00:37just a few minutes.
00:37But what have your takeaways been from Jones the human, Jones the coach, and Jones' new defensive scheme?
00:45I like the human a lot.
00:47Yeah, I mean, you know, it's been at arm's reach to some degree, arm length.
00:52You know, not exactly. I haven't had a beer with a man or things like that.
00:55But from what I can see, he seems like the type of guy the players would follow, and it's been
00:59talking to the players over the last month or so.
01:01It feels like that's the case, that they really are buying into what he's doing.
01:05And, you know, I'm sure there are some – we'll see how it works, the system.
01:11But in terms of playing it, it seems like it's got to be one of the more fun ones out
01:14there, especially for the front guys, right?
01:16I mean, you get attack, attack, attack, and that's, you know, what you want.
01:19So I get to buy in from that perspective too, and I think, you know, this is the thing with
01:24all the hysterics that have gone on here
01:26over the last few weeks in terms of there's the sky falling.
01:29The defense was looking really good until the injuries started to pile up.
01:33And then, you know, you get to like that Ravens during practice, there's no away, there's no chase on, there's
01:38no pain.
01:38And even though they're not showing a lot, it's, you know, camp and preseason, you can't read into that too
01:43much.
01:43You couldn't even like see the things that are going to happen at a base level.
01:48So I'm generally excited to see what they can do.
01:52Obviously, they'll even be better when Dorrance Armstrong is back in week two.
01:54And hopefully we'll see if Owe and Shaysan are playing and are at full strength.
01:58But I'm really intrigued by what that is because also like, you know, the turnover has been pretty mild the
02:03last couple years, to say the least.
02:05And this group looks like by the system alone should be much more opportunistic.
02:10And I think that is what it could be to make this kind of special.
02:13I think one of the questions in there was that Chase don't say he loves playing offense on defense.
02:17And I take that as most times defenses react to what the offense do.
02:22They make the offense react to what they do.
02:26So if you're showing a look and they know, just like the offense knows, based off of this defense, they're
02:33going to be doing certain things.
02:35Well, based off of this offense, if we come from here, we know they got to throw a jump off
02:40over here.
02:41I think that's what they mean by that because they're going to be trying to dictate to the offense instead
02:45of letting the offense dictate to them.
02:46And I think that's what the interesting thing about, you know, we need to come up with a better name
02:51than the Brian Flores look because it's now the Durante Jones look.
02:54But, yeah, I mean, that is the thing.
02:55It is about exactly that.
02:57It is.
02:58No, no, no.
02:58You can do whatever you want.
02:59We're going straight at you.
03:00So we're bringing guys from different angles.
03:02I mean, you know, as he said from the beginning, it's not where you line up, it's where you wind
03:06up.
03:06And hokey is that.
03:07I love that line.
03:08Yeah.
03:09I mean, it is.
03:09It does make a lot of sense.
03:10It's an easy way to explain what this looks like.
03:13Also, I mean, again, as we know, this group got younger, faster on both sides of the ball, but particularly
03:18on the defense.
03:19You know, for all the issues last year from injuries and otherwise in depth, it's just an older, more plotting
03:24group.
03:24It's just the reality.
03:25And now you have, you know, linebacker alone, the guy who was the freakiest of the freaks at the combine,
03:31Leo Chennault, also, when he came out, was that kind of a guy, plus O.A. and Chason, Joshua Josephs
03:36now.
03:37So they have more depth and just more bodies, active bodies to go get after it.
03:41I think that's going to be, you know, at the end of the day, sometimes it's not like, obviously, you
03:45want to have perfect technique and read the right plays.
03:47But when something goes wrong, can you just go get the guy?
03:50And now they have players that can do a better job with that.
03:52So, on the offensive side of the ball, what is your concern level?
03:56Everybody freaked out for a month about the center position, then Alec Reddy's back, and I think people are done
04:01mostly freaking out.
04:03What is your concern level about the offensive line as a group?
04:07So, obviously, the starting group, you know, you lose tonsil.
04:10There's no playing that off.
04:12It's not a big deal.
04:13This is essentially the same group that started week 18, except you had Wiley at right guard instead of Cosme.
04:19So, these guys can all play to varying degrees, right?
04:22I think, to me, the issue is they are one injury away from a real problem.
04:26Yeah.
04:27Because other than Andrew Wiley, I just don't know that they have anybody right now on the bench that you'd
04:31be like, oh, sure.
04:32I mean, DJ Humphries got here 10 seconds ago, and he hasn't played a lot the last couple years.
04:36And then you have two rookies who we'll see.
04:38That, to me, is the bigger concern because it's a group that, you know, unless there's injury, you don't swap
04:43these guys out.
04:44Yeah, yeah.
04:44So, they'll be out there.
04:46And, look, I think the real – there is also at least some potential because Coleman and Connerly have that
04:52athletic upside.
04:54But consistency would also be pretty big right now, and that's been the issue.
04:58Connerly was a bit up and down in camp.
05:00Coleman obviously got thrown into the deep end when tonsil got hurt, has looked good at times,
05:05didn't look as good against Trey Hendrickson in the joint practice.
05:07So, how those two go.
05:09And, obviously, week one to go up against the Eagles and especially those two tackles, I mean, that's going to
05:15be quite the test for Chris Paul and Nick Allegretti at least.
05:18Yes.
05:18Cosme, too.
05:19But – so, I think the line is okay.
05:23I think the hysteria is a bit much, but the depth is, I think, concerned.
05:28How much – like, you know, the offensive line, I understand that, but having a Steph Diggs down, a guy
05:35who knows how to get open,
05:37Chig, a guy who also can get yours after the catch, having those people affect defenses to where maybe, just
05:43maybe,
05:44they're not going to say let's go all out because if one miss and then you got problems.
05:49Well, that's the thing, right?
05:50I mean, you know, this is maybe because I grew up in the era of the Hogs, but a good
05:55offensive line makes everything else better more than the other way around.
05:59So, if the offensive line can be solid, they have more weapons now than they've had, at least in the
06:05Jane Daniels era.
06:07Easy that Stephon Diggs is by far the best other receiver to go with Terry McLaurin since McLaurin entered the
06:12league.
06:12I don't even think it's even close.
06:13Not close.
06:14Yeah.
06:14And, you know, look, obviously Bill showed a lot of promise last year with his ability.
06:18Chig is a different type of tight end than Ertz, but he's going to give you that yak yardage, you
06:23know, between the 20s.
06:24We'll see how it goes in the red zone.
06:25So, the weaponry around Jaden is a lot better.
06:28And that's not even factoring in.
06:30I think the receiver depth is just generally better.
06:33You know, I think Ben Sinnott's got a chance to make a little bit more noise this year with Rashad
06:37White.
06:37So, I think the pieces, the skill positions are better.
06:43It's just a matter of can the offensive line hold up.
06:45And if they can, then I think this offense is a shot to be pretty specific.
06:48But, like what I'm saying, like those guys, Terry, I know Diggs for sure.
06:54And I have a lot of confidence in Williams.
06:58If they can win early, you don't have to sit back there all day.
07:02Remember last year, nobody can get space.
07:04None of those receivers were able to get space, especially when Terry got hurt.
07:07You know, those guys couldn't get separation.
07:08Now you got guys to get separation.
07:11That offense being sped up may not call for them to block for five seconds.
07:14Right.
07:15No, I mean, that's going to be interesting to see, right, how quickly is the ball getting out of there.
07:19I mean, that's the thing.
07:20Like people, you know, obviously they're asking me, they're asking you guys, what do you think is going to happen?
07:23I'm like, it's not just that there's new coordinators.
07:26It's completely different systems.
07:28Until we see it, I can't completely tell you what it's going to look like.
07:33But, yes, if they can get the ball out quicker, Jaden, I think, is going to be fine making the
07:36decisions, that could be a big deal.
07:38But I think also at the same point, do the Eagles this week, can they get to the quarterback rushing
07:43only four?
07:44If they can, then that's going to make life more complicated in the back end.
07:48And I'm worried that maybe they can, right, because they have really good players and we don't know exactly how
07:53this line is going to go.
07:54Talking with our friend Ben Standing here at the BigBear.ai Performance Center.
07:58You can give Ben a follow at Ben Standing.
08:00I've got to get a makeover before I come back.
08:02This is terrible.
08:03I keep looking at myself in the camera.
08:05This is awful.
08:06Just look at Ryan.
08:07You'll look better.
08:08Do you want me to move it off you?
08:10It's too late.
08:11It's already out there.
08:11I was trying to promo your stuff and you interrupted me to tell me how bad you looked.
08:15My bad.
08:16You don't have to look at Ben, but you can read his work on Substack at lastmanstanding.substack.com.
08:23Ben, you're not a supermodel.
08:24You're just bringing the news, man.
08:26I would have.
08:27You know, the hat's on crooked.
08:29It's just the whole problem going on here.
08:31I'm wearing a damn desert.
08:32No, no, no.
08:33You're fine.
08:33Look, I'm wearing a desert.
08:35What you care?
08:36We don't worry about it.
08:36You're good.
08:37You're good.
08:37People are scared of you.
08:38They're just like, come and mean.
08:39What are you doing?
08:40Don't worry about them, man.
08:42Listen, do what I do.
08:43Don't pay attention to what people say.
08:45Yeah, yeah.
08:45To that point, you said something interesting.
08:48It's two new systems, a lot of new players, a lot of overall out here, right?
08:52Adam Peters, I think last week after roster cuts, comes out and says, listen, I love the
08:58fans.
08:58If they're concerned, they don't know what we got.
09:01We know what we got.
09:03Do you think he's right?
09:07To a degree, I think that the fans' apprehension is reasonable because from what we, they can
09:15see, there are questions about the line.
09:17Now, I don't think it's as bad as what was discussed after the Ravens' whole week and
09:21that was a bad, but yeah, there are questions.
09:23I think they also didn't do the best of jobs explaining why they moved on from Vyadish to
09:28Alec Reddy.
09:28It's a completely reasonable decision that they made, and I don't think it's as big of a deal,
09:32but because it was like kind of vague, it was like, well, wait, now you had this guy
09:38who has been a solid starter who immediately got signed by another team to decent money.
09:42Unfortunately, of course, he got hurt with the Chargers, and you're going with a guy
09:46in Alec Reddy who has not been a starter at that position, and you tried to make a play
09:51to get the number one center in the league, or at least the highest paid guy, so it feels
09:54like a bit of a disconnect.
09:55You're either going to go all in on this guy, or you're kind of going with a player who wasn't
09:59even starting at the position really in this league, so I think that part is weird, but
10:05the other end, we have not seen the full version of the offense or the defense, and
10:09I think, look, as I sit here now, I'm fascinated to see how it all works.
10:14How does David Blau scheme these guys open?
10:16How does Stephon Diggs and McLaurin work together?
10:18Two guys who are extremely polished at route running.
10:22How are they going to work off each other combined with some of the other pieces?
10:26The defense, again, last year, Doran Thomas got hurt in week seven.
10:30The pass rush disappeared with them.
10:31Now, even without Doran Thomas throwing this week, they have guys, so I think Adam Peters
10:37is right, but I wish he had maybe acknowledged the apprehension a little bit more than he did,
10:44because you're right.
10:44We don't see it, but that's up to you then to explain to us maybe a little bit better
10:48than they did what's going on.
10:49Like, I've been telling people, I've been talking about, everyone says Jaden, and I
10:55believe, listen, I know Jaden is an outstanding player, but I believe quarterbacks depend on
10:59offensive line receivers, running backs, defense to give them the ball back.
11:03I've still been saying, I believe if these guys are healthy on defense, this team is going
11:07to be special.
11:09Do you agree, in a sense?
11:11Well, look, I mean, if the defense is just average, that's a big step up from a year ago.
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