Grant and Danny
Your Washington Commanders Are Good, Game Balls & Gassers Vs The Cardinals
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Blinds.com rules and restrictions may apply. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue. And guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance too, with the name of your price tool from Progressive. It works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote today at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law. I'm John Aran, Pucks Sports Correspondent. I have a new podcast called The Varsity, where I will take you inside the executive suites and owners boxes that run the entire sports business. Twice a week, I will bring on the smartest people I know to break down the hottest topics in sports media and give you a window into the inside conversations that are happening throughout sports media. So be sure to follow and listen to The Varsity Podcast available now on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. That's right. Another haul end oats victory Monday on Grant and Danny. It was a victory Tuesday six days ago because, you know, when the commanders planned prime time, they deliver their best efforts, but they stayed out West. They stayed on the road. They made it one road trip. And then they went straight to Phoenix to handle their business against the Cardinals. And today, as we convene on Grant and Danny here on the fan, your Washington commanders at three and one are alone in first place in the NFC East. Danny will be in in just a little bit. He had an ill timed doctor's appointment in the afternoon. He wanted to get here to celebrate with us. He will be here in short order. Fear not, but the commanders 42 points. Another offensive onslaught. Another clinical and textbook day for Cliff Kingsbury, Jayden Daniels and this now vaunted offense destroyed. The Arizona Cardinals is road dogs. They went to Arizona. They leave not only winners, but with sideline laughter, jocularity in the fourth quarter. Spin your hat around like your head coach Dan Quinn because you're no longer playing in the game starters. Dominance and for the second time in one short week here, Monday into a Sunday, the commanders were the talk of the NFL when their game had ended. They've got a quarterback right now that everybody loves in Jayden Daniels, the talk of the league, the front runner for rookie of the year offensively. Today you're hearing people around town suggest should we start talking about the MVP award for Jayden Daniels? Settle down just a little bit, but let's enjoy ourselves right here and right now 42 to 14. Cleveland Browns up next at the artist formerly known as FedEx Field going out to Landover, Maryland for what should be a chance for Washington to get to four and one now. They're favored in the game and for what will really decide once and for all kind of where I'm going to be with this team. I am uber encouraged. I sit here today thinking they're very good. I sit here today thinking the NFC East is not. I have not been impressed with the Eagles at all at any point this season. They got destroyed by the bucks and Tampa just like Washington did. I don't think the Cowboys are that good. We know the Giants aren't that good. Why can't this team with an elite offense a quarterback playing very well? Continue to go out weekend and week out. You know they're going to have a chance to win because in this league when you can score and you can move the ball something we don't know anything about in DC over the years when you have a quarterback who plays at a high level. Something we're remembering what it feels like around here the last couple of weeks. You have a chance every single week and they're going to. So why can't this team continue to win? You tell me is it because the defense isn't good enough. They were a lot better yesterday. Is it because they can't stop the run? They didn't do that yesterday either, but points don't come from the running game. The Cardinals are evidence of that 14 point scored yesterday for Arizona. By the way, Kyler Murray, I thought was awful. Just seeing ghosts holding the football, taking on pressure and contact and sacks in the pocket. I didn't think he was good at all, but give the defense some credit. So I wanted to go through some superlatives here for Washington. Some of the stats that are being thrown around just to get the party started, literally and figuratively on Grant and Danny should let you know that we will be joined at five o'clock by Jay Gruden for his weekly Monday appointment on the show and at three o'clock coming up in one hour, we're going to talk with Luke McCaffrey, the wide receiver who had a monster catch yesterday. Nice catch and run of 17 yards to set up a touchdown. It a 40 yard catch and run on Monday one week ago today against the Bengals in Cincinnati's coming into his own third round pick was been a big part of this offense early this season. So we'll talk to McCaffrey about Daniels about Kingsbury and one of the great offenses in football right now when he joins us in a little over 55 minutes. But here's what took place yesterday. Number one, the commanders got to three and one. This is the first time Washington has been three and one through four games since 2011. Now that was a Rex Grossman led commander's team, by the way. Okay, that was a known week three and one based on schedule, some good fortune. I was on that beat. I remember this like it was yesterday a couple of weeks after that. In fact, Grossman got benched for John Beck. That's how good that team was. There were three and one, but it was fool's goal. This feels different because when you're three and one based on quarterback play, when you're three and one with an offense that can score when you're three and one and you've got a rookie under center who looks to be your future little different than the journeyman veteran who's not playing that well as you're squeaking out victories. But you got to go back 13 years. This is something that should happen every couple of years, whether you're good or not. You just you get a schedule that's favorable. You play okay in the first month, whether you're good or not. You stop your toe into three and one every now and then not here. Not where you haven't won 11 games since 1991. Not where you haven't won a playoff game in 19 years. But Washington is three and one. The commanders have scored 30 or more points in consecutive games now. They had not done that since weeks 10 and 11 in 2017. Our guest today at five o'clock, Jay Gruden was the head coach then calling plays for Kirk O'Cousins. That's how long it's been since this team went back to back scoring 30 points. They get it. They're very excited. First time that Washington has scored 30 plus points in consecutive games. And won both of those games since weeks 16 and 17 of 2015. When Gruden, Cousins and Washington clinched the division, you're going back nine years ago to find the last time the offense was able to put up points like this and wins. Oh, this one was fun. This might have been my favorite stat from yesterday in terms of what this offense is doing and how much they're cooking right now in the lab. Cliff Kingsbury, listen up. You handsome sharp, jawed, well manicured, bearded, play-calling, savant. The last time Washington scored at least 38 points in consecutive games. Monday into Sunday, they did that, Bengals Cardinals. Weeks 11 and 12 of the 1991 season, one of the greatest teams of all time, one of the greatest offenses of all time on their way to a Super Bowl. There's one guy in the audience who's not standing up and cheering. What's your problem? Oh, he said he wants some Jaden Daniels superlatives. Don't worry. Audience member, I've got that. Daniels has completed at least 85% of his passes in two consecutive games. The first quarterback in NFL history to have two consecutive games with 85% or higher complete in the history of the league. I'm going to like that one. I like what they're seeing. Speaking of Daniels, 82.1 completion percentage, so far through four games, the highest in history by any quarterback since 1950, minimum of 100 attempts. And lastly, what we're seeing from Daniels historic, he's got a passer rating that's been 96 or better and a completion percentage, 82 or better. He and Dak Prescott back in 2016, when he took the league by storm. The only rookie quarterbacks in NFL history to have posted those numbers in four straight games, everything's looking up for the locals. I hope you like the team name because if they keep winning, it ain't going anywhere. Okay. They are three and one and they look legit. But yesterday to me was about their clinical offensive display again. They went nine of 12 on third down. Couple reasons for that. Number one, they stay ahead of the sticks. They have great success on first down. They're a good second down team. They run the ball really, really well. When Daniels keeps the football and scrambles, he steals a couple of yards. They're often in third and two, third and four, very manageable down in distances, nine of 12 on third down, just back breaking to a defense. They racked up 450 yards, 6.7 yards per play yesterday. They did punt. That's bad. Okay. They had not punted in two straight games. We don't believe in punting around here. We find punting to be unacceptable. We demand perfection from our team in the nation's capital. We don't believe in punting. Tress weighs a holder. He's not a punter. One punt in three weeks now, by the way. In fact, the crazy, crazy stat on how often they've been scoring as opposed to punting. Jaden Daniels on this season has fewer incompletions than they have scoring drives. Oh, thank you, sitting around. Are they going to do that for all the stats all day? I mean, they can. I understand. They're happy. But seriously, think about that for a second. Now, that's a Daniel stat to an extent. He's been accurate. But really, that is a scheme stat. That is a Kingsbury stat. They're getting receivers open. They are making throws oftentimes very easy, and Daniels is executing the plan. What blows me away about him is the decision making, the poise, the ability to get through everything the way he needs to, but that's staggering. The way they're moving the football, we haven't seen anything like this in years and years and years around here. I don't know about you guys, but I'm on a bunch of text chains with buddies during these games, and they all basically had the same tone in the Bengals game and it carried over to the Cardinals game. The gist during the Bengals game was what is happening? What team is this? How is this happening? Is this my commander's team? Like that was kind of the gist of the text. Those were the vibes on Monday night. Yesterday, the vibes were, oh my God, are we good? People can't. They don't know what to do with their arms. They're like, wait a second. This is real, right? Is this a dream? Nobody knows what to do because we've never seen. Your boy is 36, got a few kids, got a mortgage, got cars in the driveway that I pay for. They have not moved the ball like this and been in offensive juggernaut like this since I was in diapers. It doesn't happen around here. It is right now. And what's amazing is while there's going to be ebbs and flows, it'll get more complicated and more difficult to move the football, you're not always going to be ahead of the chains. The longer you do something, the more it becomes what you are and just what you do. It becomes the expectation. So last week I sat here and I told you guys, it's going to be really hard to replicate the Bengals game. And I still believe they're not going to have another one like that. But my point in saying that is you don't have games where you don't commit penalties. They did not commit a penalty offensively again until the fourth quarter. When that happens once, it's staggering. It's crazy. It doesn't make sense. You assume it's a fluke. When you do it two straight weeks, you go, well, something that they're doing is obviously helping them in that regard. Maybe it's somewhat sustainable that they just don't commit penalties. Well, they haven't turned the ball over all year after week two, we're saying they're probably going to go on the road now, tough environment, prime time, turn the ball over. They didn't do it. Now they did have one turnover yesterday. Jaden Daniels through his first pick, I don't care at all. I liked him throwing that pick. If we're being honest, because he's pushing the ball down the field into a small window and throw into a guy that wasn't already open, clapping for the football. That's what the league's about. You're going to have to make those throws. So you make that throw. You see what happens. It works or it doesn't. You recalibrate. You go back to the drawing board. You guys care about interceptions way more than I do. They're not all created equal. So I got no problem with that pick at all. By the way, one turnover best in the NFL right now through four games for the Washington commanders. But after two games of what is a very similar script, moving the football, not punting, scoring on almost every drive, not committing any penalties, never being behind the chains, having early down for a second down success, setting up third and short, moving the sticks on third down, getting receivers, spraying all over the formation, catching footballs on the fly. The feel yesterday was, wait a second, is this something that can actually continue? And I think the answer is yes, I really do. They ran the ball all over the Cardinals, 216 net on the ground. B-Rob 101, I thought he was terrific. I'm glad he's finally getting his roses around the league because he's a good hard runner thumper, just not a guy that gets the type of respect in my opinion that he deserves. We said all week on this show, and I think everybody did, but we really harped on the Austin Echler loss because he'd been fantastic. I thought it would be a huge loss for Washington, not Echler because of how good he'd been as a pass catcher, number one, in pass protection, second and as a rusher third. You know what good teams do? They tell Austin Echler, he'll up, we'll see you next week and they call on some guy who's not as good and that guy has a great game. And that's what Washington did, Jeremy McNichols, go have a day, six catches, excuse six carries, 68 yards, eight and a half a pop at a 27 yard touchdown that was perfectly blocked, barely got touched. I mean, think about this, Washington is eating people's lunch and they're doing it with Terry Maclaurant and who catching the football? Who's their number two receiver? Is it Luke McCaffrey, who's going to be on the show at three, who was drafted at number 100 and gets targeted a couple times a week? Is it Noah Brown, who they signed three hours before the season started after the Texans said, no, thank you and cut them yesterday was the Alama Day Zacchaeus game from a Virginia product bounced all over the league. They have Alama Day Zacchaeus and Jeremy McNichols carrying them on drives, who have a combined 15 different stops in the NFL. McNichols has been on a dozen teams at different points, getting signed, getting cut, getting signed, getting cut and that outfit can't be stopped. What we're seeing is really special in terms of the preparation, the execution, the design and the players deserve all the credit as well, the way that they're making it all work. Daniels, accurate, composed, stellar under pressure yesterday. One of my big fears about his college portfolio coming in was, how's he going to deal with pressure? Yesterday he got a big old sweet check mark, believe he was pressured 13 times, didn't throw an incompletion, didn't have a sack, got out of the pocket any time he was touched. You can't do better than that, it was 10 of 10 passing. And while I'm making this about the offense, because frankly that's why this team is good and that's why they have a chance to win, moving forward against Cleveland and both more than anybody else they're going to play. The defense was much, much better. And I give credit to Dan Quinn and Joe Wick, because I think they made in game adjustments. Last we forget, Arizona returns the opening kick to the 40. Their first in 10, they go on a 55 yard drive like they were throwing against air. They walk right down the field, they take a 7-0 lead. Same thing happened against the Bengals by the way. You're on the road. Now the Bengals environment was way more hostile and difficult to play in, because it actually looked like that was a home game in Phoenix, based on what I could see on TV. But the offense takes the field already down 7-0 and they go right down the field and tie the game, carbon copy. The difference this time was, instead of just being worked the rest of the game by Burrow and Chase and Higgins and Zach Moss, the defense bowed up. They actually got back to back three and outs at one point. They generated their second take away of the season for goodness sake. I thought Frankie Louvou was a complete monster, just an animal. What a performance. He only had seven tackles, had a half sack force fumble, but he flew all over the place, just going on missions where he was blowing up blockers, taking people on so that his teammates could make plays in the backfield, Louvou was phenomenal. This was the game I envisioned when they signed him. The rookie showed out Daniels, really good, Brandon Coleman played half the snaps. I thought he was sensational at tackle. McCaffrey was going to join us coming up in 40 minutes. Big catch when he was called upon, sent it some huge blocks. What's not to like? The good guys are three and one, they've got a rookie quarterback on a rookie contract who looks like a baller and maybe the most fun part of the whole thing. They have one of the most dynamic, prolific, exotic, efficient offenses in football for the first time since when everyone goes back to 12. Yes, they were number one in yards per play. Their offense didn't function like this really at any point in 12, if we're being honest. Their number one in completing passes, number three in yards per pass attempt. They're the best third down team in the league, their number three in rushing, their number second in scoring, number second, I don't think it works that way. Their number one in points per drive, their number five in overall yards per game, their fourth in yards per play, their second in being the hardest team to force three in out in the entire, as I said, the one turnover is the lowest rate in the league. Their EPA offensively per play first. What a blast to watch. This has been amazing. This is the team that you guys normally hate watch the team that you have to watch. It's an obligation. You don't have to watch them right now. We get to watch them right now. It's fun again. I want to open up the phones next with game balls and gassars, 800, 636, 1067 on the MGM National Harbor listener lines, 800, 636, 1067, Danny will be in today. He's coming in a little late. I look forward to hearing how excited he is, but your opportunity to give us a game ball for the best gasser for the worst, next on G&D. Oh, it's such a clutch off-season pickup, Dave. I know, right? I was worried we'd be bringing back the same team. Oh, no, I meant those blackout motorized shades, MVP of the room, and a minimal salary cap hit. Blinds.com made it crazy affordable to replace our old blinds. Hard to install? No, it was easy. Even you could do it. Nice. I installed these and then got some from my mom, too. You fly across the country to do the install? Nope. Blinds.com can do it all. All she had to do was pick what she wanted. She talked to a design consultant for free and scheduled a professional measure and install. Look at you, Hall of Fame Sun. Oh, I just picked the winning team. They're the number one online retailer of custom window coverings in the world. Oh, blinds.com is the goat. The goat. Go to blinds.com for up to 50% off-site wide and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Go right now for up to 50% off-site wide at blinds.com. Blinds.com rules and restrictions may apply. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue. And guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance, too, with the name of your price tool from Progressive. It works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote today at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law. Beautiful design on the Daniels keeper around the world. And I'm going to say that you're going to be a good guy. I'm going to say that you're going to be a good guy. I'm going to say that you're going to be a good guy. I'm going to say that you're going to be a good guy. Players in the NFL right now, play calling wise, who get their team into third and short. Most frequently, Washington is second in that quarterback's number of plays run needing one to four yards to get a first down on third down. Jaden Daniels is right at the top of the list. That's how you keep your offense on schedule. It's how you keep out of obvious passing downs, although I thought Daniels was pretty good in those. Frankly, yesterday as well, Kingsbury's just been brilliant. And so far, I raised my hand and say whoopsie. I was skeptical, especially after week one, but it is working in a big, big way right now offensively for the Washington commanders. Some of the numbers that are coming out from this offense through a couple of weeks are just eye-popping and they are hard to fathom if you've been here the whole time because it just has not happened. The last two games, they've thrown the ball 53 times. They have 47 completions six days of football, 47 of 53 through the air. Their expected completion percentage is number one in football, which I think is an important Kingsbury stat, right? on expectation, Daniels should be at 73%. Now, he's actually 9% better than that. Completion percentage over expected is one of my favorite stats for quarterback play and he's number two in the league in it, by the way. But no team has designed more open, easy throws 73.4% then Cliff Kingsbury in this Washington offense. There's been a joy to watch game balls to the best gasses to the worst. My first game ball without further ado, Cliff Kingsbury second game ball. Let's keep it moving. Jaden Daniels protecting the football. The last two weeks, his pull the ball down and run it versus look for receivers in the pocket decisions have been nearly flawless. And this has not been a run show. It eight attempts for 47 yards and a touchdown yesterday, which is really healthy all the way around the threat of him running petrified teams, the threat of him running made their fourth in one that they converted for a long run. Easy taking candy from a baby, cooking bacon on a skillet, couldn't have been easier because if you watch the play, the Cardinals are so nervous. They are so petrified that Daniels is going to keep the ball in one of those fourth and one naked's they ran early in the year that they just get out of their fits. They played Daniels and McNichols run straight ahead with nobody touching them. You could have driven a golf cart through the hole. Next game ball, the Alameda is a keyest game. Just like we all knew they don't need another receiver. They got Alameda is a key is apparently six catches for 85 yards. They don't need another running back game ball time. They have Jeremy McNichols, apparently his 12th team, 12th times the charm. That's how the saying goes right, eight for 68, 27 yard touchdown, barely got touched. Jeremy McNichols are Marshall Falk. Who's better? I couldn't tell yesterday I'll go with Jeremy McNichols. Another day, maybe Marshall Falk, but what's the difference? They're the same guy. Jeremy McNichols or Jim Brown, who's the better running back? Let's play a game. Call your grandpa. See what he says? I got a news flash. It's Jeremy McNichols. Okay. He's better than they all were. All the greats. Emmett Smith can't hold Jeremy McNichols jock. That's what yesterday looked like. Who's better? Alumnae Zacchaeus or Jerry Rice because I couldn't tell the difference. Jayden Daniels or Tom Brady? Tom Brady never did any of this. You see what I'm saying? I have one more. Thank you. Cliff Kingsbury or Bill Walsh? Who's better? Cliff Kingsbury or 1999 Mike Martz? Who you got? Call your shot. You tell me? Rams were the greatest show on earth, turf, the commanders, the greatest show at Northwest Stadium. You see? And that's where you want to play, right? Northwest Stadium. This is fun. Everybody's having a good time. 800, 636, 10067. One more game ball. Can we give the offensive line a little bit of love? Who's better? The hogs or this group? I mean, the hogs were fine. Don't get me wrong. They did okay sometimes. But these guys, pummel the hogs, pummel them. Nobody ever gets close to Jayden Daniels. If we wanted to play a little game of alliteration here, I think we could nickname the commanders right now this offense, not the greatest show on turf, but the greatest show on earth. What? I'm just saying, this is a great off. What does that have to do with alliteration? Hey, oh, it's true. It's just a rhyme. Can we play Ryan's theme music, please? I'm going to throw it to you for that. Just deliver it like you haven't said anything yet. Ryan's got a name for the commander's offense, everybody. He said it has to do with alliteration. Let's see what he's got. Instead of the greatest show on turf, we're going to go with the greatest show on earth. Oh, there we go. That's being. I don't know. You were so psyched. I was so psyched. I was thinking through it and I was like, turf, turf, earth, clarity, literally, I wish you guys could have seen this. He shoots his hand up like he's in a classroom and he knows the answer. He's looking at me. He's like, calling me, calling me. Big smirk. I'm like, this guy's got something. Let's see. This guy has been waiting all day. What's he got here? I like it, Ryan. The greatest show on earth, the greatest show on earth. Can we jot that down for either later today or at some point tomorrow? What are we going to name this offense? How about cliffs? Cliffs, seven on seven because they move the bowl like they're playing seven on seven. We'll workshop it eight hundred six, three, six, one, oh, six, seven. Let's go to J and DC on Grant and Danny. What's up, Jay? What's up, Grant? Um, yeah, I just wanted to give a shout out to Josh Harris, man. Game ball goes down. Oh, no, you're breaking up. What else you got? Game ball to Josh Harris. Oh, you can't hear me. Oh, no, I can't. You're good. Sorry about that. Yeah. I was in my game ball to Josh Harris, like the money he spent on the team to go to Arizona and stay there. I was hoping he would get like a return on his investment and like they turned it out and I just I just love that is no way in the last 25 years. I don't know what to pay for the team to stay out there. And my second game ball goes to the old line, like they were nasty. They gave Jayden like a bunch of time and they just like finished everything. They are just like disgusting and you can like see it on a TV broadcast and the Jeremy 10, um, people were like, when they're not winning off one of them off the field for the first two weeks, but like the last two weeks, these has been crushing people. So, um, and then just like last night, he was so, thank you for the call, buddy. The phrase they like to use defensively is arrived violently. That's what he did. He got there and he blew people up. I thought him and Lou vu both had pretty signature performances, what it's supposed to look like. That was kind of the vision for Adam Peters in this front office. I bet. But the first point Jay just made was phenomenal. We need to underscore as many times as we can today, how significant it was that they didn't come back home on a short week from Cincinnati. They didn't settle back in at the park. They didn't get around friends and family and media to tell them how good they were. They stayed out in Phoenix. It was a business trip that cost a lot of money at the nice hotel, putting the team up, eating and drinking night in and night out. I know a billion dollar organization, they spent six bill for it, but trust me, there's owners who wouldn't do that. I'd say about half of the league probably at least and one that was here for a long time because it's not something fancy. It's not something you get credit for necessarily. That was an absolutely critical decision. I give Quinn credit. Peters as well, whoever else was involved in going to Harris and saying, let's do this. Let's stay out here all week. Not something that normally happens. And I think Peter's based on his time in San Fran where they've had to do that occasionally where they fly cross country and they've posted up and played two games before going back. Maybe was a big part of the thinking there. 806361067, let's mow through the calls next game balls to the best. Gasters for the worst. Grant and Danny on the fan. [BLANK_AUDIO] [BLANK_AUDIO] Yeah, I thought Cliff was really over the last few weeks, I thought the connection, the game planning to go. And so yes, he did and just I've been in that space before and there's some emotion that goes with that of playing somewhere where you put so much into it and it doesn't go the way that you want. So yeah, he definitely got one today and there'll be some others as we get back home, but I wasn't going to leave Arizona without presenting one to him. Cliff Kingsbury downplayed the returned Arizona where he was fired as a head coach. You could tell based on his peers, family's going to let you know how important the homecoming is. And when he got that football tossed to him postgame by Dan Quinn, the entire locker room, went nuts. Welcome back. Grant and Danny on the fan. Commanders are three and one for the first time in 13 years and they're coming home. And presumably, they will get to play the Browns in front of a pretty raucous crowd of fans who are from and around the DC area rooting for their own home team because people are very, very excited as they should be after a third consecutive win for Washington. Gameball on defense, Doran Armstrong, best game as a commander, sack and a half, one on one as a pass rusher throughout the game at a big pressure on the second play of the game, forcing Murray out of the pocket at a nice run stuff. Two plays later on a Bobby Wagner TFL had a great rush and pressure on an incompletion on a throw behind Marvin Harrison Jr. One right away on a sack from Frankie Louvoo and had a big sack on the fourth down right before the half that I thought changed the whole game. And by the way, I thought that was a terrible play by Murray and maybe a bad decision by the Cardinals. But think about the swing at the end of the game. It was a seven point game. Arizona is driving. They go for a fourth down. They have two receivers open past the sticks. Murray stares at him like he didn't know who they were like, which team are you again? Do I know you and just waited, waited, waited until Doran's Armstrong got there and got the sack. Okay, whatever you want to do, Washington took the ball went and got a field goal and took a 10 point lead into the half. Then they got the big PI to start the second half and they were up 17 and they never looked back. But I thought Armstrong was awesome. Give me one more game ball. The D tackles showed up. You guys wanted more out of Allen and pain. You got it. They both contributed a sack in the ball game. They were both disruptive up front, not coincidentally in a game where the defense finally got its act together. Let's go to the phones. Joe's in college park. What's up, Joe? Hey, brother. Thanks for taking my call. I appreciate it. I originally wanted to give one to Kate Berry, obviously well deserved, but the more I thought about it, and I really want to give it up to those fans that were at the game. I mean, it's so often at FedEx over the years, we've been taking over and the other team's defense, you know, they'll get the crowd hype. And to watch our team do that this weekend to get our fans hyped in another stadium and I actually hear the volume through the TV. It was just remarkable. So I just want to give it up to those people out there. Yeah. I know we can't get back home, but to see that live, you know, on TV and hear it as a crowd got louder, that felt great, man. Yeah. That was a prideful moment for me. And I think a lot of us watching the Let's Go Red Skins chant that was audible and obvious. This was not one of those, what's the crowd chanting that you can hear? They're yelling something. It was very clearly a Let's Go Red Skins chant in Phoenix. This was after the Cardinals had been booed. By the way, that's two times this week where Washington's on the road, curbs stomping someone so badly that their crowd is booing them because they just don't have any answers. They're throwing their hands up going, what do you want us to do? We can't stop them. That's Washington that's doing that. The local outfit, the commanders, the football team, the, you know, that team, the burgundy, the gold, those guys, they're doing it, raise in Baltimore, listening on the Odyssey app. What's up, Ray? Well, no, I'm not listening on the Odyssey app. I'm listening on one of six seven, but you know, we just have a big signal, I guess, all the way to Baltimore. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean, y'all are you right now, but I just want to get a flowers. Because listen, I grew up a Skins fan and, you know, I'm happy to see it. Obviously, I believe purple, but I'm just happy to see it and more importantly, you know, I mean, for a land my plane, I'm excited for the young fans and the parents who stuck with them. And they can, you know, become fans of my team or, you know, the Dallas Cowboys and more importantly, I'm excited that it's balanced. That's about to be formed again in this area because it's been two, one side of too long when it comes to just the ratings and, you know, the game is going to happen in less than two weeks. It's going to take on a whole new meaning versus an expected, you know what I mean, Raven's one. But my game wall goes to Brown Robinson because, you know, he, I know nothing has been said as far as the running game coming back to the league and it's not, you know, overwhelming passing. But I'm just excited for the balance is about to take place in the DMV question for you real quick. Oh, he hung up. I was about to ask him what it's like to have, you know, Brian Robinson light it running back in Derek Henry and he's having a fine little area of the 87 year touchdown yesterday, but a couple of weeks from now you're about to find out poor man's Jaden Daniels at quarterback Lamar Jackson. You're going to find out a couple of weeks from now. He's right though. Stick aside, the fans that have hung around, that have still been calling all these years, they've been coming out to the events, wearing the gear. You've earned it. I mean, you've more than earned it. You've earned this and a lot more. You've earned a playoff run and parades and all kinds of joy that hopefully one day will be given to you, but 19 years without a playoff win is what we're talking about. And if it was just bad football, that's one thing. That's being the butt of the joke, it's an owner who was deplorable. It's an operation that made you have to like whisper who you liked because you were going to get made fun of at the party. It's only a month of decent football and two weeks of great football. Really, it's not even two weeks. It's not like it's been 14 days. It's a calendar week of amazing football. Like think about how much the world has changed around here in seven days, seven days ago today were at the casino in Cincinnati, Washington is one in one. They had played a terrible game against the bucks. They had played a very average game against a bad giants team. They probably could have and should have lost. They didn't. They want it. That's all that matters. And they were about to take on the Bengals as heavy underdogs. Two games ago, two wins ago, two offensive masterpieces ago and a Jaden Daniels prime time jam and really quality outing yesterday ago, Bernie's in Potomac Falls. What's up, Bernie? Thanks. Take my call. Great. So here's what I find amazing. They scored 80 points, right? So my game ball goes to Jaden Daniels because they didn't have a short field once in that time. And also, you think you score 80 points in two weeks and two games. There is going to be a strip stack return for a fumble. There's going to be a pick six. There's going to be a short field, you know, team fumbles at the 20 yard box. None of that happened. They scored 80 points on offense, not special teams, not anything. And I'll tell you what, it looks repeatable, which gives me hope. It doesn't look like a flash in the pan. And my second game ball goes to Adam Peters, because I think like every commander fan was worried when Eckerler was out, not, you know, not just for his plate, but his leadership too, right? Totally. And they didn't miss a beat. And I think, you know, eventually you're going to lose an offensive lineman to injury. You know, you're going to find out on Sunday, somebody can't go. I don't think I've ever had more confidence in their depth this year. Yeah, I just, I just think that plug in whoever you want, if McClellan has a bum ankle, they can, they can win a game or two without their stars. And that, that's why Peters gets the game ball because they look complete. So they signed a lot of these veterans to these one year, two year deals for that reason, right? Now they're going to have plenty of contracts coming up this off season. But to that point, you're going to have a quarterback on a rookie contract. You're becoming a bit of a destination. If you continue to win, players love playing for Dan Quinn, which we've known. If you have a strong season and now people want to come play with Jaden Daniels, you have a hundred million dollars to spend maybe the most flexibility coming into free agency this coming year. Like this could be not just fun as you surprise people this year and there's going to be an adjustment from defenses coming, but you'll be able to adjust perhaps to your point on the drives, their touchdown drives netted 70, 93, 70, 70 and 76 yards. And the only, I'll call it cheapy in there if you want to use air quotes was a 23 yard drive when they got 47 on a PI that probably didn't need to be called. But there was clear contact. I just didn't think it was a catchable pass deep into the end zone, but you'll take it. But you're right. It's not like a short field first and goal from the four or a kickoff muff or something crazy. The offense is earning it going on these long time sucking drives. You mentioned Echler. He'll be on the show tomorrow at five o'clock J. Gruden today at five o'clock. And next we're expected to join up with Luke McCaffrey as he leaves the building. He's getting a workout in today. He of course had a big catch set up a touchdown for the first place three and one commanders were given about game balls, gasses to the best and the worst. Great and Danny on the fan. Oh, it's such a clutch off season pickup, Dave. I know, right? I was worried we'd be bringing back the same team. Oh, no, I meant those blackout motorized shades and VP of the room and a minimal salary cap hit. Lines.com made it crazy affordable to replace our old lines. Hard to install. No, it was easy. Even you could do it. Nice. I installed these and then got some from my mom, too. You fly across the country to do the install. Nope, Blinds.com can do it all. All she had to do was pick what she wanted. She talked to a design consultant for free and scheduled a professional measure and install. Look at you, Hall of Fame Sun. Oh, I just picked the winning team. They're the number one online retailer of custom window coverings in the world. Oh, Blinds.com is the goat. The goat. Go to Blinds.com for up to 50% off-site wide and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. Go right now for up to 50% off-site wide at Blinds.com. Blinds.com. Rules and restrictions may apply. This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue. And guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance, too, with the name of your price tool from Progressive. It works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote today at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates price and coverage match limited by state law. I'm John Arran, Pucks Sports Correspondent, and I have a new podcast called The Varsity, where I will take you inside the executive suites and owners boxes that run the entire sports business. Twice a week, I will bring on the smartest people I know to break down the hottest topics in sports media and give you a window into the inside conversations that are happening throughout sports media. So be sure to follow and listen to The Varsity Podcast available now on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. (upbeat music)