- 4 hours ago
The Washington Commanders cannot put together a full game of football. The first half effort against the 49ers was absolutely unacceptable.
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00:00I was super pissed by the first half.
00:04It was unbelievable.
00:05I was kind of, you know, given some hope in the second half.
00:10But I need to see four quarters of football.
00:14Hell, give me three full quarters of football.
00:17I'll take that.
00:18Three is more than two.
00:19Yeah.
00:20Because right now all you're getting is two and they play four.
00:22White Bryant just said if they had the Giants first half and the second half of that last week,
00:26I'm like, they could beat any damn body in the league.
00:29Yeah, I left last night, and I don't want to be overly dramatic,
00:34but, like, I like to think having, doing my job for a while,
00:39I like to figure things out and kind of know what a team is
00:45and know what they can do well and know what they can't do well.
00:48And I don't know who the hell this team is.
00:50I don't know what they are.
00:52Because they don't show you anything consistently.
00:54No.
00:56Go ahead, go ahead.
00:56No, you go, dude.
00:58Consistency is what makes anybody good at anything.
01:03Consistency.
01:04It makes individuals become great.
01:06It makes teams become great.
01:09It makes franchises and businesses become great.
01:13But if you're inconsistent, you're not going to ever reach what you want to reach.
01:17And then you got to also,
01:18so the thing about it is having the majority of people working hand-in-hand to do something.
01:23You know, when you consistently have the same people doing something stupid at great moments,
01:29then that person is consistently bad.
01:31So you have to find a way to make sure if they can't get better, then they're not on the
01:34field.
01:35You know?
01:36The last play annoys the hell out of me.
01:39They rushed three people.
01:41Three.
01:41And all three of them had some level of pressure on the quarterback.
01:45So I don't care who you are.
01:48I don't care where you are.
01:51If you give me the top 20 offensive line, the top 20 teams in college, and you rushed three people,
01:58they probably won't give up that much damn pressure.
02:02So, this is, like, I always tell people, people judge sometimes NFL players and college players at the top schools
02:11like they're in the little league.
02:14I, on the other hand, don't judge them like that.
02:16I judge you based off of being a damn pro.
02:19And I saw some guys playing high school, high school effort against pro players last night.
02:26Yeah, I think it's two straight weeks where there's some offensive linemen that are not going to be happy with
02:30you.
02:30with the tape.
02:32I think, I think Coleman was getting dog-walked.
02:35Some seal position players are not going to be happy with their play on the tape.
02:38Sure.
02:38I'm talking about the offensive linemen play on the tape.
02:41Right.
02:42Like, it was, Coleman was getting dog-walked in that game.
02:47Connerly had his first bad game of the year.
02:49Cosby took a viciously dirty hit that I do think impacted him.
02:53If that player doesn't get a suspension, or I have to find, this league is FOS.
03:00Okay?
03:01If they don't find that, this dude is just coming and lunges into the leg, back of the leg of
03:09an offensive lineman.
03:10He can't say he was trying to dive at anybody else.
03:13Nobody was there for him to hit.
03:15But, that was dirty as hell.
03:16And, the league, you have to get your refs under wraps, or stop lying and telling people that you care
03:24about safety.
03:25You had Fred Warner three times, led with his helmet, and not one of them were called.
03:30Yeah.
03:31The one on Jig where they picked the flag up was unbelievable.
03:34See, that is crap, bro.
03:36You got, see these guest referees, I think these guest referees are probably the thorn in the side of the
03:42NFL right now.
03:43Because that referee was like, all three of those things should have been called.
03:47They should have never picked the flag up.
03:48When you start hearing people that have done this for a living, start saying stuff like that.
03:54Listen, I'm not blaming the refs, but I just want stuff to be equal for a whole damn game.
03:59Like, you don't see anything they're doing, but you see everything somebody else is doing.
04:04But, hell, we're giving them that opportunity.
04:06Yeah.
04:07Now, listen, I've always said holding on the chest plate is legal as hell.
04:12Holding on the outside of a shoulder is illegal as hell.
04:16That's where it gets called.
04:16So, if you keep holding on the outside, you're going to get called.
04:19Grab his chest plate, and you are allowed to steer his ass wherever you want him to go.
04:24But when you grab outside or you begin to do, you know what I mean?
04:29Lazy.
04:30Footwork's not right.
04:31You're not in the right position.
04:32That's why you're reaching grab.
04:33It means you're getting your ass kicked.
04:35Yeah.
04:36I mean, ultimately, if you're playing offensive line and you have to grab with your arms fully
04:41extended, it's because you're losing.
04:43Like, you're losing that individual battle.
04:46Like, that is not what anyone's taught.
04:48You never want your arms way out if you're an offensive lineman.
04:51It's one thing if you're, like, trying to block a speed rush on the edge or something.
04:54But I think, for me, it's just so hard to reconcile what the hell this team is.
05:02And that's a hard thing, Jay.
05:06And what do we always say?
05:07Halloween is when you kind of know what a team is.
05:10Yeah.
05:10You want to know.
05:10You're six games in.
05:12Yeah.
05:12What's the, like, when you start asking, what's the personality of this team?
05:16When you think of this team, what do you know?
05:19That's the way I think every year we go into this thing thinking about.
05:22And you know, I have given them every chance.
05:25Because I like to see first four to five games.
05:28Like, I tell people all the time, don't ask me in the spring who going, what the record
05:33going to be.
05:34How the hell I know?
05:35They don't know who the whole team is.
05:37So, I don't know who the whole team is.
05:38But once I see a team and I start seeing them play, you know, I can start to pick up
05:44some
05:44stuff.
05:44Now, I see a lot of positives that if they work on it, this team could have some great
05:50things going for them.
05:50But I also see the negatives that always hampers that.
05:55You know, you take one step forward and you start doing a Michael Jackson moonwalk back
06:00when you do the stupidity out there.
06:01You know?
06:02So, it's not a piling on or anything like that.
06:07You know how I am, Jay.
06:09I think about this whole thing as I am a player.
06:12Sure.
06:13I know how players think.
06:15I know how coaches work and stuff.
06:16But when you consistently see it, I have no choice but to point it out.
06:22We have certain guys that are consistently bad, do the same old stupid stuff over and
06:26over again.
06:27In my book, you shouldn't be on the field consistently then.
06:30It is really hard to have watched that game because at halftime, Brian, I don't want to
06:38be hyperbolic.
06:39I'm not trying to exaggerate for clicks or for white Brian to cut a video, whatever it
06:44is, right?
06:44But at halftime of that game, you wondered, I know Josh Harris is a patient man.
06:50I know this ownership group is in no hurry to get rid of anybody.
06:54That is not what they want to do.
06:57But coming off the tie to the Giants, coming off the embarrassing nature of how that game
07:01ended, at halftime, it was such thorough domination, you wondered if Harris was going to be forced
07:08to do something.
07:09Because the one thing you could not have in this game was to get embarrassed and look
07:14like the play from last week beat you twice.
07:18Looked like you could not re-motivate these guys, get them to lock back in after a humiliating
07:23tie, right?
07:24That was the one thing you could not have.
07:27At halftime of this game, it was 20-3.
07:30It felt like that.
07:31And it felt like 40-3.
07:33If you look at the stats at halftime, the Niners had 17 first downs, B.
07:39The Commanders had two.
07:41Yeah, the Niners had 17 first downs, the Commanders had like 17 plays, 16 plays.
07:47B, they had 300 yards of offense in the first half.
07:51Yeah.
07:52Washington had 90.
07:53Yeah.
07:53It was so dramatically one-sided, and Mike Evans could do anything he wanted.
08:01Three catches for 94 yards.
08:03When Mike Evans walked into that locker room just before halftime, the game swung significantly
08:08there.
08:09It was a huge change.
08:11Because I don't know that this Commanders defense was equipped to slow down Evans and
08:16Kittle.
08:17When they were able to then just focus on Kittle, because the Niners' injury situation
08:21and wide receiver is unbelievable, the second half was entirely different.
08:26And that's their job.
08:27It's not Durante Jones or Nick Cross' fault that Mike Evans got hurt.
08:33Hey, they're down a guy.
08:34We've got to take advantage of this.
08:35And they did.
08:36And credit to them for doing that.
08:38Offensively, they were significantly better in the second half.
08:41Jaden goes for like 220 in the second half.
08:46The run game was anemic throughout.
08:49I was worried what the loss of Bill would do.
08:53Looked like McNichols should have been in there earlier.
08:56Yeah.
08:56And how about the McNichols touchdown that gets called back on a Chris Paul face mask?
09:00And that was the right call.
09:01It was the right call on that.
09:03You know?
09:03And he has to realize, your name pops up in major moments all the time.
09:09In a negative manner.
09:11He's got to get better at what he's doing.
09:13But this is what I can tell you this.
09:16I can say, in the midst of something bad, like a loss is a bad thing, you know, I can
09:21find positives.
09:23Jerry McNichols, I can have him on my team anytime.
09:26Dude, I've always said that.
09:27This dude has been out for what?
09:29Seven, eight, nine weeks?
09:30Yeah.
09:31He steps on the field and instantly become an impact.
09:34Now, I'm going to say this.
09:35Moving forward, he might need to be your kick returner.
09:39I don't, I'm going to tell you, kick returner is not for the faint of heart.
09:43I don't like full speed until you get three yards from the action and then you stop.
09:47That's going to get you killed.
09:49So, you got to, if you're not going to hit the line where they're blocking full speed, you should not
09:54be back there.
09:55That's the fear of getting hit.
10:00Yes.
10:00And how about the punt return?
10:02Sure.
10:02I mean, how, dude, how that ball didn't hit Luke is a damn miracle.
10:08And, like, see.
10:09But what is he doing on that punt return?
10:11Let me help you.
10:12Either get away or fair catch.
10:13I'm going to help you with that one.
10:14Yeah.
10:15And I'm helping him out with this one, too.
10:18When I saw that punter drop his ball, he dropped it nose down, the nose leaning forward, the back of
10:25the ball, I mean the top of the ball leaning back.
10:28That's a knuckler he's kicking to you.
10:30And that ball is moving in the wind.
10:33And the person who is not an astute punt returner, you are taught to get the hell away.
10:41He was trying to catch it because he thought he was going to catch it at first.
10:44As that ball started coming down, you know how a knuckleball goes with a baseball.
10:48Can you imagine a oblong-shaped football doing the same thing?
10:52So, he got too close.
10:57He, like you said, he should have been trying to catch it or getting the hell out the way.
11:00But that ball did some tricks on it.
11:03And I don't know if he ever caught one like that.
11:06I can tell you this.
11:07Tress knows how to kick the exact punt.
11:09If I'm Luke, I'm having Tress kick me 15, 20 of those every day now.
11:14Because you can catch them, but you can never, ever stop your feet.
11:18You got to move with that ball.
11:21Yeah, I mean, that was a miracle that went Washington's way.
11:25They got a defensive holding on a fourth down.
11:27Like, the second half, the flags kind of went their way.
11:31And that's football.
11:32It comes, it goes.
11:33Washington had bad penalties early.
11:36The hardest part for me is like, what was that?
11:40They deserve real credit for coming back.
11:44And they had opportunities at the end to finish this game, to win the game.
11:50And for them defensively in the fourth quarter, do you know how many yards San Francisco gained in the fourth
11:57quarter of that game?
11:59Hmm?
12:00Do you know how many yards San Fran gained in the fourth quarter?
12:02I don't know.
12:03Seven.
12:04Eight.
12:04Over three drives.
12:06But I can tell you this.
12:06They forced three three and outs, including when the Niners got the ball with a minute 54, I thought the
12:12game was over.
12:13I thought they'd be able to get a first down and close down that game.
12:17That's what a championship team does.
12:18Yeah.
12:19And when they got the stop on third down, I was like, wow, Commanders are going to get one more
12:23chance at this thing.
12:25When they started blitzing and doing the Brian Flores, Kyle had no answer for that.
12:33But early on when they were like showing and dropping out and then staying back, he picked that apart.
12:39When they started doing the stuff that Brian Flores does, and that's a lot of Durante's defense, had no clue.
12:47I think he was scared to blitz early with Evans on the field because he was just getting torched between
12:54Evans and Kittle.
12:55And that changed a lot in the second half.
12:57I just, we haven't even hit on the confusion in the first half on a fourth down play where there's
13:05video where it sure looks like Dan Quinn is unaware that it's fourth down.
13:09Because it seems like he's calling for the field goal and then he goes, oh, that was fourth down.
13:13Now, Dan Quinn was quick to set the record straight in postgame.
13:16He said, I absolutely knew we were going for it.
13:19We knew we had to be bold in this game.
13:20We knew we needed touchdowns in this game.
13:22His explanation made sense.
13:24I don't know that it really corresponds to what the video shows.
13:29Yeah, but the thing about it, like the video, people now, look, after last week, week before that, whatever it
13:34was, people are looking for stuff now.
13:36Sure.
13:37So we got to realize.
13:37And maybe deservedly so.
13:39Like you deserve more scrutiny after the way that time.
13:41Yeah, but the whole thing about it, everything that you go forward ain't going to be nothing crazy.
13:45So, yeah, like that's why coaches covered him out.
13:47So nobody can read what the hell they're saying because you can figure out what you want with it.
13:52You know, hey, whatever happened last week in my book, my whole thing is I'm looking for production.
13:59And when I don't see production, I don't care what you say.
14:02You can tell them whatever you were thinking, what you were saying, what you tried to say.
14:06The production is what I'm looking for.
14:08And the production is not matching what we need to see consistently.
14:12Agree with that, B.
14:13I thought, it's just, I don't know what this team is.
14:19And ultimately, you are what your record is.
14:22And you're 1-4-1 going into the bye week.
14:25And I asked Quinn this last night.
14:27And how do you balance the incredible frustrations and bad losses of the first half of this season with the
14:36reality?
14:37And I don't even know that it's, like, I don't even know what to make of it.
14:44But the fact that they are within striking distance in a downed division is crazy.
14:50Is crazy.
14:51You know, like.
14:53So, like, also, real quick, B, I'm sorry to interrupt you.
14:57Nobody's getting fired.
14:58And I know we're going to get 100 phone calls of people screaming to fire people.
15:02It's not going to happen.
15:03I absolutely do not expect any major changes this coming week.
15:08And part of that is they're in striking distance in the division.
15:12They're in striking distance.
15:12Let it play out.
15:13But I can tell you what this team is right now.
15:15This team has playmakers at certain positions.
15:19We lost one of them last night.
15:21And they also have people who are depending on everybody to make their decisions for them and make things right
15:29for them.
15:30We have some people that are inexperienced and is showing up in some situations.
15:36But in other situations, they look spectacular.
15:39And I'm speaking on coaches and players.
15:41Yeah.
15:42Okay.
15:42We have some people that are unsure of themselves.
15:44We have people that are very sure of themselves.
15:46And as I state every day, and I do this on purpose, we have Ray Brown hit me again last
15:53night.
15:54Big Ray was like, look, bro.
15:55I didn't see him.
15:56He said, you can, people can say what the hell they want.
15:59Number five is special.
16:01He say, let him get out of there and get somewhere else.
16:03And you're going to find out how special he is.
16:06That dude right there is very good.
16:09But you know how many people are depending on him to make their stuff right?
16:13Quarterbacks shouldn't have to make stuff right for you.
16:16If everybody does their job at an average or above average range, a quarterback of his ilk, that's when he
16:25becomes spectacular.
16:26If you're performing below your ability, he can't make you look better.
16:34You know what I'm saying?
16:35Yeah.
16:35So we got to stop thinking just because our quarterback is good, everybody else could be average.
16:40No, no, no, no.
16:41We need to play above average in the other positions.
16:44Not spectacular, not great.
16:46Just give him average or above average.
16:48And I promise you he'll make things better.
16:50But if you, if your ears stink all day, he can't make you smell good.
16:56Well said there.
16:58I, it is, the end of the day, the old Bill Parcells quote, you are what your record is, right?
17:06And the record is awful through six games.
17:09True that.
17:09And the losses have been awful.
17:13Were there spots where they might have pulled it off?
17:15Sure.
17:16But they didn't.
17:17And you're still in this division remarkably, miraculously.
17:22I don't know.
17:23I don't know what to think of the division.
17:25If the Giants fan thinks, Giants fans think J.J. McCarthy's your answer, good luck with all that.
17:30Well, my Brian thinks that.
17:32I mean, that's great.
17:33Good for him.
17:33That's the great part of the sport.
17:35You never know what's going to happen, right?
17:36But, like, going forward for this football team, it's a week of soul searching.
17:44It's a week of real questions.
17:46I'd like to eventually have a David Blau conversation.
17:50And I think I have been a Blau lever.
17:53I've said that repeatedly.
17:55But I almost wonder, Brian, and this is perhaps too inside football right now.
18:02I almost wonder, he wants to be on the sideline to be able to talk to Jaden.
18:07And I understand that.
18:08But when you see over and over barely getting plays off, chasing the play clock.
18:15And that place was loud last night.
18:16That was a difficult place to play.
18:18I almost wonder if for a first-time play caller, you'd be better off in the booth with some peace
18:23and some quiet and your ability to see the full field.
18:26I don't know.
18:27But, like, I just wonder if things wouldn't happen a little faster if he wasn't on the sideline, he was
18:32in the booth.
18:33I think David Blau is capable.
18:35I don't think last night was necessarily the best, you know, example.
18:39It's always about the next play, bro.
18:41It's not about the last play or the play.
18:43It's the next play.
18:44And if you're not in that mindset as a play caller, especially on offense, you're going to get caught up
18:49in some stuff.
18:51You can't ignore the records here.
18:53But you also can't ignore how they've arrived at the records and the fact that a terrible division is within
19:01reach.
19:01We also can't ignore, and I want to talk about it because it is massively significant, the Terry McLaurin injury
19:09from last night.
19:10That sure as heck looks to me like he's going to be done for the year.
19:14I want to talk about Terry because he deserves that and just the emotional toll that's going to bring to
19:22this team.
19:22You're listening to B. Mitch and Finley.
19:24We're just getting started on what is today, Terrible Tuesday?
19:27Terrible Tuesday.
19:28Nobody go anywhere.