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Self-inflicted penalties and zero second-half adjustments are quietly sabotaging Washington's explosive potential. BMitch & Finlay break down the exact offensive flaws the coaching staff refuses to fix.

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00:00The Commanders are 2-5-1.
00:02Another game yesterday against a good opponent that they had a chance late,
00:07could not convert on that chance, had a halftime lead,
00:10could not convert on that halftime lead.
00:13Offensively, Washington looked like they were shot out of a cannon early,
00:16only to have things completely fall apart offensively.
00:21And defensively, you give up 20 points to the Rams,
00:26you're putting your team in a position to get a win.
00:28What did Joe Gibbs always tell you, give me three touchdowns?
00:31Three touchdowns and field goal.
00:34Yesterday, people yell at me about this, the season is not over yet.
00:38If they lose Thursday night, then it's over.
00:40If they can win Thursday night, you're two games back of the Giants with eight to play
00:44in a bad division.
00:45Thursday night is the season at this point.
00:48But damn, for me, my frustrations coming out of yesterday
00:54are just how inept they were offensively.
00:57I don't like the last play call.
00:59To me, it's twice now, the two-point conversion in Philly in week one,
01:04and then yesterday, where you're taking the ball out of your best playmaker's hand.
01:09Like, Jaden Daniels engineered the greatest Hail Mary this organization's ever seen.
01:14Right?
01:15Yesterday, you don't even need a Hail Mary in that capacity.
01:18You're at the 30.
01:19And if you're worried about the blitz, I get that.
01:22But one, maybe you could try to help your own line, which is a problem all day.
01:25Or two, if I've got to trust one person on that field to maybe buy me some time,
01:31it's number five.
01:32Let them drift around behind the line of scrimmage and try to find an open receiver.
01:36Maybe you get a flag.
01:38Maybe you get first to go with the one, untimed.
01:40But, to me, throwing underneath, I want my best playmaker to have an opportunity there.
01:50And they, to me, took the ball out of Jaden's hands.
01:53I cannot conceptualize not getting that throw to the end zone.
01:58At the same time, though, I think we're making too much of the last play.
02:02Yeah.
02:02Because offensively, they were enough.
02:04We can't worry about the last play.
02:05Hell, it was plays throughout the game that caused them to lose that game.
02:08It's not the last play.
02:09And I think people get in, they want to discuss the last play because nobody likes to discuss the whole
02:16game.
02:16If you look at that game, early on, things were working.
02:21It was clicking offensively.
02:22When the Rams made adjustments, it wasn't clicking anymore.
02:26And if you look around 10 to 15 plays or so, everything looked good offensively.
02:31After that, it didn't.
02:33Defensively, they gave them chances throughout.
02:35Now, what you saw happen with Sean McVay,
02:37and this is the thing I like to, like, I saw your thing after the game about covering Puka Nakua.
02:44Sean McVay, you can't cover Puka Nakua because he finds other ways to get the ball in his hands
02:49to where you can't stop it.
02:51And I think that's the ultimate thing about a guy like that where, yeah,
02:54you think he's going to be getting the ball receiving, but hell, they got him running jet sweep.
03:00They got him coming out the backfield, doing all types of stuff.
03:03When you have a playmaker, you make it happen with him.
03:07And that could be any type of player.
03:09That player doesn't have to be necessarily your top guy on the team.
03:12But there are some guys we look around this league where they can do a lot of stuff.
03:17Make it happen.
03:18I'm watching the game last night with Bucky Irvin and Gainwell.
03:24Hell, they finding ways to get them the ball.
03:26You know, and those guys almost came back and won that football game last night.
03:30You know, it's just like you got to figure out ways.
03:33And, like, the day of dropping back and just reading out stuff, that's over with.
03:39The Stars win games for you these days.
03:43Yesterday was like a harsh kind of slap in the face on multiple fronts
03:48because Washington can't match the star power of the Rams, period.
03:54The Rams have been really good in acquiring stars.
03:59They drafted Aaron Donald 100 years ago, convinced him to come out of retirement this year.
04:04They drafted Pukunukua in the fifth round.
04:06Did they trade for Miles Garrett?
04:08Yes.
04:08Did they trade for Stafford?
04:09Yes.
04:10But they were active.
04:12I mean, McVay always says it.
04:14Attack success.
04:15They do that in a manner Washington has not done.
04:19And for me, offensively, David Aldridge, sitting with David Aldridge in press boxes
04:26continues to be a joy of my life, right?
04:29When you have an offensive line performing like they are yesterday
04:32and you have consistent problems in pre-snap penalties, consistent problems,
04:39how do you not make a change?
04:41You got to help them.
04:42You know, and I think, but TJ, people like to discuss players when it comes to egos
04:50and things of that nature.
04:51Coaches think the same way sometimes.
04:54And to think that just because I'm calling this and my office is not going to change
04:57and get better.
04:58No, no, no.
04:59I've said it over and over again.
05:01And I don't say this stuff just because I'm looking at it.
05:03I say it because I lived it for 14 years.
05:05My shoulder's probably a little banged up right now after all the years of playing
05:09because I constantly chipped the hell out of defensive ends.
05:13And I chipped some of the best of the best.
05:15Lawrence Taylor came off the edge.
05:16I knocked his ass right back on the Jim Lachey.
05:19He's like, why are you helping him?
05:20Charles Haley, he had to get back surgery because he say, I chipped him.
05:24I caught him.
05:25You know why?
05:26Because Charles Haley, Jim Lachey was damn good.
05:29Right.
05:30And they had me helping him because Charles Haley was damn good too.
05:34And every once in a while, if you hit one of them hard enough,
05:38the rest of the game, guess what they're doing?
05:40They watch it for the chip.
05:41They slow down a little bit.
05:43And I saw Miles come around the edge.
05:46And it's a few times when I'm thinking, Jaden's about to die.
05:51And he'll step up a little bit, get rid of the ball.
05:54Because they were coming.
05:56Now, I would say this.
05:57Credit to Miles Garrett.
05:58He's a great player.
05:58I think the referees missed a lot of offsides because they were jumping the snap.
06:02So, I don't know if you should have been changing the snap count, doing something.
06:05Because I watched one time when the ball with the move, Aaron Donald was next to the damn quarterback.
06:11Well, it doesn't help either that Lucas Patrick, who is a veteran center that has been your starter since you
06:17signed him in week two,
06:19goes out with a concussion.
06:20You have to go to the rookie, Matt Goulbin.
06:22Goulbin was, he performed like a six-round rookie without a lot of his hands.
06:27When they moved Miles Garrett inside against Goulbin, the kid had no shot.
06:32I mean, that was probably the easiest sack of Garrett's three of them.
06:36Garrett was an absolute monster.
06:37Coming back from injury, you know, we were wondering, is he going to play?
06:40Will he be on a pitch count?
06:42He played, and he dominated.
06:44I just, L.A. was better.
06:49And the Commanders had a chance.
06:53I'm growing so tired.
06:55He had several chances.
06:56Jay, what I'm tired of is turnovers, and we go one, two, three, and out.
07:02They ran the ball 19 times for 60 yards.
07:05Four of those are Jaden Scrambles.
07:073.2 yards per carry.
07:08For the running backs, it was three yards per carry.
07:11They could not get the run game going, frankly, which I expected.
07:15The offensive line play, the false starts, it just is mind-boggling.
07:20You get your ass kicked by Miles Garrett, maybe you tip your cap.
07:23He's a hell of a player, right?
07:25But when it doesn't appear that there's a specific game plan for Miles Garrett,
07:30that's when you've got to ask some questions.
07:32And I think this game, I thought Blau early on,
07:36I thought the script was maybe the best it's been.
07:38Their first two drives, the screen, Rashad White's the best screen they've run all year.
07:43Van Jefferson, whatever that was, slant, skinny post, whatever it was, was crisp.
07:48The ball was coming out hot.
07:50Jayden, I believe, started 7 of 8 for a buck 10 and a touchdown.
07:55Things look good.
07:56From that touchdown to Van Jefferson very early in the second quarter,
08:00you went punt, punt, fumble, punt, punt.
08:04In the third quarter, in the third quarter,
08:08do you know how many first downs this team registered?
08:11Dial clue.
08:11Zero on three possessions, including.
08:15See, that has been a problem right there where we consistently,
08:22the defense is turning the football over.
08:25And we get the ball and we go three and out.
08:27It's like you have to be ready for that opportunity.
08:31You have to be ready for that moment.
08:33You watch teams when a turnover happens,
08:36they try to go for a big one early.
08:38Or they just come with something that they're steady at.
08:40You do that in high school.
08:41They call it quick change, take a shot.
08:43We don't.
08:44We basically, I don't know if we've gotten to the point offensively yet
08:50to be able to make adjustments after the script is over.
08:54It's a fair question.
08:56And that is like, I've watched games and after the moment of time
09:02where you think it's scripted, the other side seems to have a clue
09:07of what's going on or a better opportunity to stop us
09:10than we have to have success against them.
09:14Listen, the script is usually the first 15, right?
09:1712, 15.
09:18Some people do 20.
09:19So listen, the first drive of the game, Washington gets the ball at their own 33.
09:23It's a pretty decent drive.
09:25A little herky-jerky.
09:2611 plays, 43 yards.
09:28They end up with a field goal.
09:30They get down into the red zone.
09:31They're at the 19.
09:32I think they then had a penalty.
09:33But they get the field goal.
09:34They get points.
09:35That's 11 plays.
09:37Washington's next drive, they get the ball at their own 20.
09:41They go six plays, 85 yards, touchdown.
09:44The big play to Rashad White in the middle there.
09:47That's 17 plays.
09:49The first 17 plays of this game, they looked crisp.
09:51You know that's a suggestion I made yesterday?
09:53How about rerun the script?
09:56It seemed to work.
09:58Rerun it.
09:59Like the thing of it for me, I have watched some coordinators.
10:03That's not crazy to say.
10:04I've watched some coordinators who are absolutely amazing at making adjustments.
10:09Also watch them who take a little bit of time before they make adjustments.
10:12Some people that just can't do it.
10:14If the script that you put together is working, go back to it.
10:18Yeah, they make adjustments to you, but you got to be able to make adjustments.
10:21The thing about football is not what you design to start the game.
10:27It's what you design to do once they make the adjustments to you.
10:31And I told you stories over and over about Coach Gibbs.
10:34We're going to run this.
10:35They're going to try this.
10:36Let's practice this stuff.
10:38So we game-planted just like we felt we knew what they were going to do,
10:42and we had something ready to go.
10:44And that has to come out.
10:47That has to happen.
10:48Well, to your point, Brian, I'm growing to really appreciate the insight
10:58K-Levon Chason provides.
11:00He is a smart, smart player.
11:02He's a damn good player.
11:03And he's having a heck of a season.
11:06Chason yesterday in the locker room, clearly frustrated, clearly upset.
11:11This quote stuck with me.
11:14K-Levon Chason played really well, forced fumbled, good game.
11:16He said, on days like this, it hurts a little more for the defense
11:21because they threw the ball to one person all day.
11:24They ran one play all day.
11:26So when the game plan is that constricted,
11:28when you just have to do a nine-on-seven matchup
11:31and stop one person from catching the ball,
11:33a defense should have an advantage on that for sure.
11:36To your point about rerunning the script,
11:40McVay had a couple things that worked.
11:42They didn't have much that worked.
11:43They had a couple things that worked, and they just kept doing that.
11:46See, that is what I, like, I said this.
11:51When you, the best thing about football is this.
11:54You know, everybody, who was the guy that came here
11:57to say he had all the books, all the plays in his books?
12:00Yeah, the 800 plays.
12:01Yeah.
12:01Who was that dude?
12:02Al Saunders.
12:03Al Saunders, yeah.
12:04All these people, but you know what?
12:06You know what the best of the best do?
12:08If they find a play you can't stop, they run that SOB until you stop it.
12:13And I think that's the thing where we got to get to where if something is working,
12:17you don't have to go away from it.
12:19You know, just like you go in for an interview.
12:21And when you and I both know some people that used to be like this,
12:24they go in and they got their whole thing, all kind of questions.
12:28But you get to the second question and this person has opened up
12:31and given you something that you, this is going to blow up this whole thing.
12:35And you still trying to ask the question because you had them written down.
12:39No, no, no.
12:40Listen and follow up on that question right there and go down that rabbit hole
12:44and maybe all of a sudden you're going to find out that your interview is much better
12:48when you stop game planning it and let's go.
12:51Because people will give you stuff every once in a while.
12:53That's the same thing about football.
12:55You know, yes, you might have practiced all week.
12:57You have 50 plays and you got in the game and you found out that 10 of them,
13:01they couldn't stop.
13:02Why try to run the 50?
13:04Run 10.
13:05Get it done.
13:07Yeah, I mean, the Rams have more talent than Washington.
13:15And that is just a reality.
13:19Washington also, much like the Niners game, had a chance late in this thing.
13:23They had the ball late.
13:25They had an opportunity.
13:27And I just, I don't know what to make of it.
13:31I'm growing increasingly tired time and time again hearing about complementary football
13:36and playing four quarters because there is basically zero evidence to support that that's coming.
13:46We're aims in.
13:47But, you know, if they can give it to you, you probably have a much better chance of winning.
13:51But if you keep playing two quarters, three quarters and not playing complementary football,
13:56you're going to lose more often than not.
13:58The stuff that drives me crazy, Rashad White had an awesome answer yesterday.
14:02He was asked, what's holding this offense back?
14:04He said, one word, penalties.
14:06He was honest in his assessment.
14:08You could, there was real frustration in that locker room.
14:13And I think they're highly aware of where the record is and where everything's going.
14:17Jaden Daniels called Thursday an absolute must win.
14:19He's not backing off that.
14:20They recognize where things are, right?
14:25Players have to execute on the field, period.
14:29But some of the continued mistakes, what is it, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on
14:35me.
14:35Like, they keep doing the same stuff.
14:38The coaches aren't benching anybody.
14:40I don't know that they have better players available.
14:44Let's find out.
14:46We don't know.
14:47Nick Allegretti started 17 games at left guard in 2024 when they won 12 and went to the NFC title
14:52game.
14:52Andrew Wiley started 14.
14:54Those guys can't sniff the field.
14:57And I would understand it if your offensive line is performing, but it's not.
15:02And that's not to suggest that's the fix, right?
15:06I don't know.
15:06Maybe it isn't.
15:07But a lot of these mistakes are week one training camp stuff.
15:15Hell yeah.
15:15That cannot be happening on November 8th.
15:18You have to find a way to eliminate, not just stop, not slow down.
15:25Eliminate some of these penalties.
15:27You know, we can go and find that the referees have been, the NFL, you need to recheck your whole
15:34refereeing crew.
15:35You're horrible all across the league.
15:37Not just this game.
15:38All across the league.
15:39But you can't keep leaving it in the ref's hands.
15:42And all the false starts, those things can be stopped.
15:46You know, those can be stopped.
15:49And I think those are the ones that kill you where you had a bigger run yesterday that had to
15:54be called back.
15:54Why?
15:55Because of false start.
15:57Illegal formations.
15:58And you watch games after games.
16:00It happens like that.
16:01So, make sure you line up.
16:03Hell, look at the ref.
16:05Find a way.
16:06But the whole thing about it is those things are constantly happening, not being corrected.
16:10And that has to change.
16:11If you don't change it, then hell, you're okay with it.
16:14And whatever happens, happens after that.
16:17We're going to open the phones.
16:18800-636-1067.
16:20We're going to take your calls.
16:21We're going to talk through it all.
16:22Doc Walker's going to join us at noon.
16:24It's also NFL trade deadline coming down to the wire here.
16:27Jesse Bates got traded from the Falcons to the Jaguars.
16:30I've always loved Jesse Bates going back to his days with the Bengals.
16:33Just an absolute playmaker on the back end for a defense.
16:35We will continue to monitor all things as they're happening around the league with the trade deadline.
16:41Jesse Bates makes the Jaguars a better football team.
16:44The Jags are getting serious.
16:46They think they might have something, man.
16:49Watched the Bears last night.
16:53Last night was just a classic NFL game where the Bears were the talk of the town after beating Seattle.
16:58Nobody thinks Tampa can win.
16:59They show up.
17:00They come to play.
17:01They don't get it done at the very end.
17:03But it was an entertaining, if a little weird, football game.
17:07But I just don't know what to make of this commander's season.
17:12And it's hard to be anything but disappointed.
17:15You know, like what you say with little kids or if your child messes up, you say, I'm not mad.
17:20I'm just disappointed.
17:22We've reached the I'm not mad.
17:23I'm just disappointed segment of the commander's season.
17:28Because if you're still getting mad, that's on you.
17:31Because they keep showing you the same thing week after week after week.
17:34Like, we watched that Eagles game.
17:36And it was good enough to beat Philly because Philly stinks.
17:39And I enjoy saying that.
17:41But leaving the game, Brian, you and I talked the next morning.
17:46The effort from the Eagles game will not beat L.A.
17:49L.A. wasn't at their best.
17:50Stafford's throwing picks.
17:52Offensively, it's Puka and not much else.
17:54There you go.
17:55But Washington wasn't at their best to beat a team with Hall of Famers all over the field.
18:00You're not going to be average and beat a team that's better than you.

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