- 13 minutes ago
From game-ending mistakes to critical offensive struggles, Washington's general manager Adam Peters addresses the team's biggest issues head-on and the impact of hiring Steve Wilks.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Time to check in with Commander's GM, Adam Peters.
00:03What's up, Adam?
00:05What's up, guys? How's it going?
00:07I think we've asked you this before, but after a stinging loss,
00:11how long does it take to kind of get it out of your system?
00:16Man, you know, I think in a typical week,
00:21you have to get it out of your system, you know, by Tuesday.
00:24You know, Monday is awful.
00:25Monday is really awful, and you're going through all the things in your head
00:29and all the things that went wrong, and you're still really pissed,
00:33and what could I have done better?
00:35What could we have done better?
00:37You know, the missed opportunities and everything,
00:40and then obviously all the feelings that come with it,
00:43and everybody's pissed.
00:45But then Tuesday, you've got to start turning the page,
00:47especially the coaches.
00:48They've got to start turning the page
00:50and figuring out how to beat the next opponent.
00:52You know, on a bye week, you know,
00:54you don't have anything to take your mind off of it, right?
00:59You know, so you just dwell on it a little bit longer.
01:02You can't focus really on the next opponent just yet.
01:05And so, you know, it just kind of lingers there,
01:07and you rue all the missed opportunities that you had
01:11and what we could have done better and all that.
01:13And so, yeah, it lingers a little bit longer on a week like this for sure.
01:17Adam, what was your reaction to Jaden Daniels
01:20throwing the ball out of bounds on fourth down
01:23instead of trying to squeeze it into a teammate?
01:24He's taken a lot of criticism for that from the media
01:28over the last few days.
01:29What was your reaction, and what is your takeaway from that?
01:33Yeah, you know, actually live, I didn't see that
01:37because I was down with Terry.
01:38I was down in the locker room with Terry,
01:40and then I heard about it.
01:43And Terry had just done his x-rays and everything,
01:47and then we took him back to the locker room.
01:49I heard about it, and I think it's been addressed,
01:51and Jaden's addressed it.
01:52He knows, you know, that's not a situation
01:54where you can throw the ball away.
01:56He said he saw the flag there.
01:57He thought it was on them.
01:59And that's not an excuse.
02:00That's just what he said.
02:02And he knows moving forward he's got to put that ball in play
02:05and try to make a play there
02:07and let the chips fall where they may with the flag.
02:10But, you know, that's a learning lesson
02:13that we wish isn't learned during the games.
02:15But it is nonetheless, and I'm sure Jaden's a really smart guy,
02:20and that won't happen ever again.
02:22I know that.
02:23Yeah, I have to just step in here, Adam.
02:25Maybe you agree or not.
02:26I think they're just piling on Jaden, right?
02:28And this is what happens, you know this,
02:30when things go bad.
02:31Like, all of a sudden, Dan's the dumbest guy in town.
02:34Jaden has, you know, no situational awareness.
02:37That's the narrative.
02:38And, of course, in a perfect world, if he was a robot, you know,
02:41these situations, you might want to change it.
02:44But can't you also say, because I'm a fierce defender of Jaden,
02:48does he make mistakes?
02:49Of course.
02:49But don't all quarterbacks make mistakes?
02:50And there's going to be a learning curve.
02:52I mean, I watch quarterbacks take sacks
02:54that take them out of scoring range all the time.
02:58Then there isn't a national narrative
03:00that that quarterback has no situational awareness.
03:03I mean, that happens on a weekly basis, right?
03:06Like, mistakes happen.
03:08Why are we not giving this kid any grace?
03:10Or is this just what happens when the season
03:12kind of is falling apart in front of you?
03:16Yeah, well, when things aren't going well,
03:18everything's going to be magnified.
03:19And we're all aware of that.
03:21Obviously, that was on Monday Night Football,
03:22so it's a little bit more magnified, too.
03:26But Jaden's still a young quarterback,
03:28and he's going to make mistakes like all of us.
03:31But, you know, there's been countless times
03:34of plays where Jaden came through in the clutch
03:37and came through in big-time moments.
03:39And, you know, there's a lot more of those
03:41than there are when we didn't.
03:44So, you know, I have confidence in Jaden
03:46and moving forward.
03:48And he's very aware.
03:49We work on those things, you know, every week.
03:52And I'm confident moving forward
03:54that he's going to be really good
03:56in these types of high-leverage situations
04:00and things like that.
04:01Like, he's proven that those are places
04:04where he can come through,
04:05and I know he will in the future.
04:06All right, so speaking to Jaden,
04:08the idea going into the season
04:10was that Blau was going to have more under-centers,
04:12going to be more play action, et cetera.
04:14And then when you actually look at the numbers,
04:16you're keenly aware, right?
04:17It's not happening nearly as much.
04:18It's just not that's insignificant
04:21or not significantly different from last year, right,
04:23in terms of shotgun percentage and all that.
04:26Can you explain why?
04:28Is that like a Jaden comfortability thing?
04:31Or is it the way the games are playing out?
04:32Like, what's going on with that?
04:34Sort of the idea of how it wanted to play out
04:37and how it actually is.
04:39Yeah, I think we've got to remember,
04:41one, we're really early in the season.
04:43You know, Jaden's played three and a half games.
04:45So, it's a smaller sample size.
04:49And you're right, there's context to all those things
04:52in terms of how much we've played,
04:55what the situations have been in the game
04:57and what the game plans have been
04:58against certain opponents.
05:00So, I think all those things play out
05:02and also play into the strengths
05:04of who we have on the field.
05:06So, anytime that happens,
05:09I think as we get a little bit more
05:13into the season,
05:14I think the numbers will change a little bit.
05:15I don't know how much drastically,
05:17but what we're always going to do
05:20is try to put the players
05:21in the best business they can
05:22to have success.
05:24So, whatever that is,
05:25whatever the situation calls for,
05:28that's what we're going to try to do.
05:30Joined by Adam Peters,
05:31Commander's GM.
05:33So, this week,
05:34we learned about Steve Wilks
05:36being added to the defensive staff.
05:37Fill us in on when this was planned,
05:41why it's necessary,
05:43what is the upside here
05:44with Steve Wilks being added to the staff?
05:47Yeah, I'll start.
05:49You know, I know Steve,
05:50we coached together,
05:51well, I didn't coach,
05:52but he coached
05:52and we worked together
05:53in San Francisco.
05:56And so, he's an awesome,
05:58awesome person,
05:58first and foremost.
05:59Just a really good man.
06:01This is something we had talked about,
06:03really, throughout training camp.
06:05You know, DQ and Durante
06:06had talked about this
06:07during training camp
06:08and adding another experienced mind,
06:11especially in the secondary,
06:13back there with him.
06:14And, because that's his,
06:17Durante's, you know,
06:18expertise is in the secondary
06:20and with him coordinating the defense,
06:22you know,
06:22wanting to get another set of eyes back there
06:25as he actually took over
06:27the whole defense.
06:28So, that's where it started.
06:31The guys started talking about it
06:32in training camp.
06:33And, you know,
06:35so these things, I think,
06:36take time.
06:36And so, as they're looking for someone
06:38who's the right fit,
06:40they found someone in Steve
06:41who's close by.
06:42He's living in Charlotte.
06:43But, he still has some obligations
06:44that he's doing with App State.
06:48And that, you know,
06:48that's, I think it kind of took
06:50a little bit longer
06:51going through all the different,
06:53you know, people that we can go through
06:55in terms of who's available
06:56and then how they're available.
06:57And this ended up being
06:59the fit that we liked.
07:00And, you know,
07:01so he's been here.
07:03He just got here a couple weeks ago
07:04or last week.
07:06And, you know,
07:07he's coming in a few days a week.
07:08And so,
07:09we think I'll just give
07:10an extra set of eyes
07:11on really,
07:13you know,
07:13the next opponent
07:14and ourselves
07:15and our self-scout
07:16and just trying to
07:16just get another set
07:18of experienced eyes
07:19in the building.
07:20That makes sense to me.
07:21A lot of people, though,
07:22wonder,
07:23are you going to do
07:23the same thing
07:24with the plan
07:25to do the same thing
07:25with the offense
07:26and with Blau?
07:27Especially given that
07:28both these guys
07:28first-year coordinators.
07:31Yeah, that's not something
07:32we've talked about
07:32with Blau.
07:34But, yeah.
07:37Adam, so you touched on this
07:38earlier in the interview.
07:39You were with Terry
07:41after the injury.
07:42Obviously, everybody's
07:43gutted for him.
07:43You lose the heart
07:44and soul guy
07:45on your offense.
07:46What was the locker room
07:47like post-game?
07:48First of all,
07:48you're dealing with
07:49the loss of the game
07:51and you lose Terry.
07:52What were the players like?
07:53And on the other side,
07:54you know,
07:55it's a next-man-up lead.
07:56You look at opportunities
07:57now for Antonio Williams
07:59going forward.
08:00And Chig's been emerging
08:01over the last two weeks.
08:03So, other guys
08:04are going to have to step up
08:04in Terry's void.
08:06Take us through the injury.
08:08Yeah, you're just gutted
08:10for Terry.
08:11And I can't say enough
08:14good things about Terry.
08:15Obviously, we had,
08:17you know,
08:17we went through
08:19the contract negotiations
08:20last year,
08:20which was not fun
08:21for anybody.
08:23But, yeah,
08:24the way Terry came in
08:25this year,
08:26you know,
08:27I couldn't be more
08:28impressed
08:29and just
08:30thankful for
08:32a player like him
08:33and his leadership
08:34and the way he
08:35attacked the offseason,
08:36the way he attacked
08:37the season,
08:38not only on the field
08:39but off the field
08:40with his leadership.
08:41And he was a captain
08:44and he was a captain
08:45in every sense of the word
08:46on and off the field
08:48for us this year.
08:49And so,
08:50for all the work
08:51that he put in,
08:52as good as he's looked,
08:53as good as he's been playing,
08:55for that to happen to him
08:56on something like that,
08:57you're just gutted.
08:58And,
08:59you know,
09:00so you're not only
09:01losing someone
09:01on the field
09:02but,
09:02you know,
09:02in the locker room,
09:03you know,
09:04on game days
09:04that really,
09:06it's really,
09:07you know,
09:07you feel for him.
09:09You know,
09:09and really the thing
09:10that it was just,
09:12he's not even worried
09:13about that.
09:14The first thing he said
09:15to me is,
09:15I'll be here for these guys.
09:16You know,
09:16I'm going to be with these guys
09:18every step of the way
09:19moving forward
09:20and just that's the type
09:21of guy he is.
09:21So he's not worried
09:22about himself.
09:22He's worried about
09:23continuing to lead this team
09:25and so I got a ton
09:28of respect for him
09:29and I know
09:30he's going to attack
09:31this thing.
09:32Like,
09:32he attacks everything
09:33and,
09:33you know,
09:34I wouldn't be surprised
09:35whatever timeline
09:36they give him,
09:37he'll beat it
09:37and he'll be back here.
09:39But,
09:40like you said,
09:40in terms of moving forward
09:42with our guys,
09:44you mentioned that,
09:45you know,
09:45Chig has had a couple
09:46really good weeks.
09:46You know,
09:47after the first week
09:48kind of feeling
09:48his way back
09:49against the Colts
09:51off the injury
09:52the last couple weeks,
09:53he's been really good
09:54and I think,
09:55you know,
09:55he's going to continue
09:56to do that
09:57and add an element
09:58to our passing game.
10:00And then the other guys
10:01will have to step up,
10:02you know,
10:02and on the outside,
10:03Traylon's been playing
10:04some really good football.
10:05Deami's another guy
10:06who can stretch
10:07the field vertically
10:07and then you have,
10:10we still have Steph,
10:11which we're really thrilled
10:12about having him
10:13and then Antonio
10:14is the guy
10:15who you brought up
10:15who I think
10:17really has a chance
10:18to be a playmaker
10:19in this league
10:19and he has shown that
10:21and he'll get
10:22a bigger role now.
10:23And, you know,
10:24obviously you have guys
10:25on the practice squad
10:26and it's funny,
10:26you know,
10:27by adding digs,
10:28it went from a position
10:28where it may be
10:29kind of questionable
10:30to wow,
10:30this is really
10:30one of the strengths
10:31but now injuries
10:32take hold
10:33and your team,
10:34the commanders,
10:35you know,
10:36like all the guys
10:38around the league
10:39are talking,
10:39hey,
10:39they might be
10:40in the market
10:40to make a move.
10:42Are you,
10:42in fact,
10:43in the market
10:44more than normal?
10:45Obviously,
10:45you're always looking
10:47to better your team.
10:48I know that answer.
10:49But,
10:49are you even more
10:51interested potentially
10:52in adding something,
10:54maybe being,
10:55you know,
10:56looking at a trade
10:57potentially?
10:59Yeah,
10:59I think,
11:00I mean,
11:00anytime adding
11:02someone makes sense
11:03then you always
11:03look into it.
11:04I don't think
11:06this particular instance
11:07makes us any more
11:09at this point in time.
11:11You mentioned it,
11:12we have Van Jefferson
11:13on the practice squad
11:14who's,
11:15you know,
11:15we think is really
11:15an NFL caliber receiver.
11:17He's a 53 caliber receiver.
11:20He'll be able
11:21to help us out
11:22and,
11:22you know,
11:24you said you don't,
11:25you know,
11:25you know the answer
11:26but the answer is
11:27the answer,
11:27right?
11:28And,
11:28you know,
11:28so we're making
11:29those calls
11:30and we have been
11:31making those calls.
11:32The trade deadline's
11:32coming up in a few weeks
11:33so it's something
11:35that makes sense
11:36for us short and long term.
11:37We'll always,
11:37we'll always explore it
11:38and,
11:39but I don't,
11:40I don't think this
11:42particular injury
11:43spurned anything,
11:44you know,
11:45different than what
11:46we're looking at
11:47regardless.
11:48But if,
11:48you know,
11:48if there was a,
11:49if we had a great
11:50opportunity that we thought
11:51made sense with Terry,
11:53we would do it
11:53and we'd do the same
11:54thing without Terry.
11:56Talking to Adam,
11:56Peter's Commanders,
11:57GM,
11:58so you know the numbers
12:00better than us
12:00but the average time
12:02before the pocket
12:03collapsed this past week
12:06was 1.5 seconds
12:07for Jaden Daniels.
12:09So the pass blocking
12:10wasn't good enough
12:12and Dan Quinn
12:13talked about that
12:14after the game.
12:15is there talk of
12:16maybe shuffling guys
12:18around,
12:18you know,
12:19we were kind of
12:19kicking around
12:19amongst ourselves
12:21had Larry Mead Tunsell
12:22not gone down
12:23there's a good chance
12:24that Brandon Coleman
12:24would have been
12:25playing left guard
12:25next to Tunsell.
12:27Things didn't work
12:28out that way
12:29but right now
12:30the offensive line
12:30needs to get better.
12:31What are you guys
12:32talking about doing?
12:34Yeah,
12:35you know,
12:36I think
12:36we'd all say
12:37we need to,
12:38this last game
12:39we didn't protect
12:39as well as we needed to.
12:41I think on the average
12:42the guys have done
12:43a pretty good job
12:44and I think
12:44the numbers would
12:46show that as well.
12:48So this past game
12:49notwithstanding
12:50I think the guys
12:50have held up
12:51especially like you said
12:52without,
12:52you know,
12:53the best player
12:54on that offensive line
12:55in Laramie
12:56and so
12:57been,
12:57you know,
12:59been proud of that group
13:00and,
13:01you know,
13:02this past week
13:03notwithstanding
13:04we need to
13:05figure out
13:06how to,
13:06you know,
13:07just continue
13:08to get better there though
13:09and be able
13:11to just be sound
13:12in our blocking schemes
13:14and then be able
13:14to help those guys
13:15out too.
13:16So,
13:17but in terms
13:18of moving forward
13:19there hasn't been
13:20any discussion
13:21about shuffling
13:22anybody
13:22or doing anything
13:23like that.
13:23We have to find ways
13:25to give Jane
13:26a little more time
13:27when he needs it
13:28but by and large
13:30I think they've done
13:31a nice job.
13:31I think obviously
13:32this last week
13:33and,
13:34you know,
13:34you guys are right on
13:35we need to block
13:36better than that
13:37especially late in the game
13:38there's some instances
13:39where we needed
13:40to protect
13:41for a little bit longer
13:41but,
13:43you know,
13:44that's not something
13:44we'd discuss
13:45in terms of
13:45shuffling those guys around.
13:47What about
13:47in terms of
13:48the run blocking
13:49because,
13:49you know,
13:49you guys know,
13:50again,
13:50you guys know better
13:51than anybody
13:51but the rushing numbers
13:53are good
13:54but a lot of that's
13:54because of your
13:55mobile quarterbacks
13:56we would like to see
13:57more as fans,
13:58right,
13:59from the RBs
14:00is that because,
14:02you know,
14:02the guys up front
14:03maybe they're better
14:04at the pass blocking
14:05than they are at run blocking
14:06like what's going on there?
14:07Why are we not getting more
14:08than what we would like
14:09in a perfect world
14:10from our running backs?
14:12Yeah,
14:13I think you're right.
14:14I think sometimes
14:15the situation
14:17of the game dictates,
14:18you know,
14:18how you're going to run
14:19the ball
14:19and those types of things
14:22but,
14:22yeah,
14:22we need to get better
14:23really in both phases.
14:25I don't think there's any
14:27skirting around that.
14:28We need to get better.
14:29We need to get more
14:30on the same page
14:31in terms of just
14:31making sure
14:32we're good
14:34in our blocking schemes
14:35on both sides of the ball.
14:37I mean,
14:37sorry,
14:37both run and pass
14:38and those guys
14:40are working their tails off
14:41on it.
14:41I know that
14:42and,
14:43you know,
14:43we're six games in
14:45and we're going to get better
14:46and I think that's the thing
14:47that we'll always
14:49kind of look to
14:50is we're six games
14:50in a new scheme
14:52and we're going to continue
14:53to get better
14:53throughout the season.
14:55Last one,
14:56what does Adam Peters
14:57do during the bye week?
14:58Do you just be a dad
14:59this weekend?
15:00Like,
15:00what do you do?
15:01Yeah,
15:02I think,
15:03especially,
15:03you know,
15:03we've had kind of
15:04a funky schedule
15:06so,
15:07you know,
15:07in terms of just
15:08traveling a lot,
15:09we've only really had
15:10two home games
15:11so nice to relax.
15:13Got some flag football
15:15this weekend,
15:16got softball
15:17so that's what I'll be doing
15:19is watching my girls
15:20play a little sports
15:22and hanging
15:22and just chilling
15:23and recharging
15:25because it'll be
15:26a long stretch
15:27after this
15:27so that'll be nice,
15:29watch a little football
15:30and watch the girls
15:31and that's a pretty
15:33good bye weekend.
15:34By the way,
15:35girls flag football
15:35is really blowing up.
15:37Totally.
15:37Totally.
15:38It's a big deal.
15:38It's incredible.
15:40My eight-year-old
15:41absolutely loves it.
15:42It's her favorite sport
15:43and we're trying
15:45to get it,
15:45you know,
15:46to be a big-time
15:46college sport.
15:47You know,
15:47the league's really
15:49has a great initiative
15:51for that.
15:51I'm working on
15:52the flag committee
15:54with the league
15:55and it's really exciting.
15:56I mean,
15:56I could sit here
15:57and talk to you
15:57about it for hours
15:59in terms of that.
16:00Like,
16:00we've got to get
16:00it's sanctioned
16:01in Virginia.
16:02You know,
16:02that's the last place
16:03D.C. and Maryland
16:04it's sanctioned in
16:05and then starting
16:06to get it into
16:07our colleges
16:07and big-time colleges
16:09and big-time college football
16:10because I think
16:12it's an incredible
16:13opportunity
16:14for girls to play
16:15and they're really good,
16:17man.
16:17They're really good.
16:18It's huge
16:19in certain places
16:20and other places
16:20it's still growing
16:21but I want to get it
16:23to grow in our area
16:24and we've had
16:24a lot of girls
16:25come and play
16:26in the bubble
16:28for us
16:29and really
16:30like if you go out
16:31on a Saturday
16:32or a Sunday
16:33and some of these fields
16:34man,
16:34it's just hundreds
16:35and hundreds of girls
16:36out there playing
16:37and it's really fun
16:38to see and fun to watch.
16:40Well,
16:40I don't know if you're aware
16:40you're talking to
16:41two former flag football
16:43coaches
16:44that had some success.
16:46At least I had success
16:47on the I-9 sports level.
16:49I had zero success.
16:50I was one and done.
16:51Didn't get a win.
16:52I bowed out, Adam.
16:53I said,
16:53this is not for me.
16:54I won a bunch of chips.
16:56I like to call myself
16:56the Sean McVay
16:57of five-on-five
16:58I-9 sports flag football.
16:59There you go.
17:01You have to send me
17:02your playbook.
17:02The playbook's not deep.
17:04It's not deep.
17:05You don't need to be deep.
17:06But I like running
17:07trips right.
17:08That's my go-to.
17:10All right.
17:10Thank you, Adam.
17:11Get some rest,
17:12recharge,
17:13and let's freaking
17:14beat the crap
17:15out of the Eagles
17:15and I guess we'll talk
17:17to you.
17:17We'll talk to them
17:18before that.
17:18Yeah, we'll talk
17:19to you next week.
17:19Good stuff.
17:20All right.
17:20Thank you, bud.