The concern about the Commies' OL is not unwarranted, but it is being MASSIVELY overblown by national pundits. Allegretti and Biadasz may not be stars, but compare them to what was there last year. They're massive upgrades. And the bigger difference is all the other stuff. E.B. refused to run the football which allowed ends to pin their ears back and chase the passer (not expecting that from KK). Howell was a slow decision maker (Jayden is a very quick decision maker). The center was making bad protection calls (Biadasz has a reputation as a smart C). While Howell was a competent runner and scrambler, he was a threat to get a first down, Jayden is a threat for a touchdown which will cause defenses to play alot of zone and probably mush rush to keep him contained.. I'm not claiming this OL will be a top half of the league unit, but it's unlikely to be the unmitigated disaster everyone's calling it out as. Y'all are allowing hindsight bias to take over.
Well put! The interior of the o line should be fine. The OTs are where the concern should be but @ LT between Cornelius Lucas/Trent Scott/Brandon Coleman it should be suitable for one season. @ RT Andrew Wylie may be better with much improved play calling and schemes. I think in one season with another wave of FA and draft the o line should be all good to go.
Can't fix everything in 1 year on a rebuilding team. Commanders tried to trade back into the first round for a T, but the price got too steep. They had a lot of cap room, but no good Tackles to get.
The o-line isn't as bad as most assume. The interior of it will be majorly improved and play solid with LG being fixed between Algretti/Stromberg/Mason Brooks (who is a darkhorse pick of mine), center is fine with Tyler Biasdez/Stromberg and RG with one of the best in the league with Sam Cosmi. LT will be fine for a season with Cornelius Lucas who actually plays well @ LT (is great at run blocking @ RT but awful at pass pro) as long as the pass plays aren't 3+ seconds on a consistent basis. Trent Scott has been looking good in camp and is another darkhorse candidate of mine for a winning job. Then there's the youngin' Brandon Coleman who is a good swing tackle at worst. Between that it should be alright, not a top 10 position but not the total disaster most assume. @ RT I really think Andrew Wylie can be fine as long as the play calling and schemes are good which they will be. Eric Beinimey was the worst thing that could've happened to an o-line and offense in general. Waaaay too many pass calls (deep passes at that!) and ranked dead last in run calls = disaster!!! Kliff Kingsberry is a much better play caller and has great game/situational awareness, so the o-line should be about middle of the pack I think. Maybe 20th-25th at worst. The scrambling/running addition of Jayden Daniels and the abilities of both Brian Robinson and Austin Eckler bring as far as pass catching/protection AND how the TEs here are above average blockers (Ertz/Sinnot/Bates are all excellent blockers which helps the o-line a LOT) and add the fact that Kliff Kingsberry plays a lot of 2 TE sets, the run/pass blocking won't be dreadful whatsoever. It'll be average at worst and a little above average at best but this is all injury dependant. As long as the injuries don't get too outta control I think it'll be fine.
The opposing defenses weren't prepared when Jacoby Brissett came in outta nowhere and had to change accordingly so quickly though they didn't even seem to do that much. Had Brissett started those games from the first snap and had practiced against his type of play all week I gaurentee they'd fared better. With that being said Howell was put into an awful situation with a joke of an OC (Eric Beinimey) who couldn't buy another NFL job after being fired here which tells us all we need to know. 🤣 The o-line was terrible, basically zero running game and pretty much thee worst defense in the entire league. But it's great the FO got the second overall draft pick and upgraded big time @ QB and definitely improved the o-line, defense and even special teams.
@@georgecalder5175 I wanted Howell to stay here as an extremely cheap and quality back up option. Getting the draft swap with Seattle was nice and all but man I still think saving that $10M+ for maybe a better CB/WR/OT may have been the better option. Marcus Mariota is not playing well and dare I say looking like a waste of $10M.
Washington o line will be better middle of the pack . The scheme last yearade our line worse than what it was. We passed every play and JD threat to run will give us also an extra second
As an Eagles fan I'm not sleeping on the Commanders next year their offense and defense got better and they almost beat us in OT and they lost to us by 3. That said if Jayden is who everyone says he is then who's to say they can't be 9-8 this year
People forget the eagles despite being “terrible” had the 7th ranked offense up from 3rd the year before. Beat the bills, chiefs, dolphins, cowboys etc… The secondary was hilariously atrocious… making Ray Lewis throw up in his mouth on live TV is embarrassing! The eagles roster is much better than last year on defense
Washington Commander fan here. My take on the topics you discussed in the Commanders section: 1. The Weak O-Line: I am definitely worried about the O-Line too. For as great as Daniels was last year, he has a history of taking a lot of sacks. Even last year in his amazing year his pressure to sack ratio was 20% which is on the high side, but somewhat normal, but the previous year it was 30% which is unusually high. If he gets pressured, past performance predicts he'll take a lot of sacks. I am worried about Tackle. I think Brandon Coleman is slightly underrated by some analysts who had him as 5th or 6th round projection because he played his final season with a high ankle sprain. However, I am not confident he'll be the answer at Tackle this year and to the contrary am somewhat pessimistic about that. I ultimately think Coleman projects better at Guard than Tackle, and regardless of position, I think he could take a year or two to develop. I think he was probably a slight reach in the third round even factoring in that he played his last season injured. Lucas is serviceable as a pass protector, but is a weak run blocker. Dave Helman mentioned the interior also being a potential weakness. I am more confident in the interior. I think Cosmi is a good guard and Biadasz is a solid center. Nick Allegreti is a question and the most likely outcome for him is that he serviceable and nothing more, but he does have a solid floor. As long as the interior is healthy, I am not too worried even though its a mediocre interior. 2. Kliff Kingsbury: I am not sure what to expect out of Kliff Kingsbury. I am not confident, but I am hopeful. I think we will see the NFL version of the Air Raid, which admittedly differs quite a bit from the college version of the Air Raid. I think you will see a lot of tempo, in fact Washington will be in the top 2 or 3 in terms of tempo in the NFL, not a ton of plays, but lots of option routes, and the ability for the QB to make calls on the line (which is needed to play tempo). Traditionally the Air Raid doesn't use a lot of shift and motions, I think Kingsbury may increase that a little, but if you want to play with tempo, that is not always compatible with shift and motions. I listened to a Arizona beat reporter say Kingsbury usually starts the year strong and then fades so that is something I will be watching. 3. Jayden Daniel's Running: I don't know how much to expect Daniels to run, but I agree with Helman that if you remove that from the offense, you are taking away a big portion of what made Daniel's a good prospect. Therefore I think you will see some of it, but exactly what form and how much, I am not sure what to expect. 4. Commanders Defense: I am expecting big improvements from the Commanders defense. In the 2020 and 2022 seasons, Washington had good defenses. In 2021 they were bad, and in 2023 they were worst of the league bad. That said the defense is not that different from say 2022 when they were pretty good so I am not as convinced the defensive of personnel is that bad. I do agree with Mina that that the strength of the defense is the spine. The DT's and better than DE'S, the LB'ers are the strongest unit on the defense, and the safeties are better than the corners. I am still hopeful for Emmanuel Forbes. If he is bad again, maybe he just doesn't have it, but I am still hopeful, though far from confident with him. Having seen this defense swing from terrible in 2019 to good in 2020 to bad in 2021, to very good in 2022, to worst in the league in 2023, I am very much aware that defense is more volatile than offense, but I like the coaching staff and think you could see a decent size swing in the positive direction. In terms of Quinn's style, my understanding is he runs a lot of stunts and twists up front and runs fairly simple defense in the backend including a lot of cover 1. I think we have decent personnel to run off coverage man, but lack the corners to play press or tight man coverage. In some ways Quinn is the opposite of Del Rio who was fairly vanilla with his defensive fronts often just relying on guys to win one on one and who like to use more complex match coverages in the background with complicated coverage rules.
Kellen Moore was an ex college QB, and the offense he ran in college was the most complex system running at the time. Those BSU team ran everything from The spread option to Power run and everything in between. He knows offensive concepts
If ifs and buts were candies and nuts we would all have a Merry Christmas, Crystal balls are for those in the know, this is why these podcasts and sports programs are so important to the hard-core and newbe sports fans.
Being a Giants fan, Mina said it best on First Take, New York biggest sin, was giving giving Jones his deal and Tagging Barkley. The GM should have let Jones test the market.
Love this show because even when I disagree w/ a take I get something from it as it’s well thought out and not done just for clicks. As fan of the Skins. I don’t think the online is as bad as folks make it out to be. Just running the ball once in a while will do wonders. Also there was no olineman at 36 (50 or 53) worth drafting, Netwon was by far the best player available. We aren’t good enough to draft for need, just need good players.
15:30 - how do we not understand that Jalen was top in the league against the blitz in 2022 and in the pocket. Go look it up. Now, all of a sudden, he doesn't know how to read a blitz? So, did he forget how to do that? Uh, no, pretty sure he didn't. Obviously, it was the OC who didn't know what the heck he was doing.
The eagles constantly got blitzed bc they didn't run any presnap movement - they are def adding that with kellen moore, so the blitz won't be as prevalent.
I think this year we (Eagles) will win the division. How far we can go ..... nobody knows. You always have to take in account who has the fewest injuries. This is football and injuries always play a key role
Our defense will be solid. I'm not worried about the D. Trevon has his brother to up against in practice when he gets healthy. This is why Trevon is a great CB. His bother is an elite WR that he can always practice in the off-season against.
Washington tried to trade back into the first for OL, do a little bit of work. Sinnot also can play FB as well. Nobody runs a full out Air Raid offense in the NFL. He mentions Burrow saying he’s the best on the field when drafted…how many injuries he have so far??
The narrative that Washington should've drafted a LT at 36 shows that you're not paying attention. People need to understand there were no LT's worth picking at 36. I'd prefer my team that had a bad roster pick best available over need. You don't build a team by reaching for players in the draft.
Playing against teams pads stats which makes someone think said player is better than they are. My example is Micah Parsons (used to love him) he never seems to do anything against decent teams.
The difference is other quarterbacks can get to 2nd read to get ball to there #2 receivers dak doesn’t he lock on one guy until he scrambles or play breaks down
I'm sorry, do we have Nathan Peterman as our QB? Hurts threw 15 Ints and Mahomes threw 14. If Hurts locked in some much, he'd have 20 plus Ints. Hmmm. I know who did. Eli Manning had 28 Ints in fewer games. Peyton Manning, who I love as a QB had 20 plus Ints as well. So, if Hurts locked in and don't throw to a 2nd read he'd be garbage. You know like the tons of QBs drafted each yr but never make it and become a backup or out the league. Get a real story to talk about.
@@user-qw7xq7ni9p nothing you said change the fact dak rarely gets to his 2nd read . And who only one to throw 15 interceptions in just 12 games and 2 interceptions in back to back playoff games
so heres my question. Esgles had 3rd fewest pre-snap motion in league. After watching Moore reviewing film during his Cowboyss tenure...made public...he pointed out why presamp motion helps so much and sets up future plays. So, if Hurts vegins to excel becuz he has a better idea presnap whats going on, that alone wull make him a betta QB. What happens if Dak or Purdy dont have all this presnap motion? Hkw good wkukd they be. Jalen has to access what freaking defense they in without presanp motion and we had 7th best Offense. Also, i saw how the Bucs LBs ran straingr threw the Oline 2 to 3 times without a pickup. Also, they do CB and Safety blitzes all game long. we had NOTHING prepared for that!!! Coaching is what that is called!!!
I agree that Daniel Jones was a "questionable" draft pick, and I expect him to continue to underachieve. My disagreement: CeeDee Lamb is not a #1 receiver. Recent playoff failures show that the Cowboys sorely miss Amari Cooper - Dallas' last true #1 receiver.
These people are really underating the Giants. I say they'll finish #3 over all. Not simply in this division but in the entire NFL. In fact, if everything goes just right, they might even finish #1... ...in the race for the #1 pick.
Commanders were top passing D just the yr before with the same unit. They let thier DBs coach walk now they were last. They sleep on Juste and Forbes as well as KJ Henry on the edge and Jamin Davis as that Parsons. Jamins measurables were just as good. Was just used wrong. This D will surprise people.
I gotta admit, Mina, your analysis of the Commanders seemed pretty superficial. It sounds like both you and Dave are basing your analysis on outdated and uncomplete information. No mention of Jamin Davis (former first rounder), no mention of Bobby Wagner (future HOFer), no grasp that the defense under Del Rio was poorly designed rather than being due to 2nd rate athletes, a failure to acknowledge that Dan Quinn has already said he isn't going to try and emulate the Cowboys defense, to cite just some examples. Yes, they are rebuilding but the cold-water bath y'all poured out wasn't supported by good research.
The NFC East has been consistent for several years now. The Eagles and Cowboys in the top 2 spots and the Giants and Commanders at 3 and 4. Things shouldn't be any different this season.
I felt the Eagles just ran out of gas last season. They will bounce back in 2024. Dallas, on the other hand, let their success in the regular season go to their heads. That bubble of pride burst badly thanks to Green Bay. I'm surprised Jerry Jones did not sell the team and enter a monastery.
One of the simplest solutions to the Eagles offense is just having a HOT to beat the blitz. I have no idea why it’s been an issue for the past 3 years. There were ZERO answers for the blitz and it was nauseating to watch. Kellen Moore or not, if you can’t handle the blitz, you can’t win.
Great podcast. I will say a couple things that eagles will use motion a lot more & look to use AJ brown in the slot a lot more similar to CD lamb. Part of why hurts said the offense was different. On top of that defensively I think will surprise people a lot. Fangio always has a good d line & they hired some of the best position coaches mixed it with a good secondary finally. For years they’ve been wanting to use Fangio copy cats & finally have the creator of it. The true downfall of eagles last year is they were coached horribly. Terrible OC & terrible DC, & siriani is part to blame never really let Brian Johnson run his offense & overall Siriani is a good coach but a terrible coordinator. They didn’t even have answers for the blitz, which is funny that they did in 2022. The blitz problem was coaching malfunction. Essentially this year Siriani will be more in a tomlin type role coaching, & letting the coordinators run the offense & defense solely. Go birds 🦅
which is a sack and tells a story that you have a balanced defense. listen, great teams and even defenses get humbled. Andy Reid humbled our defense in SB in 2nd half. we shiukd have won. Also, Spags had a really good 2nd half too. But both teams gave up pts and I don't get it...they have to say something controversial or what's the point of them talking?
Happy Dave pointed out Philly just grabs brand names in the offseason and everyone applauds them for doing a great job, simply because folks recognize the names, lol.
The Eagles Offense was PREDICTABLE. Their athleticism let them get away with it the first half of the season. Then the league figured them out. Thus the OC changes very significant. As for the D, they fouled up that team’s chemistry. Adding Patricia made it worse. And once again that was mid season. Big mistakes by leadership. The players were NOT the problem.
I just want ya to know…..they spent the most minutes talking about the eagles😏!….30 minutes!… 19 minutes on the commanders….17 minutes on cowboys and 18 minutes on the giants!… Ya love the eagles…..just be honest😁😆!… Ya talk all this mess about Jalen Hurts…but talk about him the most😁😆….ya love him😁…just be honest!…
Maybe the team is just more interesting than the rest of the division. I mean how long can you talk about the disasters in NY and DC. As for the cowboys, we hear about that team ad nauseum
If you think about the Eagles are the biggest question mark...we ended the season terribly but did so much to reorganize during the off-season... The Commanders are basically restarting again....The Giants are the Giants still with nothing much to spur excitement with Daniel Jones as the QB...and the cowboys literally did the bare minimum....
Mina Kimes (0:05:40): " _The black QB's shortcomings were because he couldn't handle pressure_ " Mina Kimes (1:14:10): " _The non-black QB's shortcomings were because his O-Line let him get pressured_ " Let's remember, the Football World is [still] addicted to denigrating black athletes (and black QBs in particular). Even when the Football World runs to its calculators & spreadsheets, it still resorts to discriminating against black athletes. " _Black guy = Bad; Non-Black guy = good (let's blame any random black guy in order to maintain this equation_ )" -≈- Mina Kimes, July 10, 2024, ESPN Analyst
As a life-long Eagles fan I have to give you two credit for a fair and accurate assessment. I agree with 95% of what you said. Weird hearing someone talking about the Cowboys that is not biased. I guess I’m used to the Fugasi Cowboy fans in the Delaware Valley who have never even been to Dallas/Arlington .
Commanders are coming! The building blocks are in place, the foundation has been established now the fruitage will bear. This year will put the NFL on notice and within the next couple years Washington will be a problem. HTTC! 💪🏼
Which division has the most easily offended fans? [Fan listens to 1/4 of an honest evaluation/ opinion] "YOU HAVE DISRESPECTED MY (fill in team), YOU A GODDAMN HAAAAAATER!!"
50:41 - oh! Very, very, interesting. This is a total 180 degrees from what I heard from the Dak apologists. They apparently think he played brilliantly and it was the defense and Jerry Jones that was the problem against green bay. 🙄🙄🙄 😂😂🤣
@@encyclodeezy5121 I think Dak set the tone with 1st drive, missing the pass to CeeDee, and giving the ball back to GB for them just to score 7. Then very next drive they had the ball, throwing an interception letting GB run right into the end zone making it 14-0.
@neetrab I would say I knew the game would go down south is the defense not stopping Greenbay the first drive. Because they were on 3rd and 4 then D Law jumped offsides. I could tell right away this game is finished.
I mean no good NFL defenses let teams score 35+ points regardless if the offense is playing like garbage. Highest minimum a defense should give up is like 24 in my opinion.
Nobody takes into consideration, that Eric Biennemys offense was lacking in pass protection. He was such a shit coordinator. And will never work as a coordinator, let alone coach in the NFL again.
Again. We can all talk about how much a Qb needs weapons. Trevor lawrence with as good as this guy thinks he is. Wonder how he think lawrence would do in this offense. 4 coaches and multiple coordinators. Worst line the last 5 yrs. You All make me laugh
Kliff will run Jayden Daniels until the wheels fall off. He thinks he's getting an athletic QB with an elite arm like Kyler Murray but he's not. Jayden Daniel's doesn't have Kyler's waterbug quickness and ability to escape the pocket. There's a big difference in arm talent.
