Santana sees a team that is STACKED | Command Center Podcast | Washington Commanders

The views and opinions expressed by our podcast guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Washington Commanders or any of their representatives.

Welcome to the Command Center Podcast. I'm Logan Paulson with Fred Smooth and Santana Moss. Hey you guys doing all right?

Yeah, I'm Fred Smooth.

We here say in the building, Yeah, in the building, ready to go. Yeah, let's get it started, all right? Man. There's been a little bit of shade cast by Vegas. Man, they only have it. They have the commanders with six and a half wins. I don't know when you look at this schedule, can you find seven?

I can find more than said?

Okay, are you doing? Are you doing a London fletch right now? You're twelve weeks.

I'm being very realistic. Come on, Coke mccorr will be staring for the Arizona Cardinals in the first game. We will be playing the game at home. DECI wining right there. You're looking at the Denver game. They're still gonna be install and Shi rosters.

That roster is really good.

Roster is stacked. But guess what I feel like the NFC East was a better division than that division last year, and Denver was the worst team in that division besides the Raiders. All right, so I'm just saying, our guys, we'll be ready for their challenge. And when I look at it positional, where are they better than us? At Denver? They're not a better d line than us, I think.

I'd say the receivers are close. The offensive line is probably better. I'd say they're better, but it's close. I say the offensive line there is better. The running backs are very good, very comparable here. So offensively, it's a pretty stacked, well flushed out group. And I think defensively, obviously Vic Fangio is gone, but like that was one

And how fast do our fits start to Yeah, that's also on the road though, That's another thing.

That's a tough trip to Denver to you remember those trips.

It's the elevation.

I mean, I mean, you gotta look at like this though, you know, and we're talking about just wins alone. Doesn't really matter what they feel, you know what I mean. Yeah, we can also up here and state you know how things may may transpired, But these guys are gonna go out there and play the game. If you just look at the paper alone, yeah, I can give us easy nine to ten wins. So just looking at the paper.

So why do you think it's so low then if you can get because.

We haven't done nothing yet, we haven't proved nothing to no one that we should come into the season with hype.

So more than than than say, how is the Rodney danger field of quarterbacks? He gets you? Okay, there, he gets no respect Rodney. He's a young guy.

He's a young, unproven guy. At the end of the day, why should they say, sim Howe is going to come in here and lead this team to more than six wins?

Should call him to Andrew Dice claim.

Yeah, I got you, I got you, I got you. So if you if we get nine wins, we should have been able to find seven pretty easy. I think to me, Denver is a question mark. It's early in the year, it's a tough road trip. So I'm gonna put a question mark there on my little piece of paper.

And you do agree with Arizona.

Arizona, I think they're in the midst of a rebuild. They're starting quarterback is not going to play, their defense is not great right now. Like gets that should be a win for sure, and it's that and it's at home. The fans are gonna be juiced, you know, with the new ownership group coming in. I think that's for sure.

I think we have a lot of new energy coming in. It's going to surprise a lot of people this year what we do. I'm not jumping on the limb right now and saying what we're gonna be doing, but I think a lot of the stuff that's been going on off season for as far as the draft, you know, the changing of the it's gonna be some some different energy in the building.

Man.

And this team, sleeping Giant is awoke. They're gonna feel all right.

So then we go Buffalo Philly and he wins there.

Buffalo ain't the Buffalo? Is that team that people have branded the king of the a f C and they won nothing?

Well they also, I mean, no, it's not about them, you know, can they can this team beat that team?

I think we can beat Buffalo because I believe we got a better defensive backfield than we did, and Buffalo has proven that they will not run the ball all. If you won't run the ball, you cannot give your defense chance to risk. And if offense is preshing the issue with him, I think that we got a legit chance to beat them, and we honestly.

Want to see how long with this his experience, Josh Allen experience last you know, just running the ball and being trying to be tough and physical. That doesn't last long, especially when you're not You can say he's built for that, but he's not really built.

Nobody, no quarterback is built.

For that kind of beating.

So I'm down at tight end University last year. Dude looks like golfer, you know what I mean, Like kind of dad bod not very impressive. But I will say, because it's early in the year, Tenna, does that take away some of that, you know, like that he's going to beat up, He's gonna be fresh, He's gonna be fresh.

But what I'm saying is you coming, you come and try to do be be herero against the wrong team and see what happens against the wrong in his season, real, real, early you know what I mean. You don't want to go against certain defenses with that kind of a play.

But I say that that roster is better than this. It'stack. But you know, any given Sunday, you gotta show up. But I like what you said about the dad boys, but I only want quarterbacks with I don't like wheel Levis to step in here gunned out.

It's never worked in Brady Quinn another gun down quarterback, not a.

Gun down quiet like my quarterbacks to look like they have never lift the weight in their life. And Sam how it looks like he's never lift the weight in his life. Seven months pregnant, he does not look skinny.

I like that, Okay, I do like it. So Philadelphia probably lost, So I'm gonna put a question mark next to next to Buffalo.

And I'm one in one with all the division teams, so you know, I don't care if they're win away. Yeah, I don't care.

If they'll make a Yeah, we'll make a note of that. Okay, So Philadelphia, obviously we're gonna split fee there.

And I want to get a home team the home game.

Yeah I got, I got we go Chicago, Atlanta, New York.

About one of those. I like us in Chicago, and I like us in Atlanta.

Yeah, yes, yeah, at Atlanta. At Atlanta, that's not like a tough trip or anything. But I do think that team, they their team.

Is gonna be a They're gonna they gonna be a gritty, gritty three of the most explosive players in their position. Cow pissed, I think is the truth. The Robinson at tail beck, I think they're gonna use him more like Deebo Samuels. Uh. And then you got Drake London at wide received.

One of the best offensive lines in football, at least.

Depending on what quarterback shows up. I mean, I like the young picked up last year. I mean, he's to me, he hasn't shown much yet in this league, but man, he can be special.

It'd be so funny if we're playing Heineken in that game.

So I'm gonna give so right now, Arizona Atlanta two wins. What about Chicago with Justin Fields, that is.

Gonna be a tough team, That's what I'm saying.

Like Chicago and Atlanta, like we're we're not great last year, but I think they're gonna get so much better.

So much better. It's gonna be a dog fight in those games. But I think those are two win games, especially inside a two divisional game.

I'll put a win there, all right. So right now we're at three wins New York. What do you think I give New York the game and then Philadelphia at home will win that one. Listen to me, this is one of the most interesting games on the schedule. The New England Patriots.

The most unathletic team in the NFL. Really, Yes, the quarterback is not athlete. The wide receivers are not athletes. They do got some good tight ends. They just lost a their win on the offensive line. They do got a running back with Stevenson. They can run down here, but he's just not the fastest guy. Speed is not this team strong point.

They're gonna beat you with this. They're gonna find a way to coach you. I have a shot down taking that one, taking the air loss, taking.

The I got us beat New England.

It's one of those coaching you got to really have your egg. You can be the most athletic team or have the most athletic players. But one of the things about Bill Belichick, man, we've we've seen him do that to.

Us most definitely. But it hasn't been here. He hasn't been the dark vader you.

When he starting his wings when everybody doubting and you toltally right.

But I just think he I don't think he's in Live with Matt Jones. I do think Bill O'Brien.

But Bill O'Brien is back, that's different.

Everybody hates Bill O'Brien. I actually played for you.

Would you would like him?

Actually? Yeah, he's he's a he's a character man.

Like everybody saw Bill O'Brien and Tom Brady go out on the sideline and everyone took Tom brady side. Bill O'Brien's alright.

He's no, he's he's out there man.

He'll let you know. But I like him.

Yeah, all right, Seattle at Seattle, that's a tough trip.

That's a tough we come away with wins and Seattle though, that is true win and see yeah we got the number. Yeah, so that is that a win. I like us. I like us in there.

I like us going the road against you like I like you. Yeah, I think I think Geno is gonna always put you in a situation where and he's so lash y he can come back and and and rekindle some of them flames. But he's gonna he's gonna throw throw a couple of balls up there to you receive a group and second. Yeah, they but our secondary got a little better with our defensive line hunting. Man, if we can get the predator to be the predator this year, man, I'm scared of I'm scared for a lot of teams

So just so you know, week ten, we got one, two, three, four, five wins so far week ten, so we're doing all right. We get seven, we got to get two more, and you got them split in every game, so we should be able to get you see where Yeah, all right, the New York Giants again, that's a win right there, because.

We gave him their home game game at home, all right.

And then Dallas at Dallas, that's a loss.

Gave him their home game. We're gonna giving we win.

Thanks we went on Thanksgiving, so we give them my home game.

We ain't giving them my home game.

That is the team that we're gonna beat twice this year.

Look at that boy over there, the cowboy killing man.

Are you going to the mgu with that.

We're gonna look, last time we seen these boys at all Thanksgiving, we took them down at their house and they came out of the house and we took them down again.

So it's gonna be did score a touchdown game?

So two wins against Dallas.

I'm going with the cowboy killing.

Yeah, right, win winning. So he's been one, two, three, four, five, six seven. That's eight wins right there. We haven't even we haven't even talked about Miami, Los.

Angeles, Miami not going to Miami because this city just takes some away from from you know what I'm saying there. Some teams have it the arsenal, a city that will get on you. It's hard. Like the reason that the Vegas hockey team made it to the championship is first year because because ves and they lose, they lose their mind in the city consumes. You say this, I say this, I say this.

If it's anybody want to listen to when it comes to a city consuming them, asks Fred, because Fred probably will allow Miami to He would be the one that get off that bus and coach say, I see all that seven o'clock in friends, No.

Problem, let's go take listen, Vegas will consume you. So I'm just saying Miami has that effect. It has that effect, that warm weather.

But it's it's at home.

Miami is gonna be we played them here, Yes, Okay.

I still I still Miami.

Just I think I think, I think this is probably right, but I think they do beat Los Angeles. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna say lost to Miami. I'm gonna say win versus Los Angeles. Got three New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers experiment.

That's gonna be a top by the time.

I'm gonna check us off the list with seven friend and the Jets.

And and we have about nine wins, right losses you're saying, yeah, those are losses.

Those are losses. But we'll beat Los Angeles so that's nine.

Yeah, so we got nine wins right there?

Do that get us in the playoffs?

I don't know, man, I think we need one more win probably, yeah, I think.

So to be tight.

But we beating the Cowboys twice, so yeah, tell they ain't gonna be in playoff.

Who is Aaron Aaron Rodse at this time has the devacate I.

Don't know, that's what that's the biggest question for me.

This time one was in here.

We did a podcast for the schedule lease and he was like, Oh, he's gotta be ball and he's gonna be this. I'm like, man, I don't know.

New York defense has something going for them that Aaron Rodgers hasn't had in a long time. I mean, we've been giving Green Bay Defense praise for how many years now, and they find a way to spink it up every year. So if that defense is hunt like they hunt in the last few years and have to do much with that arsenal he has on the outside in the backfield, we talked about our arsenal.

Man.

You know, you look at the receivers and he still got a guy that he's still reviving.

He reviving his dog on his dog on slot receiver every year.

You play like that.

I wish I had Aaron Rodgers to say you never had.

Hunt to be a big question there with the Jets is does Garrett Wilson take that next step? You know, he looked like a bar lasted.

He's their number one, right, number.

Two, which I think is excellent.

Tru is excellent. Is their number one and number two better than ours. Terry is better than Wilson, I think.

So, I think than the most of the number one. So the other thing we talked about Bill O'Brien, you know, being in New England, I also think getting a new offensive coordinator here in in New York, and it's it's Rogers. It's Aaron Rodgers, buddy.

But a Rogers did not like motion.

Yeah, he does like motions, like being under center.

He doesn't like any of that, and Debt simplifies it for us defense.

So I don't know, that'll be interesting to see what that team is doing. So right now the wins, we got Arizona, Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Dallas one more time for total.

I think we tired of the forty nine ers too, because see we've been punching them back in the face for the last couple of years. I remember the rain game that came slid on the field. This team, especially with Trent being on this team, we don't back down to them. And the one thing we do know about them is Sam Donald has a legit chance to beat their quarterback. Yeah, all right, so I'm just not gonna give San Francisco a victory over US. I believe we'll lose the Seattle before we lose it.

In interesting and even with Kyle Shanahan.

Even with cal Cal, he does so much. But we played defense on them last year we played with them, They didn't go up and down the kind.

Of it kind of felt like they were relying on their defense to win.

Made some plays.

I gotta go with fred on that one. But like I said, we're looking on paper, but we played toe the toe of those guys even when they when when everyone thought they.

Was world beat as we played to hit them right in the mount.

Like I said, talking well, who knows it's made right? So who knows? But also so would you take this to would you take this to Vegas?

So this is over right, take it to Vegas and man they see it.

I'm gonna win games, yeah, basically going I'm going plus four, kick four, plus four.

Listen, this is a new era. It ain't no nothing better to stow it out. A new era hot. These players gonna feel it energy. These players gonna play in front of fans in that first game, they ain't never played for it. They're gonna feel uh, they're gonna feel rocking. I've been in there. It's gonna be a different where it's been so loud that you can feel the ground shaking under your feet.

That'd be awesome. Come out that that first week like that. All right, let's talk about Washington DB's this week. We talked to Benjamin Saint just on Command Center and he said he expects nothing less than a Pro Bowl season.

What do you think, Fred, Well, this is it. Well, he's more of a Nola fire, meaning he's not gonna ever be a six to seven season pick guy. He stays in between the wide receiver in the quarterback. So if he gonna give to the Pro Bowl, we gotta win. He won't be able to go to the Pro Bowl. Would doubt us being a playoff team. So he has to take a numbdi Obbs and wide type of route into his playoff I mean, to his Pro Bowl year.

Also, I mean he does create turnovers though like and he's not. He's not getting the interceptions. But I went back and watched all of his key players. He had two tip balls for picks. He punched the ball out for a fumble like he does.

He does create, he manufactures turnovers because he's a huge guy. I like his confidence.

I think he I think Fred was spot on when it comes to it. He's one of those guys, lanky guys you know when you're a receiver, when I you know, being a receiver in this league, I honestly like playing against guys like that because you can always get him to think you're doing something different than what you're really doing. And they can't, you know, get our tradition. They can't transition as quick as you can because as a receiver

He's a disruptor.

You said, get his hands on balls, find a way to punch balls out.

Always writes a matter a little bit.

Because he's so long, he can be. He can run with you. He might not be, he might not lock you down, but if the ball gets thrown behind, he's all over you.

He's a ride eliminator because of his length. We never get rid z one fades and now you're putting another long six to one corner on the other side that don't get phase thrown at them. You're gonna have to break beat us on inbreak and cut.

He just had to stay healthy too, you know what I mean? You can I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm with him. I think he can be a pro Bowl player, just gotta stay healthy and it's on him.

And he's one of those he's unique and that he's a tall guy. He also has Elite three cone, Elite five five Like he broke the combine with that stuff. So you know, maybe not the best top end speed, but again that short area of stuff is great, you know. Emmanuel Forbes, Kawan Martin. A lot of hype around them, a lot of excitement I think rightfully so, But is it too much for these guys?

Too much? Never too much? What?

What?

What haven't been said about him? Man? He gonna he's going to play I think rich Homie Kwan, that's the nickname I gave him. I think he's gonna shock people about how fast he picks up defenses pro defenses because he did play for Lovey Smith and I think most people are not taking it into accountability. And I think

To me, he's like he's his impact on the defense is probably gonna be bigger than Forbes, I think, just because he he can do all that. Yeah, I don't know. Like, to me, he's like the biggest lynchpin because he can play a little buff of nickel true nickel host whatever it needs to be.

I think it's safe to say that these two young guys come in a great situation.

Yeah, you know.

I mean, I'm not taking nothing away from what they played, you know, out in college. But when you're coming on a team that's stacked like us on on the front front, yes, the back end should be easy for you, especially when you know how to play the back end, and these two guys know how to play the positions well. So man, their guys up front hunting like they hunt. Man, they don't have to play that hard. And we gotta we gotta we got a magnet for the ball on one end.

Yeah.

You know, with Forbes, I wanted to ask you fred like and even in rook yes, even in rookie Minnicamp, you don't answer yes yeah, because you ever heard the question. He seemed like he was being overly aggressive. Can you be pressing for those interceptions? And that was something you know, we talked about with his film. Sometimes he presses for it and gets out of position.

This is his identity. You gotta take the good with the bad. We talked about this with the Hall. D Hall would come up missing if he did his study and he believes that's what it is. He's gonna shoot his gun, win, lose a draw. And that's the difference between a thief. A thief is gonna give up some passes, but guess what. The quarterback would be more reluctant to know this aggressive dude is over here, so guess what.

Kind of trouble though, when you have a quarter, when you have a cornerback that that is as aggressive as far as might be this year, or take a little bit, take a place of the d Hall's book. Now you have to see where him and that safety comes in at to know that, Okay, because relations.

Yeah, I know, I got to have his back every time. I know what he got up there.

I know if he sees something, he gonna go get it. So now that sets me up for the pick or two, you understand.

So because people gonna try to double move.

Now we got to see that relationship between between him and his safety, you know, knowing that these guys got to play play on the same court.

Yeah, absolutely, And it's like, uh you know it's like kind of Tremon Diggs and Dallas.

Yeah, you know, win something, lose, loses a lot. Look, he wins a lot, the ball a lot. But he gets his mind. I want him every week he don't get But the one thing I can say about that that day, excuse me that Digs He's gonna find a way to try to change the game. He's gonna change the game. And with him step for Gilmore. Finna teach him all the little small things. So I think having a veteran like step for Gilmore is gonna clean his game up. Yeah.

But do you think that there is someone here on the roster, maybe Kendall Fluor.

Gonna tell these guys, look here for what you have. For what you have that I don't have, go get it. Know what you're see him before.

He's a teacher. He's like fourth generation, his daddy, granddaddy, uncle Amy. Everybody play cornerback. So it's what it is, all right.

So obviously Rookie Minte Camp just happened. What can you take out of rookie Mini Camp? You know, like his you know, Forbes has a picking seven on seven gets beat by the guy from Bryson Tremaine from Stanford on a slant where he gets knocked down and looks like where can you take from me?

Guy's a human.

But it's like, but what I'm saying is like you gotta hope you get probably ten guys who are gonna maybe make the roster. Yeah, and you got forty or fifty guys who are just trying this about who are doing something different. Yeah next week, Yeah, you know, I don't say pumping gas, but that's.

Listen, we don't know. But at least we got these two minor leagues. Yeah that they can go b O date game, but I think you get a lot from it. You can get the feeling of belonging in the NFL when you go through your rookies and you get to just watch your rookies and see who's the dominant rookie, who's sticking up, and who looks different. And I think our guys that we drafted high. I heard what Regaz is doing. I think you know, so it's it's and

They haven't got a chance to really practice with the varsity yet. And being that some of those guys are varsity players because they was drafted high to walk there and compete on that level, you want to see what you got. And those guys come to mini camp with praise from the other guys that came in mini camp with them, So they got to go out there and shut they stuff's while Force went out there and shut

So much critics off your back, That's what it is, because everybody been reached for. They reached for Gibbs, they reached for for No. We liked the player, we drafted the player.

Life the But I think the real like evaluation point comes probably the first o TA practice.

Yeah.

Yeah, they go out there with the with the varsity and the.

D you run Wilder, man, I think you already know this.

But I just want to see that's the more important you want to see it. All right, So now we're to everyone's favorite segment. What are you guys watching right now?

Well, right now because it's their down time in the year. I'm really engulfed in the NBA playoffs. Okay, right now, that's where a man in the King. The King continues to show us age. Ain't nothing, bore, numbers, thing down, ain't nothing but a thing thirty eight years old doing the things that he do in a D which I'm I've been a big critic of a D because you can't make the club in the tub street closed. He has been bawling. I am shocked some of the teams.

I'm watching a little basketball you've been really now Netflix wise, I'm watching. I just watched Queen's Gambut for the first time.

I really enjoyed that show. It was a good shot. I've seen queen show Gambit. But I also got hooked on the what's the thing in Man Yellowstone?

Oh yeah, I'm gonna waiting the next season for yellow Stone, all three of them.

It's like Game of Thrones in America. Uh yeah, Well, I just watched the schedule lease the guys put out here. You watch nothing.

I don't want it like you literally watched, but if you haven't seen, you should check it out. It's pretty good. It's like done like with an AI thing. It's pretty cool.

Well, I would not go to a restaurant with a chef they couldn't cook and take his device on food, So I guess.

I don't make television shows.

What automated restaurants these days? They're gonna have the AI.

Field cots automated though no field cod is.

Now you just aughter right there? Amated you the reason that Burger King from the clothes for Under store, You know the wop is dead.

I haven't eaten it Burger King ever. And that's why it's about the clothes because the logan paulsa never eating a Burger King.

You never had a whopper? No, you're not American. American? How did you go to be that big and you ain't never had a whopper?

Just I don't know, man, I made a lot of food at the house.

Is it a West coasting like? Man, I'm gonna bring you maybe sick some air Force.

I'll take the air Force ones. I'm not touching that wapper.

Why not, because I'm gonna get a burger.

I'm gonna go on a nice spot and get a burger.

Five guys. So you're a boogie burger guy. You can't just eat this cheap burger.

I don't want one that tastes like it tastes like plastic.

Now, no, don't chase like plastic. Wapa was a meal boy, a meal in the bed. See, I did do the history on that. I mean on History Chapel when they do the fast food the foods that built America and the Wapple is the first signature burger. The Big mech was not the first.

I mean, what about the McDonald's like like that, like what do they call that? The single patty burger that you get there, that's got to be the first burger of America.

No, it wasn't a signature burger. It had no name. The Wappa was the first name signature burger.

All right, man, you knows he knows, so maybe, but check out that video though I'm not you come home, man, I watch I watched all the stuff.

You tell me to what that is true? I never watched anything.

Watch got some amazing stuff this week On The Commander's YouTube page, every Monday, Julie has a one on one interview. This week it's Benjamin Saint.

Just I know that.

Yeah, it's one of your favorite guys.

Wednesday is Command Center and Fred gets fired up.

Yes, and you know what I'm fired of by this time Thanksgiving Thanksgiving.

There Santana doesn't miss with his takes. On Thursday.

He does, Yeah We're gonna do it three fist down, three five style, and.

You want to change the name to move the chains, Tanna, Is that what you're doing?

Yeah, man, we moved the chain and moving Fred out of them all right.

And Friday, I live in the comments and answer all the questions you guys send in, so make sure you leave a comment, leave a question. We got something for you every single day of the week, so make sure you check it out on YouTube.

I'm there, brother, I got the question for you though. What type of shoes it though?

Thanks for listening, guys, be sure to rate and subscribe wherever you get your podcast. Check out Command Center every Wednesday on the Commander's YouTube page.

Thanks for joining me, Guys always