- 2 days ago
ESPN insider John Keim joins Kevin Sheehan to break down what the Commanders are focusing on coming out of their bye week. John also gives insight into the Steve Wilks hire and how the Commanders can fix their gaffes with game management.
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00:00Okay let's get to John now. I had John yesterday and we recorded before the Monday night football
00:05game last night so you won't hear any reference to that but I started off by asking John
00:09if the second half last week against the 49ers hadn't gone the way it did meaning if they had
00:18continued to be beaten into submission with the second consecutive game of a major error
00:25would Dan Quinn be the coach right now? So going into the game I was told no nothing's going to
00:32happen
00:32and it would be like well short of like some massive embarrassing blowout blah blah blah
00:38and even then it wasn't a guarantee to happen so I would lean to know I just think the conversation
00:45would have been far different internally than it would have been certainly than it happened to be
00:51so I don't think it would have been like that but the conversation would have at least
00:56had a different tone internally and it puts you on that path I mean it certainly does and especially
01:02because the only thing Kevin is when that fourth down play happened you're like oh is this is this
01:08that scenario the one scenario that could have taken place to get there and then the second half
01:15happened so it was irrelevant. Well yeah I mean it was not only the fourth down error but it was
01:21in the midst of them getting their ass kicked in the first half. Yeah exactly exactly and that's
01:26and they look like it looked too much like the games last year um and they were healthier
01:31Monday night like but last of that looked like the games where they weren't healthy
01:35and they just were non-competitive for a full quarter. Do you think though that that second half
01:40really said something to you know any normal owner in that moment which he had to be thinking
01:48this is embarrassing I can't believe we committed another error like this in the middle of the game
01:55and it is the bye week now I have to seriously think about it but do you think that that
02:01second half
02:02and the way they played and the very obvious even from afar for people who may not want Dan Quinn
02:10here
02:10that the team still believes in him still plays hard for him that that may carry beyond just a game
02:19and maybe until they're like mathematically eliminated or at least or maybe to the end of the year?
02:25Yeah I think I would go I mean if you're not doing it now like it's I just it's hard
02:30to see right um but
02:32but yes like it would be one of the things that I think at the end of last year that
02:39still resonated
02:40in the organization was that it was exactly that like that they that Quinn had maintained had kept
02:46the locker room right and a lot of times we've seen that where like even though they had the year
02:51in 2024 but in the last year you would feel a loss of confidence maybe in the regime and they
03:00you know
03:00I certainly in the locker room when you're talking to people did not feel like that had been the case
03:04and I know that they knew that that wasn't the case more importantly because I don't make decisions
03:10I just see what the temperature is and they didn't feel that so they didn't that's one reason why they
03:16didn't feel any sort of necessity to make that kind of a move last year and I think that carried
03:22through
03:22to now like that it was still the case um so I do think that that matters and I also
03:29think what
03:30matters too is like they you know they can look at the schedule too and know that the first part
03:35of
03:35the schedule was really really tough and the second part is just is different um now that can't be the
03:41only reason but I think then you look at like the NFC East like okay it's mathematically it's there for
03:47you so I think there's a lot of reasons but I think it does start with the fact that they
03:52felt
03:52like Quinn had maintained the locker room yeah I've actually referenced what you said to me last year
03:57at the end of the year you were very very um you know emphatic about having been in so many
04:05locker rooms over the years that had deteriorated and you had a as the senior guy on this beat
04:11you knew what a dysfunctional you know lost team from the head coach looked like and you were very
04:20very positive that that hadn't happened and obviously it's carried over into this year
04:25what is it about Dan that has kept this thing together over a very difficult 2025 season and a
04:35difficult start to this season what is it about it right and I'm going to I'm going to say one
04:41thing
04:41too at some point you need results that that's the bottom line so I think because of the injury last
04:47year um and then the the the way that I think accountability is one word that I'd hear from
04:53people like in front of the players how he would um reference the blame or whatever you know
05:00what I mean like I think I think that was that was always a part of it um and I
05:05just think the the
05:06sameness of it of his attitude um and his approach I think like it doesn't it didn't change or waver
05:15I think that factors factors into that I think like you know so there that's part I think also
05:21you know I always say like a player's coach like and I don't know that people always take it the
05:29right way you know it sounds like it's like buddy buddy it's not that but I think that there's a
05:34feeling like he looked out for them in a lot of the decisions right you know whether it's um you
05:40know
05:40how you practice etc all those all those kind of things add up and again like I'm relaying stuff
05:45right I'm not saying this is how it should be or whatever it's just this is relaying what you would
05:51hear so it's all of that and that hasn't changed now you know again players last year they knew how
05:58many guys were injured and all that like however anybody else wants to perceive it outside but they
06:02know the deal um now this year the injuries have been bad it's not I don't you know through six
06:08games
06:08I mean there's certainly games they could have won for sure despite that like I don't know that
06:13you can point to too many games and say like this is a direct result of the injuries right I
06:17mean the
06:17Colts game being won um so I do think at some point you have to have results because I don't
06:23care who it
06:24is after a while like if you have two years no results it'd just be really really hard to continue
06:30right and so but I do think those are some of the things that you hear yeah it's it's a
06:35tough league
06:36from that perspective because there's no doubt I've said this a million times I know you and I
06:40have talked about this I don't know how any owner could legitimately evaluate 2025 and try to assign
06:48you know blame uh it's it was so obvious that when you don't have your best players especially
06:54your very best player at the most important position on the field you're not going to have a
07:00good season period end of conversation and this year you know they played six games the starting
07:07quarterbacks played in three and a half of them and they've lost other players but to your point
07:11at some point it really it can't carry the conversation anymore that you didn't have
07:18correct your best players now yeah go ahead no go ahead no I think at some point too like if
07:24the
07:24same mistakes keep happening or if you know if if there's like a loss of confidence in various
07:31coaches on the staff it's I'm not even saying that that's if that's the case or not I'm just saying
07:35like these are the kind of things that eventually erode too because it's all part of the same decision
07:39making right it's you know whether it's how you approach things or whatever like you still need
07:44um you know your position coach or or it matters a ton your decision making in game the main game
07:49management all that stuff adds up um for any coach I'm not again I bet speaking generally but that
07:55does add up for any coach well I mean and really this has been an unbelievable start to a season
08:02considering that every single game has included like this shocking wow moment uh primarily negative
08:11like the shovel pass debates on the two-point conversion against the Eagles Jaden's end of first
08:17half you know Chris Paul steps on his foot there's a dislocated elbow that creates a whole controversy
08:24over why were you going for the the Seattle game not so much the wow moment was just winning uh
08:31that
08:31game the the fourth and one decision against the Colts the end of the giant game in the fourth and
08:38two
08:38against the 49er game we've had a lot to talk about so far for a one four and one season
08:44um yeah so
08:46uh through six games what do you think that Quinn and the coaches feel really good about
08:55and what do you think concerns them the most as they head into a stretch of 11 games where they're
09:01going to have to win seven of them minimum to have a chance yeah yeah for sure and so geez
09:08you know
09:09it's funny because what they feel really good about like I don't know where you can hang your hat on
09:16right now with anything um maybe the development of some young players funny styles things like that
09:21um you know like because you can't it's hard like I think they thought they'd be a better run
09:28team running the ball that hasn't materialized um you know I think I think it's I think the run defense
09:36has been pretty good by and large right for the for the most part the run defense is pretty good
09:41I agree I agree yeah you can look at that like that's a that's somewhere to start um I think
09:47there's I feel like there has been some improvement in even on defense
09:53they're going to parcel out like eventually it's like you just have to be good it doesn't matter like
09:57there there weren't as many busted um plays as there were maybe early in the year now you're still
10:02giving up plays so is that you know the communication is improved um is that good because you're still
10:11giving up some plays or you know I mean is that I don't know I I hesitate to say like
10:17that that is
10:18it it's been an improvement on the other hand you're still giving up plays so is that good enough
10:24well to me the answer is no because you need to stop doing that I think the turnovers I think
10:28that
10:28that would they certainly that's an area um I'd say you know Jaden Jaden being healthy and playing
10:35pretty well outside of some high publicized plays right so I think all those that the concern to me
10:42you know you can like when you talk about this you know the again the inconsistency made with the
10:49offensive line um especially in pastoral last week was not good enough I think the run run game
10:55needs to be a lot more productive and then again like I go back to the big plays a lot
11:00on defense
11:00but specifically you know like third downs um and giving up some of those chunk plays that has to
11:07that has to that has to stop because if you want a chance to get back in this and again
11:13like I was
11:13you know it's talking about like mathematics are there and you have to get back in it but of course
11:17it starts with winning and until you win you're really not in anything mathematically you are but
11:21you're really not sure so like if they want to get back into it the way you can win is
11:26by improving
11:27some of these areas for sure yeah that was you labored with that one trying to find some areas
11:35where they feel good about I mean and I think it's specific you know I think it's like there's some
11:40individuals and there's some areas I know um but is there is there anything that you say like
11:45like you know I mean I even asked when earlier this year like what is it that you feel like
11:49you can hang
11:50your hat on you know that's why I go like the run defense and I haven't thought about it in
11:55a minute
11:55because it's just always feel like a lot of things go bad um but there are some things where it's
12:00like
12:00okay this is better here here and here um but is it enough yeah I mean I was actually um
12:07asked that
12:08question uh over the weekend on a radio hit that I did and and I I said that at this
12:12point they probably
12:13feel really good about Jaden and the brace and the fact that they've got their best player on the
12:19field if they're going to make a run there's only I mean they can't make it without him I think
12:24we all
12:24understand that that there have been encouraging signs defensively like you said with the run defense
12:30they're second in the league in turnover margin but the key to that is that they've only had two total
12:38turnovers offensively um which is the lowest in the league um that has to continue whenever you make
12:45a big run where you're winning you know seven out of eleven or eight out of eleven you can't be
12:50on the
12:50wrong side of the turnover margin um yeah and like you said styles and Antonio Williams and you know
12:58that would be that's kind of the list and then the concern areas are numerous and and I guess that
13:05leads
13:05me to this because we haven't talked in in a few weeks at least how surprised were you at the
13:12level
13:13of in-game lack of awareness that Jaden Daniels um just exhibited over the last two games
13:24very because like especially on the let's go on the field goal one the Giants one I was very
13:30surprised but it's like the problem is nobody on that offense knew what was going on no no that
13:35was the problem nobody did it wasn't you know I just think like that play took way too long to
13:41get to
13:41the from the sidelines to the huddle and then the you know the subbing the motion it just added up
13:47I
13:47don't think anybody realized just how little time was left on the clock um and so like that to me
13:53was
13:54the problem so it was Jaden but it was everybody and he's the quarterback he's the quarterback so
13:59you you know if you there's a reason they get paid the monster bucks and I thought he had a
14:04really
14:05good game that game and that play he would need he would want to have back for sure and then
14:11the
14:11fourth down um play you know to me the bigger issue on that play was Antonio Williams opened a little
14:19curl and hit on the other side in rhythm right and so the question I'd want to know from him
14:24watching
14:24is like why did you why feel compelled to leave the pocket when you did and I think I almost
14:32wonder
14:32and I'm just kind of trying to understand the decision making his legs have picked that up
14:38many many times in the past there you go yard yep and then you start you start to go and
14:42you realize
14:43there's Fred Warner right there like you know what I mean like you don't have it and then suddenly you
14:48have nothing and I know like I know Antonio's backside is open but that's very backside I don't know
14:55that he can I don't I don't know if he sees it or not I know I'm the coach is
14:58all 22 I can see it
15:00you can see it whatever but whether or not he felt that way I don't know um and again it's
15:06very
15:06backside and then like nobody else is even open so he could have thrown it somewhere or kept it alive
15:12more to see if there's anything but there really wasn't anything so like I said on that play like
15:18you know could he have thrown it at somebody and made it look differently yes I don't know that it's
15:24going to result in anything different unless he was able to somehow see Williams backside and throw
15:29to him because nobody else who or Steph digs in the back of the end zone maybe right maybe maybe
15:33throw something up there for him um but you know and then again like I'm rambling on this one because
15:39I think there's a lot there more so than the field goal one field goal was just botched awareness by
15:44everybody including him that one that forced out I just I wonder if the flag influenced what he did
15:50as well because it's right in front of him so like all that added up um but shoot I had
15:56a like later in
15:56the game there are other plays where like okay on this one did you need to tuck the ball and
16:01again
16:01it goes back to the legs he's got a skill that very few people can relate to as a quarterback
16:07and that's
16:08the ability to make explosive legs with his plays with his legs and there's a play later in the game
16:12it was like I think it was around the four minute mark where they're on midfield and it's I think
16:17it
16:17was the first of 19 he starts to run with digs starts to break open but he'd already made up
16:22his
16:22mind up to run that's one where I didn't Dan Quinn talked about keeping the play alive and you know
16:28but he you're Jayden you just had a game where you score on two long runs and you have this
16:34ability to
16:35do that maybe you think you've got to go right now right to get those yards but if you keep
16:41it alive
16:41do you have that big playability that to me is like you know that's all kind of that same box
16:46but
16:46like that and I think he played a good game otherwise right um but I think those are plays
16:51where for them you look at it's like okay can you start to make some of these because that then
16:56changes the offense and it just to it or takes it to a different level yeah my listeners have
17:01obviously listened to me ad nauseum talk about these things uh in detail I will just mention to you
17:09that I offered up what you offered up for the fourth and two is a possibility the the flag on
17:16the
17:16field may have distracted him but the flags are relevant to the play and to the awareness level
17:21but I actually said that part of me goes back to 2024 where so many of those fourth downs were
17:29converted with him using his legs and I think that was a default for him Antonio Williams is open and
17:36that's got to be I would assume working that that side of the field with the three receivers had to
17:41be
17:41an early read I don't know why he doesn't throw it but then to your point he's figures you know
17:48what
17:48the safest thing is for me to go get two yards which should be easy except when Fred Warner is
17:53on the
17:53field yeah um there's that but yeah but like you said shocking to me um the last two games shocking
18:02and disappointed and trying to figure out you know why because it's a big reveal like you know we can
18:10listen listen to everybody that doesn't like to talk about this stuff but I don't listen to those
18:15people uh this is a big reveal and it's concerning and I wonder if Cliff Kingsbury is the missing piece
18:24with oh with Jaden because we didn't have any of this in 2024 I I don't it's hard to I
18:35mean I can look
18:36at the numbers do all that and say oh there it is I don't know if it's that simple I
18:40think what's
18:41surprising to me is that when when they made the change part of it there's a couple reasons why
18:45it wasn't it clearly wasn't working for them if they made if they felt like they had to make a
18:50change after two years right and whether it's the right move or the wrong move they felt it wasn't
18:55working because they wanted you know the more collaboration they wanted a different style of
18:59offense to evolve him etc and they get more of the run game etc and so like some of that
19:03stuff isn't
19:04working I think where it could be is as much like is some of that like an inexperience um with
19:11with
19:11uh Blau as a play caller I don't you know is it this is one thing where it's hard when
19:16you're
19:18when I'm watching the game a lot of times I have so many things to look for that you're not
19:21always
19:21looking at play clock when they get another huddle how much time is on the clock when they're getting
19:25to the line those kind of things and when you're re-watching the game on the like uh the kind
19:30of film
19:31that the coach film that you're watching on they're not showing you that so it's hard to know
19:35sometimes like what's the time between plays I mean I can get some of these stats but it's like
19:40some of the it's some of it's not as um obvious when you're re-watching it you're looking for other
19:46things but I do wonder sometimes like okay getting the place to the huddle in time is that happening
19:51because we're seeing more pre-snap penalties there could be a few reasons for that is that an
19:56inexperienced play caller versus inexperienced that that could that be the case um and you know
20:01I don't know but like you can make you can sit there and wonder about it for sure and so
20:08yeah I
20:08think like there's how much of that is is real I don't know but I you know I guess that
20:15it could
20:15be inexperienced versus experience and where you know if that's the case how much does the second
20:20half matter for like how much does Blau improve as it goes on I don't think it's been I think
20:25it's
20:25been terrible by any means right like in Seattle like he scored 33 against Seattle right and they
20:30you know there's games where it looks it looks good um but it's those situational things that
20:35have popped up that where it's like this you know is what's the difference here and here um and there
20:41could be a few reasons for it right but um you know it's what we what we know is like
20:46what we've
20:47seen and all right you know yeah and you've kind of gotten into the next thing that I wanted to
20:52get
20:53into and kind of covered it Blau is a new offensive coordinator he's never done this before there are
20:59there should have been I believe built into the expectations some growing pains and some up and
21:06downs um associated with uh him being named offensive coordinator and I I think that's what we've seen
21:13do you agree with that yeah for sure and I mean I always go back to and I would talk
21:19about this before
21:19the season it's just that sometimes things get overshadowed by everything else you're talking
21:25about and not this isn't like to say oh I put it but you know like you don't you don't
21:31like the
21:32hope you mean sunny styles is overrated which captured everybody's attention for about a week
21:37when we should have been talking more about David Blau and the expected inexperience that may be
21:42make for a rough first six games no yeah well and like what it is like okay this is how
21:49the offense
21:49they want it to look but then you'd also have the caveat same with Deronte Jones but you don't know
21:54when it's going to get to that level and can you win before it gets there right every coordinator goes
22:00through a transitional period every single one of them and I remember talking to somebody after he was
22:05named they're like okay you know he's and I talked to someone who was on that staff last year like
22:10he's a very smart guy he's always talking situational football but you don't know what someone's gonna
22:15how they're gonna respond until they're in that chair you just don't know and even when Sean McVeigh
22:20was here he would talk about like that you know how what he had to get used to and how
22:25it was difficult
22:26for him at first and I always use him as he's the I mean that's quite a bar right there
22:31is Sean McVeigh
22:32so if he's gonna go through that then everybody's gonna go through that and and with Blau like you
22:38know he's he has the playing experience that's all good he's been on the headset he's a prepared
22:44guy he's always going over doing these things but he'd only been a coach in the league for two years
22:49there's a there's still a
22:50transition with that and so you know again the key is can you win while you're going through it and
22:55there I mean should have
22:58beaten the Giants we know that right and then let's say you you know let's say Marcus stays healthy against
23:04the Colts now you have a couple wins and we're looking at this differently but
23:08it's not what happened so we are looking at all this all right we continue with John Kime so I
23:15want you to tell me and everybody listening what this Steve Wilkes
23:20hire means and why they haven't considered a similar answer offensively to help out David Blau yeah and I asked
23:30that too part of it was because they liked David Rye as a pass game corner they felt like they
23:35had someone now he had not been in that role either but he had not been in that role to
23:38help out David Blau
23:38he's an experienced coach and so like that's part of the reason there I do I do also think on
23:44defense Kevin I wonder like most of those guys on that staff are not Durante Jones's guys so maybe is
23:53there a help having Wilkes here where it allows maybe Jones to bounce around a little bit more to kind
23:59of you know make sure it's like this is that his teachings of what he wants are getting you know
24:05communicated properly all over the place from him to the coaches
24:08etc etc so I just you know it allows him to do that is it I mean it's I can't
24:12say it's typical because it's only happened a few times since I've done this
24:16but I you know so but I do I do wonder like they've had issues at certain spots like does
24:26this allow Jones does it take some of the burden off him on a Wednesday or Thursday to maybe enhance
24:32other areas I don't know like that's just that's a wonder you know or a guess but I think that
24:40could also be part of it where you're able to get quote unquote on that same page because if the
24:46players aren't the coaches have to be and then the players then it's easier for the players right and and
24:52you know so if you're these aren't people who are as familiar with your system does that help to then
24:58have someone else come in like all right he's going to handle this a little bit and I can go
25:02bounce here here and it also then helps having experienced voice to say like this is what you need to
25:08do I you know all that stuff but but yeah I wonder about offense too because they're like that when
25:13in the offseason when they were making this
25:16move that was something that I had heard that they would were going to look at and then there were
25:20a couple guys I think like Daryl Bevel was one where you heard that name and then then he gets
25:25hired in a different role and that's it and so but I do know like I said David Rye I
25:30think is a passing coordinator he's had multiple years as a coach so I think I think that I think
25:36helping me have Anthony Lynn on the staff but I think Dave Rye as a passing coordinator was one that
25:40they felt good about so you know yeah
25:45what's the plan without Terry the rest of the year at wide receiver
25:51um so I know Dan Quinn said this on Monday um getting like and turning away being more involved and
25:58it's funny because after I went back and watched the Niners game too and I like every week right just
26:03specifically watching for him and just how often can he be a bigger part of the pass game not you
26:10know and the answer is yes like he can get open
26:13and he can cause some headaches underneath for teams for sure he's so he's going to be a guy I
26:18think you can get more targets too and then you can look at guys like Trey Burks, Deonnie Brown like
26:23those guys can play the same spot as Terry so I think the fact I think they're going to have
26:28to lean into their depth for sure I think this is where not having a consistent run game really hurts
26:34you though and I think like that would have been a nice thing for them to fall back on
26:38um but I but I think it's the receiver depth is where you're going to have to lean on and
26:43figure that out and Burks has done a nice job when targeted this year right and so I think like
26:49that's something to look at but the guy getting more targets would be Antonio Williams and he's a guy like
26:54they have loved him from the time they drafted him and they've talked about him privately from the time they
26:59drafted him about their excitement about him and what he can do
27:04and I think I mean he can fill a role he's not Amon Ross St. Brown but he can still
27:10do some similar type things and I always felt like he was a guy that in the second half of
27:15his rookie year you could start to see him be more of a factor and now you're going to have
27:20to because they need him and I also you know I think getting Chigel Conquist back when they did and
27:25he's become a bigger part that helps too
27:28um but you know I think it's that's the stars receivers go that you're going to see and Van Jefferson
27:34can come in and do a little bit more if they need him to you know but and finally on
27:38that Kevin this is where like that 2024 draft class with not getting more from the Luke McCaffrey Ben Sinnott
27:45like that's where they really need those guys somebody to ascend and they they just haven't and that's been to
27:52you know has been a disappointment all right thanks for doing this uh I will talk to you soon appreciate
27:57it
27:58thanks Kevin John Kime everybody John underscore Kime on X all right
28:28thanks Kevin John Kime on X all right
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