On this edition of The Booth Review. Another one, London, another one that comes down to the wire.
Well, we know Jaydon Dan is gonna win the Offensive Rookie of the Year, but why is he not in the MVP conversation. It's a good question.
And how about this team getting eleven wins for the first time since nineteen ninety one?
We got a guy who hit a jackpie, a try efected challenge for Big Fletcher's heavyweight championship belt.
All that coming up on The Booth Review next. Welcome into the playoff clitching edition of the Booth Review podcast. Like Braham Whitside with Big Fletch London Fletcher. We're brought to you by Microsoft Surface powering a better game. Here we go the playoffs. You called it in the summer, eleven maybe twelve wins, will see here we are.
It's reality is funny because a lot of people thought I was being a homer and maybe thought I was drinking a little bit of the Ashburn kool a.
You were.
But that's the thing, right, well anymore right. Here's the thing though, when you look at and I looked at obviously the moves that we made, having dan Quinn's the quarterback. I mean, as the new head coach, getting Jayden and just looking at the schedule, like, Okay, I really think we're gonna win this game. This game felt like we were split with the egos, feel like we would split with the Cowboys. I thought we went here and you know,
obviously you'll probably lose down there. But let's flip that and get to twelve. But it's just has it been the way we've done it to get to this point. Yeah, that's been surprising, you know, all the last minute victories, to come from behind wins. Even yesterday. First half didn't look good, didn't look good at all, but second half entirely different ball club. And and we can we can't say enough about Jayden and what he was able to do, especially in the second half of that game.
I want to get to him. I want to stay on the big picture just for a moment, and I want to get into the game too. There's a very special moment for the organization. Oh yeah, you know, it's been four years since they've been in the playoffs. They haven't been a wildcard team since two thousand and seven, so they had to win the division just to get in, which shows you. There hasn't been much consistency. They're not consistently there. Even in a year where someone else might
be a little bit better than you. You get in anyway, like the Kansas City Buffalo of Baltimore of this era right now, Philadelphia too, they get in every year. And I do feel like we're at the beginning of something and it's hard not to. And I know dan Quinn and them don't want to get into award season yet, and I know that they don't want to hear all the accolades for it yet because their story isn't done
being written. So I want to spend a few minutes doing it now and then getting back into the mind frame of where they want to be, because this is very special. This team has not won eleven games since nineteen ninety one. This team has never in this building won seven home games, and they did it in year one together, and it's hard not to. It's hard to ignore that. Put your head in the sand and go Okay, what's next. I do want to sip a little champagne.
Yes today, yeah, when you you kept you mentioned that on the on the broadcast a couple of times about having done this since nineteen ninety one, and it was a I think two or three maybe two or three different things that you mentioned. It's like, dang, since nineteen ninety one and we all know how that season and not only how that season ended, that team is considered one of the best teams in NFL history, Like it's
a historical type of team. But the when some people called it the rebuilt the team, they Adam Peters and Dan Quinn called it a recalibration. And when you accomplished that, and with they what's seventy percent of new roster, sixty percent whatever of the thirty first players, Yeah, from the roster standpoint, to do this all in year one with the rookie, the whole field you mentioned seven to two our fans have been there and it droves Man, Yeah, I don't know if you've got to chance. Well, we
walked through the concourse pregame, you had a chance. What were you thinking that when you walked through that concourse yesterday pre game?
I haven't had an RFK feeling in that building for a very long time. I think there was a little bit of the RG three year where there was this oh man, there's like there's kind of been anything's possible because the quarterbacks ceiling is so high, right, and we haven't had that in a long time. But just kind of the feeling of the fan base, it never went anywhere. It's just been semi dormant in the building. But they haven't had anything consistent to cheer for in a long time.
And I talk about this all the time, having grown up here and having been fortunate to have tickets to RFK when I was a kid during the heyday when they were one of the best teams, if not the
best team in football. For ten years running, they're the heartbeat of the city and what people don't know and a generation of fans don't know, is what happens when they win consistently, and last night was like a sign of it's heading back in this direction, which is why I think I don't want to lose sight of the big picture. We'll get into the nitty gritty of the game and what they did and another miracle, you know, because this has been a joy ride like I've never
been a part of. Every week is a heart attack, but just the overarching I think we're at the beginning of something. This isn't a one off. You know that, like we're heading back into this space where we could join the Buffalo, Kansas City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, the teams you can count on to be very competitive and vy for championships every year. We're at the beginning of something like that.
No, you're one hundred percent round, and that's what that's what we all want. We want perennial contender yes, year in and year out, like competing for or you're one of the upper echeline teams in football, let's call it the top five or six teams where every year, every season, these five or six teams are going to be in the mix. They're gonna make the playoffs and you know they have a great chance to represent their their conference in the super Bowl. And that's that's where we want
to get to. That's where I feel like we're building to. I saw, you know, mister Harris last night as he was. You saw him too, yeah, you were. You saw his his happiness, happy birthday, happy birthday. He celebrated his sixtyeth birthday on Saturday. I mean just the ownership group and the joy, the joy that they had. And this is you know, a guy who owns multiple sports teams and you know. But you could tell like he carries special to him. This is special to he what.
I'm talking about. He also grew up here too and lived it down the street, went to RFK, you know. So he emotionally connects with this team and this franchise in a way that if you're not from here, you don't understand, like what they mean. They can be the heartbeat of the city, they can be the soul of the city. They can be a religious experience, which they've been numerous times this year. We've had out of body experiences with them over and over and over this year.
And you could see it on his face. He's not just an owner of the team. He genuinely cares deeply about the results and what it's going to be.
Just see how he was clutching that football and I'm assuming that game a game ball, maybe for his birthday or after the game, and I haven't seen the locker room video posted yet, but he's clutching that football like this is the best president he's ever gotten. And this is, you know, a billionaire. But the way he's walking around with that football, it's like he is so happy and lated that this team has made the playoffs and you could tell he's proud of he's proud of the product on that football.
It's really interesting too, Like they've spent not only a lot of money to buy the team, obviously, they've poured a lot of money into the infrastructure and the resources of the team. They've given Adam Peters a very robust front office, they give dan Quinn a very deep coaching staff with ex head coaches Cliff Kingsbury, Anthony Lynn others. Like they're they're saying, what do you need? Look around this facility. I know a lot of fans you'll see during trading camp, but you won't see it at any
other time. They've poured a lot of money into this facility to try to make it better, to give this team an environment to win. With Northwest Stadium, they've poured money into light shows, They've poured money into the infra stam.
That's pretty dope.
Yes, Like they've spent a ton of money for on behalf, not only just to win, but to welcome the fans back in and say you want to be part of this again. We want to build what it used to be in a modern way, but we want that feeling back for you, and at the beginning of the season when they had especially the Cincinnati game where we had the first like oh my god, is this real? What's
going on? In those first four to six weeks, I felt good for us, and I'm speaking for the fans because we've been waiting just so long to have something like this start to happen. As this season has progressed, I have now turned to and this is why I'm going to get back to where I know dan Quinn wants us to be, which is, hey, don't give us award yet, Like it's not over. Like we're just getting
started here and this season isn't over. I feel good for this team, like I am genuinely rooting for them to finish writing this story of this season.
I felt good for us.
Now it's turned into I want to see how far you guys can go, because what you've pulled off the last couple of weeks specifically tells me that you're gonna be the hardest out in this league. So let's see what you're going to do. And we're riding with you now and we're back.
Well, you know what their mantra is, anybody anywhere, anytime, Yes, that's that's it. So whether we're the sixth seed, seventh seed, who we play, I mean, anybody anywhere, anytime, they believe that they can beat whoever they're they're lined up against on game day. And it doesn't matter whether you're facing the number one seed in the in the playoffs, or you're facing the number four or five seed, whatever the
case may be, or three seed, doesn't matter. There's a belief that is instilled in this team and it's it's call it indoctrination. This is this is what they believe in. This is their mantra. This is not just coach speak.
This is what they believe in. And you can tell because you don't win the Chicago game, you don't win that Philly game having five turnovers, you don't win yesterday game the way we played in the second half without a great belief and what you're accomplishing, belief in each other, sacrificing that you talked about the brotherhood. Those moments don't happen.
We're not sitting here with eleven victories with the potential to have a twelfth victory this weekend against the Dallas Cowboys without Dan Quinn and doctrinating that mantra and saying this is who we are. Believe it, that's what we're about.
It really starts at Jaden. I know it's the whole team, and I want to credit the whole team, especially they fought through a ton of injury, especially in the offensive side of the ball. I say, which we can go through. But Jaden Daniels, this is the second week in a row. He's done extraordinary things. And we were in the locker room with him after the game, and I knew he wasn't going to answer this question, honestly, but like I had to ask it because it's been two weeks of it.
At what point do you just go, I need to take over? Because he feels like it almost feels like at some point a basketball game where Lebron James, Kevin Durant, whoever, just need to take over. And he did, and he said, I don't want to force anything. Credited all his teammates. He's humble, He's got humility that's beyond belief and beyond his years. But we've been around, you've played it. Very few people do the things that he does regularly. And
I don't know. I don't know that whether it makes him uncomfortable or not, it's just the truth.
It is and what he's probably feeling, like, yeah, he said, I don't want to force anything or saying I need to take over this game, or it may be just innate in him. I believe it's just in Nate, where okay, yeah, this is the play called, and I'm gonna go through my reads and make the right throw. But when the play breaks down, it just clicked, like all right, it's
gold time. The the play he made to zach Ertz scramble, he's making play and then he hits urge for I think with a thirty nine yard pass or something like that to maybe twenty five. That right there, that uncounty ability to get out of the get out of the potential sack by time, but still keep his eyes down the field as a passer hit urts. There's other times where all right, I gotta get out and I gotta pick up a first down. I gotta get out, I gotta do some things and I potentially can get into
the end zone. So it's just it isn't innate thing that takes over. I'm gonna play the play, the play call, look to do that, execute that first and then when it's not there, Superman wagh and five is now in the building. It just happens he is clearly the rookie of the year.
I mean, that's just not even that right, that's not Listen, no offense to bo Nicks.
Or Bro's had a really good season.
Brock Bauers broke the record for receptions for a rookie. So like, there are other candidates here, but come on, like, don't kid yourself. I gotta be honest with you. When when the fans started chaining MVP at the end of the game last night, Yeah, I'm for a couple of weeks running now have felt I don't know why he doesn't have a slice of this conversation. Who has had more clutch moments or means more to their team than
him this year? And look, I'm not a fool. I know they're going to give it to Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson. But why he's not being discussed in this conversation at this point after what you've seen week after week after week, I don't know.
So and you look at, uh, what the Ravens are. Are the Ravens at ten or eleven victories? They may the Ravens already eleven. I think the Bills are at.
Twelve twelve and twelve thirteen, yeah, yeah, twelve and thirteen.
Thirteen and three thirteen and three. And here we are those teams on paper, better roster. You know, those guys have been there on a consistent basis for him to do what he's done, and he's probably had to do more for his team than those other guys just because of like, hey, whether it's the throwing the football last week against the Eagles, all the different plays you make against the Saints, like you to do all kinds of things in that game for us to win that game.
So he's he should garner some MVP votes. I don't know exactly if you only have to cast, it's either or, like you only whether you do a hey, first play, second place, third place, if that's how it goes. When it's vote is either Josh Allen, is Lamar Jackson or his you know, Saquan or Jayden down. So he deserves some. He deserves to be in that competit conversation.
Last night, he rushed for over one hundred yards. Most of it's unscripted. You're right, he has these. He had that fourth and eleven run. A week ago, he throws a touchdown pass with six seconds left to Jamison Crowder. They score a touchdown, they don't give Atlanta the ball. In overtime, they score a touchdown walk down the field. That was a third and goalplay, So there was another clutch moment. Had to have it or they were gonna have to make a choice. Do you take the lead
and give it Landa the ball or not? He scores a touchdown and you'll have to answer that question. That was the fifth time this year that he's thrown or scored a touchdown with either under thirty seconds left in a game or in overtime. You know who else has done that? Nobody?
What are we.
Talking about here? Yes, he just broke the single season rookie rush record of RG three last night. Every week we laugh about it. I read of stats that he has posted. He is having an unprecedented, historic and maybe I don't even know, arguably the best season any rookie quarterback has ever had. And they're eleven and five in the playoffs. And I think if Mike Tarico and Chris collins Worth were at more of their games this year
and more people saw this weekly. I don't even think this would be a discussion whether he would be in it or not. I don't think people know how good he's been week to week to week.
Yeah, that that narrative has to be put out there more on a national level, it's and I don't even know how much is being discussed. I know you you've you've championed that cause for for the past several weeks. But even on a local level, are we putting it out there enough to it for it to garner the national attention and national recognition that it deserves to be said, because you know narratives. These these are voters. They look
at this stuff. They it may even China. They're thinking, like, how many of these voters have actually sat down and watch watched several commander's games. You see, you're going to see mahomes all the time. Those guys are a lot bunch of national TV games, Josh Allen. They have you know, four or five or six national games every season. Those guys get that recognition. We've had what three national games
this year? Well, what's exceptional? Last week? Thursday night and they put in the national window Monday night football game back in you know, early in September.
Cincinnati, since what he had a heroic Superman moment in that one too.
I'll play Joe Burrow, Yes, who's in the MVP category.
Who everyone is saying Couldwood should be the MVP even if they don't make the playoffs.
The narrative needs to be put out there.
Yeah, I mean, just I want to think about last week for a moment, because I think this encapsulates the whole thing. What's odd is it's become somewhat normal if Allen or Mahomes or Lamar or Burrow are doing these things. People be going crazy about these plays and the stats they're posting in the things that they're doing. For some reason, it's somehow in his rookie year become commonplace for him to do it, which is odd in its own right.
But think about last week for a moment. They came back after five turnovers, the Eagles had the ball for ten minutes in the third quarter, They punted twice. They still scored thirty six points. They still won. He still had a clutch a throw as you're going to have
at the end of a game to win. And everyone talked about the week after all the excuses, the Eagles were making for losing instead of what was the comeback of the year against a Super Bowl contender that was engineered by a quarterback who's doing things very few can do.
Now, you're spot on with that, and then again it needs to be put out there a lot more.
He was terrific again last night. So was the team. And I want to go on the offense for a minute. Andrew Wiley didn't play. Cornelius Lucas got hurt in the game. They got down to a third right tackle Tyler Biattish, heartbeat of the offensive line, one of them hurt towards the end of the first half. Out didn't play the second half, and they ran the ball better in the second half than they did in the first half. It's it's truly remarkable.
It really is. And you know the adjustments that were made at halftime and the we talked about this, and I talked to coach Quinn on the postgame interview about the adjustment that we made as an offense and the coaches made to play better offensive offensive football, get the run game going, the the asswers they had to the pressure looks that that the Falcons were given. Given the offense and given there were about five different adjustments that they made to those looks, and and then the second
half just really really took advantage of that stuff. Well, I think that the big key, a big change was when in the first half there was a lot of hey giving the ball to the to the running backs, and not a whole lot of zone reads. But later on, Jade started keeping some of those. The only reason he's able to get going around the edge, and now that defensive end has to hold just for a second before there. They can't just crash down and and and crash down
on the running back. Then I thought Chris Rodriguez gave us a big spark in the run game. He had some tough, physical runs in that ball game, and then he.
Had two on that touchdown drive.
Oh there was one.
It was as good a powerful four yard run as you're gonna see, which then led to the touchdown run where he ran over a j. Terrell going into the end.
Zone and and b Rob after that, Uh, at the c Rod got his touchdown, you saw b Rob come in there. And he ran a lot better in this in the second half as well, and even after that, that series was like you know, I'm seeing Chris Rodriguez getting going on the run games, so he stepped his game up. But obviously the jade and the the the design runs or where he has the option, and then the the off schedule stuff, the office line you mentioned, you know, being on your third tackle. And they was
tough manny, the Falcons. They had a heck of a game plan. Yep. Their defense playing better than I thought they were prior to the game. They did some things, especially they hadn't really been able to get after the quarterback. They got the Lisa Moss amount of sacks I believe in the National Football League they had the least amount of sacks going into that game, and they were able to get to Jada I think it was three times,
had him under the rest several other times. And that defense played beyond what they, you know, billing was going into that game.
You know this is this is kind of a trend here, which is interesting heading down the end of the season. I mean, this was collectively one of the best rush offenses Washington throughout the course of the year, top five rush offense if you take away the last three weeks all the unscripted crazy runs that jayden Is making. You'll see numbers that I think the team is not going to be overly happy with. So I wonder how you feel about this is three weeks in a row now, Saints, Falcons, Eagles,
Eagles are very good to run defense. The other two are not ranked like that, right, and Washington's still having trouble finding consistency in the run game.
Yeah, that was something I did a study on when when just prepping for that game, and I looked at I went back and looked at our games against the the Eagles, the the Saints. It was I looked at the game against the titles, we ran for over two hundred and sixty yards, and it was looked at Cowboy. I looked at like maybe about five or six games, seeing what we were doing well and what things weren't we doing it, and a lot of it. It wasn't just like one area where it's like, okay, you know,
running backs aren't aren't hitting the holes correctly. It was a combination of a lot of different things. We weren't winning at the point of attack consistently enough. There was some some mental errors that was taking place, like guys, you know, blocking the wrong guys or leaving on black guys.
There were a situation where we weren't getting to the second level enough to and we were leaving unblocked uh second level defenders, whether it was a linebacker or a safety, somebody coming in an a man box, and so there was a there was some some times we were quite frankly, we lost one on one matchups, one on one battles as well. So there was a lot of different things that that had, you know, been an issue with us not running the football as effectively as we needed to
run the ball I wanted. I haven't had a chance to go back and look at what we were able to do in the second half yet, I haven't had a chance to review. It was a late night man watching all of us. Yeah so, but without having reviewed it, but just remembering just first and I know, it looked more physical. It looked like we want a lot more
one on one battles. It looked like guys were I d IDA and the proper guy and who they're supposed to block with their especially whether it was your counters, your pools, different different plays where you're where you're getting the block of guys on the move. It looked a lot better looked a lot cleaner in the second half.
What they said going in Both Cliff Kingsbury and Dan Quinn mentioned this throughout the week with the run games. They wanted to see it get back, they believed, and they openly said that the offensive line and blocking, you know, everyone who's participating in it, that they were thinking too much. And their message was, if you're gonna make a mistake, do it fast, do it at full speed. I don't know if you saw that last night, because this is
where they were asking them. Stop over analyzing every play. If you mess up, you mess up, but do it with the ferocity that we're looking.
Speaking of ferocity, you mentioned the two runs that Chris had on that run. The series weight had to touch down the two plays we ran the bar. I believe that three straight run plays. You could tell it was almost like a seismic shift where you could feel the office on line gaining confidence in the rub blocking, their blowing the Falcons defensive front off the line of scrimmage.
They have their double team blocks and they're moving the defensive lineman for the Falcons out of the way, and you know, Chris is running over people and keeping his legs turning a two yard carry or one yard carry into a you know what should have been a one yard k into a four yard game. And you can see just the confidence building with the offensive line, especially in that second half as they ran that football.
The other thing I don't want to bring up offensively is one of the big stories all year was who's the number two receiver? That started from the get go right, we know Terry's the number one. Who's the number two? Do you have one? And in the middle of the and they said all along, it's two by committee. There's a lot of number twos. Don't put numbers on anybody. You'll see it'll all like people will step up in this role. Noah Brown became that, he became heavily targeted, utilized.
When he got hurt, it was drummed up again who's the number two receiver? And the last two weeks alameddes A Kias and Jamison Crowder have beyond filled that void. Zakias specifically not just with scoring plays, but last night became the favored target for Jaydon Daniels.
And then in first in the first series he had three catches, including a touchdown. So I'm like, oh man, this is a big This is a big day. And it wasn't just like the receptions. It was what he did after the catch, the the yards after contact, the
yards after reception. He had a jet sweep lad in the game where it was a bit I think it was a you know, second down conversion, third third down play where he converted and he ran with physicality, and DQ talked about in practice how o z raises the competition with his teammates and they seek how him and they they feed off that energy that oz Elaminade's a
Kias brings to the practice. And and when you think about this Brown, he's five eight, yeah, maybe two out know if he's two hundred, but he's uh to do what he did yesterday in that moment, in that stage and considering everything that was at on the line, My hat's off, hat off.
I think you know, he played for Quinn in Atlanta, so he knew him. Quinn's brought some of his ex Cowboys players here because he knew them. Adam Peters in rebuilding and reshaping this rosters relied on a lot of veterans. Guys have been there, done that one at a big level. Get the zach Ertz a little bit. Had a big night again, Bobby Wagner. It's had a big night, you know, big year for them, and they seem to this is very This feels very you know, for me, he was
like a historian of the team. Very Gibbsey. Where they want, they don't care what size, shape, they don't care. What they want to know is do you love the game? Do you play hard? It is football? And you what's your character? Like, what are you going to bring to work every day? And Zakias, everything everyone says about him is this guy loves the game, wants to be great, pushes hard every day. And here we are at the end of the season and people are going, who's that.
What's his name?
And here he is being exactly what they need at the right time.
Yeah, and I'll say this, and you know you probably I don't know if you thought about this or not. When you when you look at the injury reporting, you saw that, Okay, we had lost Norah Brown and Demi Brown was going to be out of this game with the hamster injury, and Terry was limited during Terry was limited. So you you you're looking and you're going to this game like, okay, where where's the productivity gonna come from.
What's it going to look like? And then you see the the first drive of the offense, and it's the LZ show. He made plays and like I said, I mentioned it finished the capped off that drive with a with a touchdown reception. Should have had another one on a questionable penalty against against Sam Cosmy that that would have put us up by two scores lay in that ball game. But you know, hey, they called that and took took that touchdown off the board. But he played phenomenal.
You mentioned crowd, and he made some plays and just just a big, big knight for those guys.
Yeah, it was all right. Let's get to the defense a little bit. You know, early again trouble stopping the run. Granted that is a premier running back and running game. This is you know, they played Derek Henry paid Sakon twice. They now played Jon Robinson. He is if he figures out how to hit home runs, he's going to become one of those other two. But he's got that kind
of ability. He was third in scrimmage arts coming into the game, and he was every bit as advertised early and once again, Washington the rush defense is something that they need to work on here.
It was and and going against Atlanta's offense and the scheme that they run, it's an extremely difficult scheme to defend because that outside zone rushing. And you know this is me kind of being a football geek. It's it's it's really they're just looking for somebody, anybody to get out of their gap. They're telling that. They're not telling that running back, hey you got to hit this through the A gap. You got to hit this to the B gap. You gotta they're telling him you this, It
could be anywhere. You're just trying to find somebody to end up out of their gap. For you to find that that crease the offensive linement. They get you running sideways so they can push you pass holes. And for a guy like him, with his great vision, his one cutting, he also runs with more power than his sides would kind of uh, you know dictates or or have you think he broke some tackles, but his vision, his ability to defind small creases, get out in and out of it.
And you mentioned the home runs or lack thereof, that's surprising to me. It's explosive as he is that he hasn't had a lot of kind of hall run type of I.
Think he's I think it's good. I think it's the next step for him. Yeah, because he's got incredible vision. It's really sliperyk and break tackles. The Saquon thing is two four four twenty five, and that he's going to get there, like you can. You could see it. He's gonna get there. I also get it with Michael Pennix now after seeing him in person, why they made the change. I will say this, like, it's a risky thing to do. We talked about it on the broadcast last night. To
put somebody in with no experience. I don't care where he was drafted at that point in the season, high leverage games.
You know, it's just a risky thing to do. I get it. I thought he was really good.
But the one thing they're not in sync with, and I'm not surprised about this is their deep passing game. It wasn't there, and so I think Washington was a little fortunate without Latimore on the back end and a couple of matchups. You weren't gonna love Kyle Pitts on really anybody, Drake London, you know, without Latimore out there, You're not gonna love these matchups. But they're not quite in sync yet on that deep passing game. And I think that was helpful for Washington.
And they didn't connect on definitely because there were a couple overthrows or inaccurate throws by by Pinnix that with more reps, he'll probably understand, you know, if I put a little bit more air on those balls. Timing with these players exactly, you know, balls were kind of a little bit flat. He missed, He missed John on a on a double move. He missed was in London or
maybe Cordell Patterson. He missed. He missed a couple of guys on some what they had a step or two on our defensive backs and fortunately for us, he missed. He missed some guys and had some inaccurate throws.
Second week in a row. Again, though premier running back, premier rush attack totally bobbled up first half. They couldn't they couldn't stop bijon second half. Granted, Atlanta didn't run a lot of plays because Washing actually controlled the ball, had the ball almost eight minutes on the first drive, and they had the ball for what thirteen of the
third quarter or something like that. So they really controlled the ball still, which one way to keep them on the sideline, but in general that running game wasn't there. So the adjustment defensively again, second week in a row, they did it the sac one. They did it to Bijon in the second half too.
Now a big, big one. And something I noticed in the second half was you saw Duran Payne move out to defensive end a little bit stouter body. They played Jalen Holmes a lot more, you know, uh, you know, stop stouter guys. You saw Allen and Newton in the in the ball game to wet set a lot harder edges. Earlier we were we were allowing them to get the get the edge and put a lot of pressure, and they they tried to force our tackles and safeties to be the be the the tacklers on on Beijohn and
he broke some tackles. But nice, nice adjustments. We talked to Bobby after the game and he talked about one of the things that the adjustments that they made was Joe Whitt Jr. Started calling a bunch of different fronts, gave him some different looks for the Falcons and that caused them some problems. And yeah, they didn't have a lot of time with the football. They have a lot of possessions. But we just looked better defending a run. You saw some negative artists plays, You saw some plays
where they were just making tackles. You know, after one yard games were in the first half, those were seven and eight yard games.
Before we get to the championship belt. I want to ask you one big picture question. Yes, like this locker room, they got it whatever it is, right, I mean, look how they're playing together at this point in the season. You don't win all these games like this by accident. And it's not one guy. I mean, Jaden's a big
part of it. It's not one guy, it's all of them. Like, look how the defense has shifted in the second half of games that were getting away from them against playoff teams Atlanta and Philadelphia comeback win defense completely different in the second half from the team in the first half. Right, what was your favorite locker room to play in? Oh man, that's the one that it must have felt like this.
I'll say this, the ninety nine Rams that won the Super Bowl. We won the Super Bowl. We had for as many great players on that team, and we had some of the top two three players in the league at their position, and it was a young team. And then when we were you know, worst team in the league in ninety eight, one of the worst teams in the league, and then and I won the Super Bowl.
But that was a fun locker room. We enjoyed being around each other when the day, when the work day was over, We didn't all just scatter our several ways and head home. We spent time in the building together. We spent time outside the building together. And even to
this day, I'm on group text with those guys. It's about, you know, twenty five of us still on a group text, and we you know, are constantly, you know, texting with each other talking about you know, different things that may happen or may have happened with it's games, or different accomplishment that you know, our family members have had, or something that just ignite that conversation. And now that was that was special time, special special place, special locker room.
I mean, this one feels like, no matter how this season ends, that we have one of those. It just feels that way. And I'm not let the players speak for that. But Dan Quinch talked about this a lot, where every time it's what he sees how people are interacting outside of the game, when they're not forced to
practice or whatever it is. There's something that's just clicked here and it's just carried over in a way that they won't quit and it's manifested on the field in a way that is just truly remarkable to watch.
Well, here's here's the So let's take you and I for example. So we you and I. We do our broadcast every week, and I think we do a damn great job. Great. So, but if we didn't spend time you and I, we we like to go have an adult beverage, gether a cigar and all that. So we spend time together off, you know, outside of the booth, and so we're able to develop a chemistry we're able to develop, you know. And and Logan he doesn't partake into the other stuff with us, but he has a
chemistry with us, and that plays off. It plays huge dividends. And especially calling winter time moments or tough situations where I know what this guy is gonna do. I can trust him, he can play off of me. There's a like a an ad lib that can take place because we spend time together. I know how you think we've developed this chemistry. And that's what happens on the best football teams where you spend so much time together outside of just hey in the meeting room, on the practice field,
to where like, man, I trust this guy. I know he's gonna cover me if I if I make a certain move or do these things. And that's that's what you need. That's what that's what the best teams, that's what they have.
And and just for everyone who's always worried that you're gonna push me out of the booth in big moments, he's not.
See, he's not gonna get you a little. I'm not going puss hard. I mean it's one like, it's not I'm telling you that the jet that's.
The reaction I got on the Hail Mary and the one against Philadelphia where you it looked like you were gonna throw me out of the boots.
I can't help myself. Man, It's just I told you got to get your weight up.
No, I'm tougher than I look, I'm not actually gonna fall. Don't judge a book by its cover.
But the poise that you exhibit why I'm pushing you, You're still able to make your call. That's the skill.
Well, here's the weirdest part of it. When I see these videos, especially in those moments, I don't remember that. I don't remember you pushing me. Really, No, I have no memory of it. I'm so locked in the zone. No, I don't remember any of them.
Yeah, you black out.
I do out of body experiences. We had that with this team.
It's top of the belt.
There's a big London's Heavyweight Championship Commander belt, be raiding champion, two time champion.
It is Jaden Daniels.
Yeah, it's gonna be tough to knock him off, but we'll see the contender this week is who you.
Know, it's a This one was not as tough because when I looked at guys who made well, I'll say it was two other guys that I considered to challenge Jaden for the big fletch Heavyweight Commanders Championship belt, and they were both other officer guys. One was Eliminade's a kiss he had the big big game was eight catches, he had touchdown, had a really nice game. Makes some made some made some great plays. And then the second
guy that I considered was zach Ertz. Zach Ertz had a heck of a football game, obviously, and they had caught the game winning touchdown.
Six for seventy two, two touchdowns.
Game winning touchdown, yeah, two six reception seventy two yards, two touchdowns, both one of them. The first touchdown I was on the fourth down play, or maybe it was a third down play. He also, how about this for a day for zach Ertz. In his contract, he has some incentives for six plus touchdowns touchdown receptions. He had a two hundred and fifty thousand dollars bonus that kicks in.
For sixty plus receptions, another two hundred and fifty thousand dollar bonus that kicks in, and for six hundred plus receiving yards, there's another two hundred and fifty thousand dollars bonus that kicks in. Guess what happened on that final touchdown reception that zach Ertz had caught all of it, all of it, he hit to try efecto. He went.
That catch not only won us to Gay, but he pocketed three quarters of a million dollars seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, and that, my friend, is why he got the challenge Jayden Daniels for the belt.
Philip Butt is coming here now.
Listen. I haven't gave you Jayden's numbers twenty four for thirty six seven yards passing the three TV's in the one interception. But see he also added sixteen carries for one hundred and twenty seven yards and all the different things. He brought the electricity man to beat the chap. To beat the chap, you got to beat the chap, and Zach, he put up a good fight. It was a good battle. But it's gonna be hard to give it up to the belt when you put up the numbers that Jayden did.
I told you, man. And still Big Fletcher's Heavyweight Championship Commander's Belt, Jaden Daiels. The champion is Jayden Dais.
Repeat three in a row with Logan last week, and I gave it to Jaden too.
I mean, what are you gonna do? Right?
All right? So congratulations Jayden. Well deserved something else. I want to mention, I didn't realize this happened. If I had known this happened, I would have brought him over to our postgame show. You Jeremy Reeves got engaged on the field last night.
Yeah, I saw that how the game ended. No one told me.
If they told me, we would have had him come on with him and his new bride to be this.
You got to you gotta plan this out because you know your your family. This is not a situation now super Bowl, you win the game, and yeah, your family will come on the field with you. But after a regular season game, it's not normal for your family members to come on the field and you know, celebrate with you. So he had to plan it out. He had to
have somebody bring her down on the field. Now it was you know, the fact that she probably didn't suspect anything because hey, we clinched the playoffs, so maybe he wanted to celebrate with her for clinching the playoffs. But somebody had to have the ring. I don't know who had the ring for him. So there was some planning that took place that uh that had an execution that
had to take place. And when I saw that, I was like, man, this is a this is a moment that you know, it's it's a He has video footage of his engagement, so here's all.
I want to ask him if Riley Patterson makes that field goal, he's still doing no, no, heck no, it's off you doing it.
You might do it New Year's Eve. Maybe he does it New Year's Eve that was playing.
I'm gonna find out was that. Was there a plan B if the team lost.
You doing I think I think it would He probably would have did it New Year's Eve? Yeah, because you don't you don't propose at their loss like that. Hey, but he probably he he know what he may have said there was no plan B because I expected us to win. That's an easy thing to say. Sure. I like the video too.
She was practice like crowdsurfing and then they like had to like yanker over over the wall to get her onto the field. So I congratulations Jeremy on your engagement.
That's really cool.
And you know what, like of all people on this team who's kind of been through everything here, I actually think it's so apropos He did it on the field there, yeah, because that place means something to him, like I for all like especially like last night we had Tressway on Jeremy Reeve, John Allen coming back, Terry McLaurin Doron Payne,
b Rob. I know I'm missing some others, but especially the longtimers who to circle really back to the beginning, Like I think they feel this too, and it probably resonates with them kind of like the way it does with the fans. Maybe a little differently because you're the ones putting your bodies on the line of the uniform. But they know, like they know what we've been waiting for.
And I'm sure for them to see that stadium like that last night and to win again that way last night, I can only imagine how they're feeling tonight.
When you've gone through at Versity, you've gone through years of just tough times, tough seasons, and in Santana myself, you know, Frezmu Shawn Springs, and you know, we're we're a part of just being around it and having gone through some tough times. And you know, for the fans who've been with this team, you've been a fan of your whole life, and just to see this season you know transpired away as transpire, man, it makes you proud to be a Washington Commander's fan.
And it has to end with a win against Dallas. I mean, like there's kind of no other way, So I honestly don't care six or seven seed because I'm with Q on this. We'll play anybody anywhere. I'd prefer a trip to l A. If I'm being honest, over Philadelphia because I like the sun in the middle of in the middle of January and the other thing I like about it too, especially if it happens we talk
about next week. I think our fans are gonna overrun so far if we end up actually playing there, I'm not gonna be able to get the tickets to get into Philadelphia, but it would. But I'm excited about either one. But I do know that no seasons complete without a win over Dallas. So let's see if we can get one.
This Oh yeah, you want to? You wanna put a cap on the regular season with a victory in Big D.
All right, I'll see you down in Big D and we'll see you next week on the Booth Review