- 22 minutes ago
The Washington Commanders took a frustrating loss to the Colts in London putting them at a 1-3 record and panic settling in across the fanbase. Kevin Sheehan lists some of his takeaways from the week 4 matchup and lets Commanders' fans vent their grievances with the game and team overall after the loss.
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00:01It sounded like there was a lot of Washington in the crowd.
00:04That's what everybody said.
00:05Apparently a really fun party all weekend long for our fan base.
00:1030-13, the final, the good, the bad, and other.
00:15Let me get to the other real quickly.
00:17First of all, the actual special team's penalty yardage number was 48.
00:23So 48 out of the 84 yards that they were penalized on were three special teams' plays that were hurtful.
00:31They had a big return by Lane, a big return by Deami Brown after Lane left the game.
00:39And Medrano was a – Medrano on two of these.
00:45Medrano on two of them was called for holding.
00:4948 of the – so 36 yards in penalty yardage.
00:53Obviously, I don't think anybody thought the Amik Robertson penalty should have been a penalty or the OPI penalty on
01:01Diggs.
01:01So legitimately, after that, you're talking about minimal yardage in penalty yardage.
01:07But the special team's yardage was big.
01:09You know, in a game in which if they had had Mariota the rest of the way, it would have
01:14come down to things like that.
01:16You know, starting a drive from your own 11 instead of – or your own 20 instead of the 41,
01:23you know, after that return by Lane.
01:26All right, a couple of things just to mention quickly.
01:29First of all, for those of you that watched the game yesterday on NFL Network, I mean, any long bomb,
01:37that camera was terrible.
01:40Last week, we had the issue with the water on the camera.
01:43Yesterday, they lost sight of the play.
01:46Like, you got to pull back a little bit.
01:48I don't know who was directing that game.
01:50It certainly wasn't Ernie Bauer.
01:51I'll tell you that.
01:53That was one comment.
01:56Jason Kelsey apologized for saying Redskins.
01:59Jason, you never have to apologize for saying Redskins on the air.
02:04So, there was a situation that I wanted to just mention, and that was down 20-13.
02:12There was a big sack taken by AK on a third and nine at the Indy 35-yard line.
02:21That was the drive in which he hit the deep one to De'Ami Brown.
02:24I'm surprised he wasn't called for offensive pass interference on that penalty – on that play.
02:29But he – the Colts got a sack with the nickel corner who came off the edge unblocked, and
02:39Callie McManus didn't see it pre-snap, got hit.
02:44The Indy 44-yard line.
02:46You know, indoors, you know, they say Stevens has a big leg at 20-13.
02:52Now, I'm not saying that I'm advocating for a field goal attempt right there.
02:56I advocated for a punt.
02:58But I'm just wondering if they considered field goal.
03:01They went for a fourth and one when it was unnecessary.
03:04Down 20-13.
03:05If Stevens has that kind of a leg, I wonder if field goal was even considered in that spot.
03:13What else did I have?
03:15You know, just on AK overall, the quarterback, you know, I've kind of mentioned it.
03:21You know, the big mistake was the pick six.
03:24I mean, I don't know what he was doing.
03:25By the way, that was a really good interception.
03:27The ball was thrown hard, and that guy picked, you know, knocked it up in the air and was able
03:31to pick it off.
03:33I mean, that pass probably gets picked off one out of every ten times.
03:37Two out of, maybe one out of five.
03:41But, you know, and the sack that he took, to be honest with you, I don't know how much he
03:45could have done post-snap about it.
03:47Maybe there was something he could have done pre-snap.
03:50But, man, I thought he threw a nice deep ball.
03:53He gave guys shots.
03:55He was unafraid for sure.
03:58Had some big you-know-what's in the game.
04:01And, you know, legitimately had some massive plays.
04:05You know, the 48-yarder to De'Ami Brown, the touchdown pass to Burks.
04:12I don't know what that play was.
04:14Like, even, you know, Kurt Warner and Jason Kelsey on the broadcast, it wasn't a double move.
04:21You know, it wasn't a pump-and-go.
04:24It seemed to be a little bit kind of off schedule to a certain degree.
04:28Not really sure.
04:30It was lovely to see.
04:32And it was a great throw.
04:34And Burks, you know, underneath it makes the grab and, you know, 47-yard touchdown pass to make it 17
04:41-13.
04:42And it's like, okay, now let's get our defense back out there.
04:47Yeah, I thought he, you know, he's not going to grade out as super high in the game because of,
04:53you know, a couple of the plays that he took.
04:56Look, look, he took a sack in that game and had an interception in that game.
05:03But he had some big-time throws.
05:05And there was a drop by Burks, right?
05:07I think Burks dropped one.
05:10All right.
05:11301-230-0980.
05:13301-230-0980.
05:15Your reaction to the game.
05:19Let's start with Joe in Springfield.
05:23Go ahead, Joe.
05:24Have at it.
05:26Hey, Kevin.
05:27How you doing?
05:28Good, Joe.
05:30So, I'm going to start off with a very small like, and that was the defense.
05:33The defense came out flying, especially in the first half.
05:36And I agree with you.
05:36Yes, it's only four games of the season.
05:38But I love what the defense has done.
05:41Again, four weeks.
05:42But they've come out to the ball.
05:43They're getting turnovers at least.
05:44I mean, look, we've gotten five in the last two weeks.
05:47That's pretty good.
05:48Yeah.
05:48I mean, better than we would have done around this time last year.
05:50For sure.
05:51Yeah, we're halfway to our takeaway total for 20-25 through four games.
05:57So, we're on pace for 21 takeaways.
06:01And last year, there were 10.
06:02So, that's a good start.
06:05Yes.
06:06Yeah.
06:07So, what I didn't like, you know, look, I understand.
06:11Look, the illegal ship has happened more than once.
06:13And it happened last week when Bill had a touchdown take it away.
06:15And then the Antonio Williams touchdown, I keep going back and looking at that.
06:25Where's the illegal ship?
06:26There was none of that.
06:27That's clean.
06:28That's a touchdown.
06:29I think you have to be set completely before the snap.
06:35And if that's the case, you've got to be – I think they are completely set.
06:40I'm watching it again.
06:41They're completely set.
06:43I think you've got to be completely set for a beat.
06:46And maybe that's where the referee thought they weren't set for a long enough period of time before the snap.
06:53If that's the case, that's on the quarterback.
06:56Okay?
06:57The quarterback has to make sure, and he never looks over to make sure that they are completely set.
07:04They were going quick snap on that.
07:06So, it's a third-string rookie quarterback, and he didn't make sure that they were completely set before saying hut
07:18or whatever the snap count direction to the center was.
07:22But it's a hell of a play by Antonio Williams.
07:24It's really, really – one of those plays that makes it seem like they got a guy that, you know,
07:31we can play with here.
07:3514 looks good to me.
07:36Here's my last question to you, Kevin.
07:37Yep.
07:38Question, Kevin.
07:38One more question before I let you go.
07:39Yeah.
07:40So, yes, I agree with you.
07:41Austin Eckler, he definitely has to be giving the ball more opportunities.
07:44I understand he may have been on a snap count yesterday.
07:46But four carries, and he was averaging seven yards per carry.
07:49My question now is, with Jalen Lane's situation, if he's hurting him, we're going to find out probably more today
07:54about that injury that he suffered.
07:55And Luke McCaffrey would have to be activated if that does happen.
07:58I don't want Eckler back on kickoff returns.
08:01I'll answer that right now.
08:02That's what I'm saying.
08:02I know some people may have been – I'm with you.
08:05I don't want to see Eckler back there at all.
08:06If he's going to be running the ball, don't put him back on kickoffs.
08:08That's my next point.
08:09That's what I was going to say.
08:10Yeah, I mean, activate McCaffrey.
08:13They used Deami and Burks yesterday when Lane left the game.
08:19But Austin Eckler, the reason they signed him is they watched his workout video.
08:25He looked healthy.
08:26And they looked at their running back room.
08:29We talked about this, you know, after the opener.
08:31They need more at running back.
08:33You know, they do.
08:34And Eckler, to me, in four carries and one catch, looked like the best option they have at running back.
08:43By far.
08:43Like, I don't even think it's close at this point.
08:47Eckler has the patience, the vision.
08:49He's going to – see, Bill can take it from 70, okay?
08:54Eckler's not going to have, you know, multiple TFLs.
08:58And he's a better all-around back.
09:01And I like the way Rashad White played.
09:03I think it's really important for you guys to know that Ben reported last week that the conversation about signing
09:09Eckler took place before Rashad White got hurt against Seattle.
09:14So they were going to bring him in regardless.
09:16What was the snap count on – so on the running backs, all right, Reynolds had the fewest with six.
09:27Allen, Katron Allen had 12.
09:29Eckler had 17.
09:31And Krosky Merritt had 29.
09:33Look, they may have had him on – they're just easing him back into it.
09:36That's fine.
09:37I would have used him more, especially after Mariota was gone.
09:41Thanks, Joe.
09:42Let's go to Sam in Sterling.
09:45Sam, go ahead.
09:47Hey, Kevin.
09:48How are you doing?
09:48I'm listening.
09:49I'm listening.
09:50By the way, nice call on the Patriots, Bill.
09:54I know you were close with the Chargers last week, but that was a good call.
09:57Yeah.
09:59Yeah, just wanted to comment.
10:01So, yeah, I don't really – you know, yesterday, you know, obviously it's tough going to – you know, playing
10:07with a third-string quarterback or down to your third-string quarterback in the injuries we have.
10:10So, you know, I thought we might be competitive, but, you know, obviously with a third-string quarterback, they're going
10:17to be overwhelmed in their first start.
10:18You know, so I don't take too much away from that.
10:22But what I do take away is that, you know, the coaching is not the greatest because you have to
10:28know the situation.
10:29You know, Dan Quinn and his call, you know, you know, Daniel Jones was, I think, maybe two snaps or
10:37two series away from, you know, being benched with how bad he's been playing.
10:41You know, not just that game, but overall.
10:43And he gave him momentum.
10:44You know, they were looking like they were going to be, you know, overwhelmed, the Colts were.
10:48And then that decision to go for it with your third-string quarterback just killed the momentum on our side
10:55and gave them momentum.
10:56So, I do blame Dan Quinn for that.
10:59Yeah.
10:59Yeah, and for, you know, so Dan Quinn, I never really, I think he's just an okay coach.
11:06You know, I didn't really think he was a great coach, you know, but, you know, that's besides the point.
11:12You know, my biggest beef is with Adam Peters and the offensive line, you know, the way it's constructed.
11:19You know, I know we lost Tunsil, but, you know, just the center position and what happened yesterday.
11:24And look at Mariota's injury, you know, it happened with that backup that they put in when they benched Nick
11:28Allegretti.
11:29So, you know, to me, Adam Peters should get more blame for what's going on, you know, the Dan Quinn.
11:35Yeah, I mean, no, and I can appreciate that.
11:38But, and I'll stick with this.
11:42I think there's actual merit in discussing and debating what they did at center, all right?
11:48But you're not going to get me to look at Adam Peters and say that he's doing a terrible job.
11:55I just completely and utterly disagree with that.
11:59Now, do I think, am I about to name him general manager of the year?
12:02I'm not.
12:03But that offensive line has been heavily invested in over the last, since he got here.
12:11They traded for Laramie Tunsil.
12:13They drafted a right tackle when really they needed a receiver in the first round.
12:19They have a guy in Cosme who's legit upper tier, like top third of the league, top quarter of the
12:27league at guard.
12:29Tyler Biotish was just an okay center.
12:32I don't know that they'd be so much better off with Tyler Biotish.
12:36It seems to me they'd be better off with Tyler Biotish.
12:38Tyler Biotish, by the way, got hurt in preseason.
12:40He's out for the year, tore his ACL in a preseason practice or game.
12:45I can't even remember.
12:46Chris Paul played well last year.
12:50Brandon Coleman has played well.
12:53Offensive line yesterday is part of the story, but it's not, for me, the major part of the story.
13:02Quarterback sacks and even pressures are as much a quarterback stat as they are or as it is an offensive
13:11line stat.
13:12Through the first two games, with Jaden Daniels playing a game and a half, they were number seven in the
13:19league in pass block win rate.
13:21Seventh.
13:22Okay, now that's more of an offensive line stat.
13:25Their quarterbacks have been sacked the second least number of times of any team in the league.
13:30And yes, there have been pressures.
13:32And yes, Gulbin got overwhelmed by Buckner on a TFL and then got overwhelmed on the play in which Mariota
13:39got hurt.
13:40That's unfortunate.
13:40It is.
13:42And yes, going with Gulbin, a sixth-round pick at guard because you probably overestimated Allegretti as a center, etc.
13:54But the reason Gulbin was playing guard, let's be clear, wasn't because of Allegretti yesterday.
14:00It was because Cosme was out.
14:03Now, they didn't think Allegretti should be in there instead of Gulbin, but they thought Allegretti would be the center.
14:10I actually give them some credit for saying, hey, this Allegretti thing at center isn't working.
14:16Let's go out and try to find somebody now.
14:18Now, the options were severely limited after Linderbaum in free agency, just so you know.
14:25They did have a chance to draft a center hire.
14:28There were some centers.
14:30It was a heavy center draft.
14:31And there were some opportunities at the Josh, I think, at the Joseph's position in the fifth round.
14:37And so there is reason and justifiable reason to debate the way the center position was handled.
14:46But to say that this general manager doesn't give a crap about the offensive line or doesn't, you know, put
14:54emphasis on the offensive line is just completely off.
14:59They traded for Tunsil and they drafted one in the first round in 25.
15:04Yesterday, they played without a top three left tackle in the game, top five worst case, and probably one of
15:12the top six or seven guards in the game.
15:15And they were in reshuffle mode.
15:17Last week, they handled it because they had a veteran quarterback.
15:22Yesterday, I know the veteran quarterback was in there when he got sacked.
15:25Understood.
15:26Condensed field.
15:27Buckner, those players were good.
15:29And Gulbin was a little bit overwhelmed.
15:31I would bet you if I'm going to do this today, too.
15:35I'm going to go back and watch Gulbin because I bet you other than a few plays like the TFL
15:40on Krosky Merritt,
15:41the pressure on the play that Mariota got hurt on, that he was an average player the rest of the
15:47way.
15:48I will say this, though, that their run block win rate is not good right now, although a better back
15:56could make it pay off a little bit more.
15:59Their best rushers have been their quarterbacks in Mariota and Jaden Daniels.
16:04In fact, I would bet you that Mariota and Daniels right now, especially after yesterday when he ripped off that
16:0935-yard run,
16:11that they're the top – well, Krosky Merritt's going to be the top rusher, but that – let's see.
16:17Jaden Daniels is – he's played a game and a half, and he's tied for the second leading rusher on
16:24the team with Rashad White,
16:2657 yards behind Bill, who's averaging 2.8 yards per carry.
16:31Mariota has – yeah, he's fourth.
16:35Austin Eckler is going to be an answer at running back.
16:38Next week, Lucas Patrick looks better at center.
16:42If they get Cosme back and they get their quarterback back, Jaden Daniels,
16:46I think it's going to be less of a conversation.
16:48They're playing a decent defense in the Giant defense, so I do understand that coming up.
16:54But a Giant defense that gave up a lot against the Cardinals yesterday, a lot.
16:59It'll look different when you don't have your third-string quarterback in the game
17:03and you have at least your right guard one in the game,
17:06who is your best offensive lineman right now because Tunsell's done for the year.
17:12All right, everybody stay on hold.
17:13Look, the center thing, absolute, justifiable conversation.
17:18The rest of it is just hysteria over a loss yesterday where the quarterback,
17:25the backup quarterback, got hurt.