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The Athletic's Mike Jones joins the Sports Junkies to talk Commanders, what's next if the team continues to struggle and Week 7 in the NFL. Plus, a surprising overtime victory just blew the NFC East race wide open.
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00:00Talking NFL. Commanders, of course, bye week.
00:04Getting ready for their next matchup. Joining us right now to talk some NFL and
00:08Commanders is our pal Mike Jones, NFL columnist
00:12for The Athletic. Hey, Mike. Hey, how you guys doing this morning?
00:16Doing well. Hope you're doing well. Also,
00:21we were just trying to figure out the NFC
00:24East, and then the Giants kind of threw a little wrench
00:27into it, because we weren't really buying them. I'm not saying they're great. I don't think they're great.
00:32But I thought that was a pretty solid win, and now it kind of makes me
00:36kind of look at the NFC East maybe in a different way. Maybe
00:39Washington really isn't close. We're trying to come up with reasons
00:43why Washington is still in this thing. They might not be.
00:48Yeah, I mean, that was definitely a quality win
00:51for the Giants yesterday. I'm going to hold off on saying that they are
00:56the team to beat, because
00:58we see newly
01:00installed quarterbacks come in and do
01:02really well when the defenses don't have a lot of
01:04game tape on them and know
01:05how they're going to be used in that system.
01:08Let's see what J.J. McCarthy looks
01:10like next week.
01:11When they have time to plan for them.
01:14What kind of wrenches they throw at them.
01:15I know he made a great throw
01:17really down the sideline
01:20and fitted over two guys,
01:21and it kind of set them up to score.
01:23That was double coverage.
01:25If that was an inch lower,
01:27it's picked off,
01:28then everybody's crucifying him.
01:29He had some really good things he did,
01:32some shaky things that he did.
01:35I'm going to wait before I crown them.
01:39But I do think that this division
01:42really is pretty open.
01:45Dallas has an offense that can score a lot of points.
01:47They've got to figure out how to get a couple stops,
01:50at least, on defense.
01:52If they can do that,
01:53then I think that down the stretch of the season,
01:55then they might be one of the favorites.
01:58Philadelphia, not having a quarterback,
02:00having a retooled and beat-up offensive line,
02:03I don't give them a whole lot of
02:05a chance.
02:07Washington,
02:09there's just a lot of stuff that
02:10are not quite in sync,
02:13and I don't know that they get it fixed
02:15over the second half of the season
02:17to be able to make a charge,
02:19but it is open.
02:21It's not like there's one big dominant team
02:23and nobody can measure up to them.
02:26Mike, getting back to the Eagles for a second,
02:28do you think Saquon goes?
02:29He's questionable heading in
02:31with a hamstring injury,
02:32but he did get a full practice in over the weekend.
02:34And what do you think Howie Roseman's plans are
02:37if they fall to Dallas tonight
02:39and go to 2-5 on the season?
02:42Yeah, I mean,
02:43they're hoping that Saquon can go.
02:44So, you know,
02:45it would be definitely a boost for them
02:48with Tanner McKee
02:49needing to be able to lean on a strong run game
02:52to kind of ease some pressure on him.
02:54We don't know for sure.
02:55They might not know
02:56until they really test him out pregame,
02:58but being that he did get a full practice in
03:00is a good sign.
03:02You know,
03:03so we'll see.
03:04You know,
03:05he hasn't really had an impact this year.
03:07He's had multiple games
03:08where he's gotten hurt early in those games.
03:10So if he could actually come back
03:11and, like,
03:12help shoulder the load,
03:13that would be a big thing for their offense.
03:16You know,
03:17if they lose this game here,
03:19I think that Howie is going to continue
03:21to be patient with this thing.
03:24I had, you know,
03:25wondered if they would make a move,
03:27you know,
03:27to try to see if they could get some help
03:29at quarterback.
03:30But when you look at who's out there
03:31and, you know,
03:32there's not a whole lot of teams
03:34that look like they have quality backups.
03:36And if they do have really good backups,
03:38it doesn't look like they are in the,
03:40you know,
03:40wanting to sell,
03:41whether it's Mack Jones in San Francisco,
03:43they like him.
03:44Joe Flacco in Cincinnati,
03:46they really like having him.
03:48You know,
03:48the Kirk Cousins-Mendoza thing
03:50is interesting,
03:50but I don't think yet
03:52that they're ready
03:53to just move on for that.
03:54So when I was asking around,
03:56a lot of people said
03:56they think that Howie's just going to be like,
03:57well,
03:58I'm not mortgaging in the future.
03:59I'm not giving up a bunch of draft picks.
04:01This is something that we can't just fix
04:03very quickly.
04:04We're going to be patient
04:05and, you know,
04:06this might just be a lost season.
04:08We'll have a better draft pick
04:09and then we'll just keep rebuilding,
04:11retooling as we go.
04:13You know, Mike,
04:14before you became a national superstar,
04:16I know you covered this team
04:17for many years
04:18and you know
04:20that like every seven,
04:21eight,
04:22ten years or so,
04:22they get off to a catastrophic start
04:24and then,
04:25I don't know,
04:26Todd Collins rips off five wins
04:27or Mike Shanahan gives up on the season
04:30and RG3
04:30and they get boys
04:31and Alfred Morris,
04:31they kind of figure it out
04:32and they go on a run.
04:34Is this team built
04:35to do that?
04:37They've had a lot of problems,
04:38been a comedy of errors,
04:39they've been the laughing stock
04:40of the league
04:40with some of the stuff
04:41that's happened here lately.
04:43Are there enough pieces
04:44that they can put together
04:45one of those runs?
04:47You know,
04:48I'm not sure
04:49there are enough pieces.
04:50I mean,
04:51I think their defense
04:51is going to continue
04:52to get better.
04:53You know,
04:54they've got some young talent
04:55and I really like
04:56what we see from Sonny Stiles
04:58and, you know,
04:59I don't think their defense
05:00is awful.
05:01You know,
05:02they're still a work in progress.
05:03You've got a first-time
05:04defensive coordinator
05:06leading them.
05:07Points-wise,
05:08they kind of are,
05:09you know,
05:09but they look better
05:10than they rank,
05:11in my opinion.
05:12Right.
05:13Yes,
05:13and so that's why
05:14I think that,
05:15you know,
05:15they're kind of,
05:16you know,
05:16they just need
05:16a couple adjustments
05:17and they can start
05:18taking some strides.
05:20it's not like you look
05:21at him like,
05:21man,
05:21they got nobody
05:23to,
05:23you know,
05:24that can make
05:24some plays for them.
05:25So they got to start
05:26getting some stops.
05:27You know,
05:28offensively,
05:30I don't know.
05:31Like,
05:31who's your running back
05:32that you can really
05:33lean on now?
05:34You know,
05:36weapons-wise,
05:37Terry McLaurin's gone.
05:38Yes,
05:39Stefan Diggs here helps.
05:40You know,
05:41you got some young guys
05:42and Burks,
05:43but I just don't know
05:44if they really have enough
05:46to be able to string
05:47together a run.
05:49You know,
05:50if Jaden Daniels
05:51can stay healthy,
05:52that's great.
05:53And yes,
05:53he can mask a lot of things,
05:54but I don't know
05:56about David Blau
05:57as a play caller
05:58and,
05:59you know,
05:59having the experience
06:00and the feel for games
06:02to be able to,
06:03you know,
06:04position this team.
06:05You know,
06:05so there's just
06:06a lot of questions
06:07and this is kind of a,
06:09maybe you can look at it
06:10as a growth year
06:11for them.
06:12And I don't know
06:13that really contention
06:14is something
06:15that's really realistic.
06:16Hey Mike,
06:16just like we all expected,
06:18the Minnesota Vikings
06:18are the last unbeaten team
06:20in the NFL
06:21at 6-0.
06:22They're doing it
06:23with their defense
06:24allowing just 12 points
06:25per game.
06:26They beat the Colts
06:26yesterday 16-10.
06:28Can they do the same thing
06:30to their next two opponents
06:31who are pretty high-powered?
06:32They're at the Lions
06:33next weekend
06:34and then they host
06:35the Bills
06:36on November 9th.
06:38They're going to really
06:39need their defense
06:40to continue to play like this
06:41because their offense
06:42is not,
06:42you know,
06:43high-powered.
06:43You know,
06:44I think it's like
06:45in their six games
06:46I think they've had
06:4710 touchdowns total.
06:48That's not good.
06:49In the first game
06:51they scored 39 points
06:52when Carson Wentz
06:54came in
06:54but the next week
06:55Carson Wentz
06:56only directed them
06:57to three field goals.
07:00Kyler Murray
07:01he did some good things
07:03yesterday.
07:03He's starting to look
07:04a little more comfortable
07:05but this offense
07:06is not as potent
07:07as it should be
07:08if you have weapons
07:09like Justin Jefferson.
07:11You know,
07:12they've had
07:13kind of like
07:14some flashes.
07:15They're not running
07:15the football
07:16quite as well
07:16as they need to
07:17to be able to
07:18help set up
07:19Kyler Murray
07:20because yesterday
07:20he was most effective
07:21on the play-action passes
07:22and they've got to be able
07:24to run the ball better
07:24to be able to continue
07:25to sell that play-action.
07:27But the good thing
07:28is they do have
07:29that defensive backing
07:30but it's a lot of pressure
07:31on that defense
07:32if you're not scoring points
07:34and so it's going to be
07:34interesting to see.
07:35I think this will be
07:36a real truth-teller stretch
07:38these next two games
07:39to say
07:39if they are legit contenders
07:41or if they're going
07:43to be a team
07:43that can hang
07:45with good teams
07:47but can't quite compete
07:49because they're not able
07:49to put up the fireworks.
07:51They have the best
07:51defense in the league
07:52by far.
07:53It's led by Brian Flores.
07:54Does he get back in
07:56as a head coach?
07:57Well, I mean
07:59he should have
08:00already been back in
08:01but these owners
08:02they're kind of indicative.
08:04The guy's got a lawsuit
08:05against the league
08:06and against the owners
08:07for discriminatory
08:09hiring practices.
08:10So it just depends
08:12on if there is
08:13actually a team
08:14that says
08:15we really want to win
08:17and are willing
08:19to put politics
08:21and things like that aside.
08:23because of that
08:24it's really hard
08:25to predict.
08:26He definitely should be
08:27for sure
08:28but
08:29you know
08:30these owners
08:31it's hard to predict
08:32how they would
08:34move, react
08:35and if they would
08:36swallow their pride
08:37and give the guy
08:37a shot again.
08:38Sticking in that division
08:40how impressed
08:41are you by
08:41the Chicago Bears?
08:44Very.
08:45You know
08:46they've displayed
08:48growth on both sides
08:49of the football.
08:50Their defense
08:50is good.
08:51Their offense
08:52you know
08:52continues to put up points.
08:54Caleb Williams
08:55looking like
08:56the guy
08:57that they were hoping
08:58they got
08:59when they drafted
08:59him first overall.
09:01You know
09:01he has improved
09:02on what he was last year.
09:04He's more accurate
09:04making better decisions.
09:06You know
09:06Ben Johnson
09:07is just really talented
09:08in the way
09:09he's positioning them
09:09for success.
09:11And
09:13so
09:13I mean
09:14when you look
09:14at that division
09:16I still think
09:17they're the team
09:17to beat
09:18in that division.
09:19Yes
09:19the Lions
09:20can put up
09:21a lot of points.
09:21Their defense
09:22can be inconsistent
09:23at times
09:23although yesterday
09:24had a better effort.
09:25The Packers
09:25have talent
09:26but they hurt
09:27themselves
09:27with penalties
09:28and you know
09:29struggles on special teams.
09:31The Vikings
09:32like we just talked about
09:33really great defense.
09:34Their offense
09:35struggles to score.
09:36So
09:36the Bears
09:38are the team
09:39to beat in that division
09:40and when you look
09:40at the rest
09:41of the conference
09:42you know
09:43a healthy San Francisco
09:44I really like them.
09:46Seattle
09:46just showed
09:47yesterday
09:47they can really
09:48stop a
09:49high powered
09:49offense
09:50and then
09:50you know
09:51move the ball
09:51and score points
09:52as well.
09:53So
09:53the Bears
09:54are right up there
09:54you know
09:55it should come
09:56down to them
09:56and maybe
09:57San Francisco
09:58and Seattle
09:59as the top
10:01teams in the NFC.
10:02Mike
10:02is it too early
10:03to label
10:04Cam Ward
10:04of the Titans
10:05a bust?
10:06He's averaging
10:075.7 yards
10:08per attempt
10:09he's got
10:094 touchdowns
10:10through 7 games
10:115 picks
10:12he's got a rating
10:12of 73.8
10:16Yeah
10:16I mean
10:17it looks like it
10:18I still
10:19I have questions
10:20and I've said
10:21this before
10:22that the way
10:23that he was developed
10:24last year
10:24I almost feel like
10:26you throw that out
10:27and you're starting
10:28over again
10:28I think that they
10:29should have benched him
10:30earlier this season
10:31just to give him
10:32a kind of a reset
10:33to sit and watch
10:34a veteran
10:35you know
10:36operate
10:36we see him
10:38do some good things
10:39here and there
10:39and then we see him
10:40really struggle
10:41you know
10:43I'm not saying
10:43that he's
10:44a bust just yet
10:46but it doesn't
10:46look very promising
10:47because when you
10:48see him make
10:49some of the same
10:49mistakes again
10:50and again
10:50you want to see
10:51him start improving
10:51and not making
10:53some of those mistakes
10:54but his fundamentals
10:56aren't great
10:57he throws off
10:58of bad platforms
10:59and you know
11:00doesn't get his
11:01body turned
11:02the right way
11:02and it's like
11:03he needs to sit down
11:04and kind of reset
11:05kind of like
11:06what Carolina did
11:07with Bryce Young
11:07a couple years ago
11:08and you saw
11:09how that helped
11:10him improve
11:10but Robert Sala
11:11continues to stand
11:12by him
11:13and we'll see
11:14if this is
11:15something that
11:16he can work
11:16his way through
11:18or if it winds
11:19up like said
11:20being one of
11:21those guys
11:21that had a lot
11:22of you know
11:22athleticism
11:23but didn't have
11:25what it took
11:25decision making
11:26mentally wise
11:27overall when you
11:28look at it
11:29two things
11:29who's kind of
11:30like the biggest
11:31fraud
11:31we talked about
11:32Minnesota right
11:33nobody thought
11:33they'd be 6-0
11:34but maybe it's
11:35probably got to
11:36be the Browns
11:36right
11:36nobody really
11:37thinks that they
11:38can continue
11:39at this rate
11:39and then who
11:40of the teams
11:41that have come
11:41out of the gate
11:42slowly
11:42like the Rams
11:43got a win
11:44to see if they
11:45you know
11:45what kind of
11:46those teams
11:47at the bottom
11:48do you expect
11:48to really make
11:49a run
11:50yeah I mean
11:51I don't
11:52I don't think
11:53the Browns
11:54can maintain
11:56this
11:56you know
11:58yes their
11:58defense is good
11:59but I mean
11:59look we saw
12:00them
12:00they almost
12:00lost to
12:01the Titans
12:02who aren't
12:02very good
12:03you know
12:04and so
12:06it's never
12:06pretty
12:07it always
12:07is kind of
12:08ugly
12:08but somehow
12:09they wind up
12:09being able
12:10to pull
12:10this out
12:11and pull
12:12off some
12:12of these
12:12wins
12:12it's five
12:14fourth quarter
12:14you know
12:15comeback
12:15game winning
12:16drives
12:16for Deshaun
12:17Watson
12:18where one
12:18play he looks
12:19like he doesn't
12:19belong in the
12:20UFL
12:21and then sometimes
12:22he looks like
12:23he's in
12:23a pro bowler
12:25just really weird
12:26so yeah I don't
12:27think that they'll
12:28maintain it
12:28I think that the
12:29Ravens when they
12:30get Lamar Jackson
12:32back I think that
12:33they will be able
12:33to start you know
12:34climbing back up
12:35you just hope
12:36that they don't
12:37fall in too deep
12:38a hole there
12:38in that division
12:40where you know
12:40you've got the
12:41Steelers and the
12:42Bengals
12:43other teams
12:44that are really
12:45you know
12:46kind of started
12:47slow they're going
12:48to turn it
12:49around
12:49I mean
12:51yeah the Rams
12:52if they can
12:53get healthy
12:54you know
12:55and maybe
12:56Miles Garrett
12:56will give them
12:57a boost a little
12:57bit but something
12:58just feels kind
12:59of off with them
13:00the 49ers
13:01are a quality
13:02team but
13:02I just
13:03once again
13:04it's like
13:04every year
13:05do these
13:06injuries
13:06wind up
13:07piling up
13:08and keeping
13:08them from being
13:09as good as
13:09they can
13:10because yesterday
13:12they had an
13:12opportunity
13:13but it wasn't
13:15just the injuries
13:15Brock Purdy
13:16turned the football
13:17over which is
13:18uncharacteristic
13:18for him
13:20you know
13:20but I think
13:21that they can
13:21get this thing
13:22turned around
13:23and be one
13:24of the better
13:25teams
13:26I'm trying
13:26to think
13:27of anybody
13:27else who
13:28started slow
13:28that I see
13:29coming back
13:29Houston
13:30I had thought
13:31maybe but
13:31then yesterday
13:32that's a bad
13:33loss for them
13:33you know
13:35and so then
13:35you kind of
13:35start falling
13:36behind
13:36because you
13:37got Jacksonville
13:37in that division
13:38so you're not
13:38going to catch
13:39them but you
13:40possibly could
13:40still get a
13:41wild card
13:42but you know
13:42their defense
13:43just is not
13:44what it was
13:45they're not
13:46getting the stops
13:47and getting off
13:47the field
13:48they're giving
13:48it way too
13:48many points
13:49CJ Stroud
13:50is fine
13:50he's doing
13:51his end of
13:51the bargain
13:52for once
13:53you know
13:53there are a lot
13:54of questions
13:54about him
13:54but the defense
13:55is not
13:55stepping up
13:56like they
13:57had before
13:57who do you
13:58like tonight
14:00I guess
14:01the Cowboys
14:02you know
14:03even though
14:03their defense
14:04gives up
14:04too much
14:05it's not
14:05a great
14:06matchup
14:07yeah you
14:08know
14:08I don't
14:09see him
14:11being able
14:11to lead
14:12the Eagles
14:13to victory
14:14I think
14:15to the Cowboys
14:16you know
14:16because obviously
14:18Philadelphia's defense
14:19is kind of
14:19having laps
14:20and letdowns
14:21and things
14:21like that
14:21here
14:22so I think
14:22Dallas winds up
14:23winning this
14:24thing
14:24even though
14:24I don't feel
14:25great about
14:26either one
14:26of those
14:26teams
14:27hey last
14:27one for you
14:28to circle
14:28back to
14:29the commanders
14:30if you
14:30were to
14:31look
14:31and
14:32objectively
14:33at
14:34Dan Quinn
14:34coaching
14:35Adam Peters
14:36GM
14:38who's done
14:39the better
14:39job
14:43that's really
14:44hard
14:47I mean
14:49when you
14:49look at
14:50some of
14:50the moves
14:50on the
14:51roster
14:52you know
14:52you have to
14:53like some
14:53of them
14:53but then
14:54you kind
14:54of wonder
14:54if
14:55okay
14:55were they
14:56too
14:56complacent
14:57too
14:57like not
14:58aggressive
14:58enough
14:58at rebuilding
14:59the offensive
15:00line
15:00this offseason
15:01and that
15:01falls on
15:02Peters
15:03you know
15:05some of
15:06the moves
15:06haven't panned
15:07out
15:07as far as
15:08helping the
15:09defense
15:09as well
15:09and Quinn
15:12I guess
15:13we'll say
15:13that he's
15:13been the
15:14worst
15:14because
15:14the game
15:15management
15:16decisions
15:16the last
15:17couple weeks
15:18ago
15:19against the
15:19Giants
15:19and then
15:20the end
15:20of the
15:20half
15:20last week
15:23it's just
15:24you know
15:24come on
15:24you can't
15:25make some
15:26of those
15:26mistakes
15:26and be an
15:26NFL head
15:27coach
15:27I really
15:28like Dan
15:28Quinn
15:29you know
15:30but
15:31the team
15:32started off
15:33great
15:33and has
15:34regressed
15:34you know
15:35and last
15:35year I know
15:36there were
15:36injuries and
15:36everything
15:37but it's
15:37like this
15:38kind of
15:38like what
15:38happened
15:39in Atlanta
15:39where
15:40had a
15:40really
15:40you know
15:41strong
15:41start
15:41and then
15:42fizzled
15:42and it
15:42seems like
15:43the same
15:43thing is
15:43happening
15:44again
15:44all right
15:45Mike
15:45good stuff
15:46that's
15:46Mike Jones
15:46from the
15:47after
15:47you