Recapping Week 16 | Episode 66

go to Carson Wentz. What do you think so far here? I mean, I think this is this is kind of they've they've given us the answer to the test already, you know, Bram, Like, there's no question here, it's Carson Wentz will be the starter next week. I think they want to know. They want to finish their evaluation of them. Obviously started six weeks this year, not enough to kind of complete the evaluation. In my opinion, you want to

see what we can do. Obviously, Taylor Heineken did an excellent job getting this team where they are today in terms of record, and I think I had an outstanding game yesterday for the most part, outside of those two turnovers. That he had at the start of the fourth quarter. But I think you got to see wins well. You know sometimes the saying your marriage, you need to change the environt Now you're going to think of about it.

We know we could We've seen Carson Wentz inside this offense, but we was a pass happy offense at that time. Now with him back in the ham, do we continue to be a run first team. I want to see him in the end. I think they think he can push the ball down the field on play action, and I think that gives us a chance to be spending. There's one unusual caveat. Obviously, Heneke's very liked in the locker room. Playoffs are still very much emplayed for them.

This isn't a we're playing out the string type of situation. No, I think that's it. That's exactly right. It's a great point because, like you know, Taylor, Heney's from the guy that's kind of gotten you this momentum, gotten you this kind of charisma within the team, and you know, can he kind of can is he the guy to kind of continue to make players? I don't know, But I really think the deciding factor here is they want to know what they have with Carson Wentz and whether he's

there the answer quarterback movie forward. We all know Heneke has a rudy effect. I called him rudy, like you want to know, guys, he braves the best out of him. He's the guy that guys looked for at the end of the game to put him on his shoulder. He's that guy. But at the end of the day, we got two games to get in the playoffs, and I think they want to give cars in this chance to say, you know what, take us to the Promised Land. What did you make of the defense? There were times really

look good. They stop the rush offense, and they give up way too many big plays. I mean, I think when you look at the defense, you gotta look at the offense like you're giving the ball back to that San Francisco offense, which is very, very potent in very advantageous situations. I think, multiple times inside the thirty like,

that's just not a tenable solution. Obviously, there were some mistakes, some coverage bust, but I think when you look at the general scope of the game, you gotta say, offensively, they did not hold up their end of the bargain. They put the defense in a bad spot against a very very good football team. Average star in line for the forty nine is with the forty four of San Francisco. You cannot put your defense in those type of situations. But I could say this about the defense. They did

stand up in their first half. They did go blow to blow with San Francisco, and Logan talked about this the one thing we could take out of this game. This was a measuring instate game. The forty nine is one of the best rosters in the best teams in the league right now, and you win blow for blow with them for the least three quarters. Some invisible yards lost in the return game too, would started inside their own twenty multiple times on Saturday. That's gonna be hard

to get to the number one defense. Let's talk about shown for a minute. Played more than I think anybody thought you would, and he was effective at times too, So that was really good time to see him that. Yeah, I don't think I was surprised that he played as much as he did. I think when you're up, you're gonna play in a big game, you're gonna play, And I think it was great to see his conditioning be

in such a good spot in his physicality. F Yeah, like you just seemed for a guy whodn't played a lot of football, looked like he didn't really miss the beat, had some nice rushes against maybe the best left tackling football. I was really happy to see him out there. Totally exceeded my expectation. I used to be a big fan of tag team wrestling. You know, when you the wrestler just sitting there waiting to get tag, you just you just can't wait to get in there. And that's what

I saw from from him. He just I need to get in I need to get in there. So it was good to see him out there. You know what I did enjoy it. I enjoy seeing this smile on his I'd enjoy seeing him having fun. And that's what he brings to his team. Not only does he bring a top, nice, deepense in he brings the attitude and a love for the game that can't be replaced. The playoffs are still in the picture for Washington. Two games remaining in the regular season, and we've talked about how

the Commanders still control their own destiny. They got all the help that they needed again two games to go. Else can you ask for here, I mean, win out two games at home, you're in. I mean, that's exactly what you want, right Fred. I mean I don't know a lot about playoff football. You know, all the math of the charts and the astrology things, all that kind of stuff. But what I do like is that we control our own destiny. We win games we're in, And

that's exactly what you want. If you're coaching this team, and if you're playing for him, Tom, that's when you look at everybody in the locker room and say, it's own us. The onus has owned us. We control everything. Do you want to get in the first round? Who we want to play? We set that up, and we set everything up by how we go out of here and play eight quarters eight quarters of football. Left pressures

on them this weekend too, Cleveland is eliminated. So this is an AFC team at home, nothing to play for. Everything on the line for Washington this weekend. But you know, Cleveland's one of those teams. They've got some talented pieces, right they know Miles Garrett on the defensive defensive line, you can just break, break breaking offensive game plan. Chubb is one of the best running backs in the NFL, and Watson has slowly been kind of creeping back nowhere

nearer it was a couple of years ago. But yeah, very very talented player, very dangerous team. And at the end of the day, these out of football games you live for, you live, but these four quarters that were and that not only do you live for these games, you got these games at home. So we gonna need watching.

We gonna need the DMB to be in fitnex to hipless in these last eight quarts, all right, So if they were to make it would be likely as the seventh seed at this point, they need the Giants to lose out to win out to jump them as a six. Right now, they could play Philadelphia possibly if for some reason that went wrong. So that means Dallas is unlikely, but possibility Minnesota, San Francisco or the two that kind of sit there. You got what you want? Who do

you want? Kirk? Obviously? I mean we all want And it's not because of Kirk. It's because Minnesota is not as good a team of San Francisco. We're not as good as team as Dallas. Like we want the team that we can beat, and I don't think we can beat them. Well, it'll be a tight game. And don't forget this. This team has won eleven one score games. So this team is gonna play you to the Wirior. But I got faith that we could go to Minnesota and come back with him after it did turn into

Chicago here over the weekend. Yeah, going out to that sixty degree whether it's San Francisco, was it terrible? Yeah? But I like our chances against Minnesota if they were to play them, Yes, if they were to play them, yeah, as compared to San Francisco, who is. But we're not running away from any bad alright, get they right? We're not running away for anybody. You like that, you like, We're not running you like that. For all your news and analysis, be sure to tune into Command Center weeknights

five and ten pm on NBC Sports Washington. You can also stream on YouTube and commanders dot Com. Hail to the Commanders.