London, Santana, and Fred recap the Commanders win over New York. Then, the crew shares their favorite memories against the Eagles. Plus, the crew previews this Week 16 matchup against Washington and Philadelphia. And then, tight end John Bates joins the show.
The views and opinions expressed by our podcast guests and/or hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Washington Commanders or any of their representatives.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome into the players Club. We are your hosts. I'm
loveing to Fletch aka Big Fletch. We got sat Tia
Moss aka Cowboy Killer aka eight to the Nine, and
we got my best friend. Yeah, you know it's the
holiday season when I refer to Fred as my best friend.
(00:27):
With that being said, Tea Fred telling people what they
can expect from this week's episode.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
You know, we're gonna get into this matchup man, this
week with these Eagles, these birds that we don't like.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Listen, man, bleach your creatures.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
This is what I call it fan base that fan
based bleacher creatures.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
And also, man, we're gonna talk to our guy, I
tight end, John Bates.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
It's time to get this show started. And fellas, it's
been a long time man. We're about to start off
with something that I forgot we even had part of.
It's been on holidays.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
It's been months since we had to do this and
we're about to do We're about to do it.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Dubs on the wind. Dude, what do you do with
dubs of the week when you get a dub? And
like you said, Fred, seventy days, man, there have been
seventy long time one.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
It's a long time.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
You say Halloween, Thanksgiving was coming up on Christmas. But
you know what, though, we got to win, man Fred.
I'm gonna start off with you. Who gets your dub
of the week.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
My dub, butther week goes to Antonio Hamilton.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
He went down his wife, graduated college, and comes back
and he plays.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Listen, I've been waiting for somebody to just reach out
and touch wires. And I watched him just hand battle,
play out to play out to play out to play,
and then we come down to the second to the
last player of the game and gets who making the play?
It's Hamilton. I'm gonna give you your jest due. I
don't care if you're thirty two. Your play like it
was twenty two. So this is what I'm won't say
(02:00):
about you, Hamilton. Great job, job like that. That's a
double the week.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
And it's crazy because the guy who I'm going to
get my double of the week it's Jayden Lane. And
if you look at that point return, the last man
running with him was Hamleton.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
So this guy was one of those guys that day. Man,
he was on win.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But I got to get my double the week to
Jay Lane. Man, I've been saying for the last few weeks.
In order for us to get back into the winning column,
you know, we had to just do some things that
we haven't been doing. Offensively, you know, we're paid to
score a touchdown, so that's to me, that's the obvious
thing to do with offense. But defensively, you know, we
had to kind of you know, pick our game up
a notch, get some turnover, make some turnovers, probably try
(02:40):
to score and special teams.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
To me, I think that's huge.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
When you can score on special teams, especially in that
return game, that gives you a greater chance to win.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Chang changes game.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
So when you look at that game, we won the game,
what twenty nine twenty one, Right, if we didn't score,
we still withd have won. But still that score, that
score changed the momentum of the game in the first half.
So I think that was huge for Lane. I think
that was huge for a team as a whole. And
that's what you need right now going to these late
games this year. Man, you got to be special on
(03:11):
special teams, and he did just that.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
To two great guys, great doves of the week for
you guys. With them picking those two, I'm gonna go
to my double week, I'm gonna give it to Bill
Dollar Bill, Bill Crosskey Marrit had eighteen carries ninety six
yards in the touchdown.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
I wanted to see him go one hundred.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
I wanted to get up to get over one hundred
yards rush and that would have been great. But just
in that game, man, when you look at he loves
playing against the Giants' first game of the season open
the game of the season, he went ten carries for
eighty two yards, had a touchdown against them, and then
come back this game. It's something about the way he
(03:51):
ran against the Giants. This time he ran. You know,
you got the electricity, the ability to jump in and
our great vis and stuff like that, but he ran
with more power than that.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
This was a beat and see yet that's what he did.
It wasn't outside he was.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
He was. He was very decisive downhill downhill, hitting holes
and running with great physicality. So I'm gonna get, yeah,
get my double the week to Dollar Bill.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Matt's huge too, And I also felt like Bill took
that he was he was offended a little bit going
into that game. Felt like, you know, I don't have
nothing against these other backs. But when Rodriguez go down,
I should get.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
The nod to be starting again.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
And when I didn't see him start.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
I was like, well, you know what, this guy who
starting the game, he deserves it too, because Nicholas has
been running the ball, you know, with that same kind
of passion. So I thought when I saw Bill getting there,
I saw a different kind of running style, you know,
I mean ran he did put on the ground, but
when he put them on the ground, that button got touched.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
He has a different electricity than I'm sorry, he sees
it too.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
He got he got vision like like like no other man.
All right, yeah, that's a good one. All right, fellas,
it's time to get into this weekend's matchup on this
edition of fast Lane. Fast Lane presented by Eastern Automotive Group,
Any car, any way for everyone. Since nineteen eighty eight, Feilas,
we got Marrioda man, he got the gnad for the
(05:16):
rest of the year, since we shutting down.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
You know, Jaden J five.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What you want to see from our offense man, for
us to jump on the head of these these birds man,
these eagles, man to make them not get off the
ground offensively trench warfare.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I want to see the fat boys go to war
where they've been, where the Eagle's been beating us set
for the last couple of years. Officive line, defensive line, right,
that has changed the game. The question is campaign and
the rest of these guys play on the other side
of the ball. Can our offensive line Lara me Tonshaw condently,
can they move these boys? You got Brandon Graham over there,
(05:55):
you got different type guys. I want to see. Can
we move these guys off the spot? There's a big question.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I think that's gonna be paramount. Anytime you're dealing with
a team like Philadelphia and you got in a defense
like Big Fangio aggressive, Well, not only that, a lot
of times he's gonna play that cover to that two
shell cover for and have his four man front try
to stop the run. Can we run the football effectively
(06:21):
against that formt rush? You look at the Eagles, man,
they've had all kinds of struggles this year. Not the
same type of team, not the same defense that they
were a year ago. And I was doing a little research, man,
I looked at Philly just from a let's look at
just from a rush defense standpoint this year in between
last year, last year, they were only giving up one
(06:41):
hundred and four yards rushing per game, and they were
tenthing in the league stopping the run. This year they
given up one hundred and twenty six yards rushing per
game twenty second. Yeah, that's a big difference. That's a
big jump, big big jump and just being able to
stop the run, and they quite frankly have. Now there's
been some teams like the Chicago win in there ran
(07:04):
for almost three hundred yards. What they do there with Chicago?
Do they running the ball? They went in there and
ran the ball. In Philadelphia ran the ball all of them. So,
you know, you talk about what do I want to
see for them his offense, I want to see another
commitment to running the football football. Don't ask Marcus to
have to. You can't have him dropping back so one
of the thirty plus times against his defense, because if
(07:25):
you do that, they're gonna they will in accept the
ball in the turn, they'll turn the ball over. But
let's let's let's have a great commitment to run the football.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, what are some of the things that because you know,
speaking of running them football, I mean that's you know,
and and I think folks finding are anytime they hear
a receiver, you know, saying that, Hey, I'm all about that,
because I understand. I look, I grew up in those
kind of systems. You know, you can chool from the
high school to call at um they were, We ran
that same style. We're gonna run the ball first and
second down, third down, y'all boys get busy. So with
(07:55):
that being said, if we do have that mindset that
we took into the New York up last week, we're
running the ball first and then finding those guys on
the outside, what do you think terry them will be
able to do with this this secondary Because I know
one guy that stands out till He's a Florida boy,
so he plays sticky. He's one of those guys that
love y'all love any matchup. But I want to know, j'all,
(08:15):
if Queen.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Jum Mitchell could catch the ball, he'll have ten.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Like that's how good this kid is.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Sticky, coverage, fast, quick out of his cuts, and he
want them guys like I always judge a ConA on
how you play comebacks, Like that's that one route that
when when wide receivers sell out and say I'm finna
go deep, then they stop come back if you can
stop that route. They tell me you a genuine cornerback
in this league, and Queen Young Mitchell is that dude.
(08:41):
The question is how can we play action off of
everything we do with the run. Can't that separate us
and give us a chance to make play, especially with
Mariota in there?
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Yeah? Yeah, and you talk about Queen Yon, I don't
think the Jahn Yeah, I don't think he gets enough. No,
he he is.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
The third corner is the people where people been attacking him.
When he moves in, they go to the third corner
and they attack the third outside corner.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah, so that that second dary back. Then I don't
know if there's safety play, it's as good as it
has been in the past. You know, if we can
try to get we can attack them, to attack them
in the second get up to the safe safeties. But
I think it's all gonna start if we have the
ability to run the football effectively. Now you mentioned the
(09:29):
play action pass. Can we get some shots down the
field If you can't, If you can't run that ball
effectively against fan, y'all, he's gonna sit back and play
that cover for and they're gonna basically be doubling those
outside guys just waiting, especially if you if you don't
have it's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Very important that either being sent it.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
John Bates, we gotta have some prisons in the middle
of the middle of the If you ain't got no
president in the middle of.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
The field, we can't work the outside like if we
get some prisions in the middle of the field.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
And one thing I think when they talk about their
their run defense, Jalen Carter has been in and out
of the you know.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
He even playing this week. He had surgery last week.
He had the surgery hit his surges on the shoulder
last week.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
So he's been so in and out of it.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
So it's just been Jordan Davis in the middle of
the defense. So that's what we need to attack. That's
what we did good great against your New York Giants.
We ran the A and A B gaffing. We said,
take this, well.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
You mentioned attacking the middle of the field, I think
you gotta You you mentioned center and baseball, I thought
you also got to include Depot in them. He wins
a lot on those in breaking rocks as well. He's
another guy that can attack the middle of this Eagles defense.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That was something that I saw against the Giants that
I saw. You know, we tried to kind of I'm
not saying feature him, but when you start early in
that game, how they played the coverage towards seventeen. Yeah,
we was trying to get that ball to one a lot.
Yeah one of them, I think one or two of
them you missed. So that's gonna be huge for us
if he can be a presence, you know, and take
(11:03):
over for zach Ertz. You know, he can be that slab,
be that tween, or be that guy that can play
like that slot position where he's taking some of those
routes and then still allow him being and base to
be you know, true tight ends in this offense. Or
speaking of you know, running the game, you know our
run game and trying to get get our run game established.
What do you think about those guys on the other side,
(11:23):
their offense been up and down or hey, when you
got a guy like Sa Kwan, any game, he can
break out, and you saw what he did to us
in that NFC Championship game. You saw what he's been
doing this year has been you know, hit a miss
sometime with him running the ball. How do we bottle
him up and not get that run game started and.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Start with Their offensive line has been their catalysts.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Like do you take Lance.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Out of that offensive line and it's a different offensive line.
You look at when Lance is out compared to when
he's not. I think they're like eight and sixteen. When
he mixes a game like he is, he changing, he
changes everything about them.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Now.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
The thing about it is with that offensive coordinator, they've
been predictable on first down. They've been a run on
first down team, and they've been having to deal with
that later in the down they forced to pass the ball.
The question is can we make them play behind first down?
Like if they get for yours on first down, they're
gonna be hard to stop. If we can make them
play a long down and distance on first and second
(12:23):
and third down, we got a chance to do it.
Because I'm sorry, it's something wrong with the connection between A. J.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Brown and Jalen Herd.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
These used to be best friends in college, and now
they don't like they even look and talk to each other. Like,
if I'm a corner out there, I'm finna be so vindictive.
I'm gonna use my mouth to fracture them. And I
hope it's one corner out there. I don't know if
it's Mikey, I don't know who it is. Make sure
you interject yourself into this relation.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Well, I say that the play calling from a defensive
play calling standpoint. See if you can frustrate a Brown
frustrated with with the play the offensive play call here,
he's not getting the ball. We're doubling him, doing different things,
playing high on him. Yeah, making making hurts. Have to
go somewhere else with the football. And you're a receiver.
(13:15):
Eventually that man gets missed off by not getting out.
That's one thing.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
But how's this guy able to be so effective? Because
I you know, they receive a cord in their tight
end and some of the best in the league. You
got Smith, you got Brown, you got God. You know
AJ can't run to me. When I'm watching him, I'm like,
I'm almost like here, but.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
He just gets open.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
So strong man, what do you have to do defensively
to stop a guy who don't run. He's not a
fast runner, he's not a guy that's stretching the field,
but he still finds.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
He might be faster than we really really guys and
Cuombo think about still was fasting the A J. Brown
I watched. I watched bro.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
The way he takes his steps and the way he
Quan was a.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Quicker type of big guy.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Aj ain't no quickness coming out of him, but he
beating you up with his head and he putting that foot.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
In the ground on something like a one ball awareness.
He can find that ball no matter where it is.
He got strong hands. And when you go up to Jaim,
you playing into his real wheel. Now I'm finna wrestle you.
I'm finna throw you off of and do this like
the subtleties like this, shoulder into you, this or that.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
He Keenan McCardell. You remember Keeny McCarty. He was your coach,
right and I played against Keeny McCardell. I played with
Keny McCardell.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Not fast, never fast, But boy did he have these
subtleties and the nuance of the position. He understood how
to get separation when he couldn't get separation.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
And this is what A J.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Brown has. He understands the small part. What are you
smiling about?
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I think about Kenny used to rot your ass l
the year well during when Keeny was with us. He wasn't.
He used to do a lot of the Scout team offense,
so he's servicing the defense. Keeny used to give them boys.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
He was slow.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Ken didn't come about that boy with ten for too hot.
He was Keny was. He was my locker bank. And
after practice, I'll be talking to you, man. He was slow,
like the boys can't.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
It was the art of receivings.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
He understood that. The craziest part, I'm thinking, why the
hell he ain't playing in the offense. Why don't they
put this dude in because he was working, y'all, boy man,
because he knew how to win every So that's basically
how you're saying, like something, that's what a J. Brown brains.
So that you know what.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
I'm watching them because I like to compare, and I'm all,
I've always been this guy because I'm a guy that
was considered the guy to stretch the field. So when
I watch offenses, I always try to look for my
college kind of style offense that we had. We had
Shoki in the middle, we had Regi on the outside,
you had me and I look at these boys as
that kind of offense you got, we got, you got
a J.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Brown. That's Reggie run precision round. You got hands, you.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Got Devonte Smill who's to fit out me. Then you
got Shocky that's god Her, you know what I mean.
Like he can move the change in the inside. He's
one of those guys. So when I look at them,
I feel like they all complimented, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
That's the key, that's the key. I got a big
bruiser on the outside. I got a speech on the outside.
I got a tight end that can do anything I
asked him to do. That changes your offense right there.
I'm telling you the weakness of the window.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
They have these spots where this thing like they just can't.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Jay hurs because Jayalen Hurst would throw the ball late.
That's his thing.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Hold on to it like he wants you to be
wide open before he throws the ball, and that causes
him to throw the ball late. And everybody hates on
that DVA AJ Brown. But AJ Brown is not lying.
It's Jalen Hurst installed in this offense.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Let's talk about that. We got to talk about the
run game, particularly Ku Bark the Eagle. I know you
mentioned Lane not being there, so they they their rushing
offense it's not as effective as it was a year
ago either. Again, my great researcher me not real. Last
year the Eagles were as a rushing offense, they were
(17:25):
the number two rushing office in the National Football League,
average almost a yards. Think it was a little Baltimore
bo Yeah with Lamar and Henry. Yeah, they average almost
one hundred and eighty yards rushing per game. This year, man,
they are nineteenth. They averaging one hundred and fifteen yards
rushing per game. Wow do yeah? We against us man
(17:48):
in his career, twelve player, twelve games including the playoffs.
Just what this what Barkley has done against us Savage
fifteen touchdowns, eleven rushing, four receiving, averaging about a hot
of yards rushing per game, five point six yards per
care So we gotta be a we gotta bottle him up.
We gotta bottle him up.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
That's that's making wonder.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Man. They're in that defensive meeting room and they presented
you talking about the rush, the passing game and all that,
and her struggling and him and aj not being on
same pace. But you have to stop, say Kwan, Barker.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
You got to And he feels good running in Northwest
State like he with the Giants with Philadelphia. We just
haven't bottled him up. He has been our nemesis since
he got in the league. And the thing about it
is his explosiveness. And he understood, like this officer line,
I ain't gonna lie when he breaks these long runs.
(18:43):
They are clean long runs, meaning nobody's touching him. And
we have to put a man in the box and
make them one dimension and make them throw the ball.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
You know, you know they call me intellectual flesh.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
I did not know that there's nothing intellectual man in.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
It.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
You literally Google, throw standard, your A I and your phone.
You did nothing to help us get to this board.
It ain't like you remembered it like this dude right here,
listen to me. Tell me this dude right here, give
yourself so many You shouldn't give yourself no problem.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
You carry all right? Man, let's uh, y'all want to
get let's get into some memories about the Eagles. Let's go,
let's go. We've all had our sheriff games, fair share
games against the Eagles. Man, do you remember the Monday
night football game against the Egles?
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Not ea talking about the one when Deshaun and went
deep on us and Landry was no.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
This this this the next year. Okay, but that was
Monday night, though, wasn't it?
Speaker 4 (19:43):
But that was next year.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
It was in twenty ten when it happened, So I
couldn't have been on to ten. You want here they
cut you? No, I didn't play in that game.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Oh you was a I was retired, feeling good watching
y'all get beat to death.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
I get seeing that, I see Jackson, I.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
See run land and getting beaten.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
You know what I said, I'm river, they need me.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
He said, you said, I said, they cut you. All right.
Let's look at our stats though against these uh coristass
against Eagles, Fred, you played against the Egles thirteen times,
had two interceptions, seventh passes defense.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
No touchdowns giving yo, y'all have never gave up a
touchdown against the fill up deafield.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Me. We don't know that for certain, but you had
to intercept your lines interception against It was in two
thousand and three. You played another what five six seasons
against him?
Speaker 3 (20:49):
I played Andy so much. Andy Reed did not bother me.
He knew to leave me alone. He is not the
dude to mess week. I'm gonna throw it fat blue
foot beating him. He knew not to mess with this respect.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
So Tatler, you played the night I actually played them
twenty because I played as a Jets, so this is
as a Red Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Alright, so you had sixty receptions, yeah, eight and twenty
one yards. Yeah, four tds forty three yards per game? Yeah,
I had.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I had about five because I played, I scored on
him as a Jet. Probably had like nine hundred yards total,
which is it's still good. But I was going to
say one of the things about them. I don't even
recall having four tds as a redskin against him. I
remember three of them. I remember two in one year
that was twenty twelve. I had two that year. I
had one at home, one away, and then I remember
another one.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
To tap toe tapping in twenty twelve. Twenty twelve. Yeah,
the tot tap was in twenty twelve. Was that Philly?
That was Philly that won the game.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Also, I remember one running the now route from the
slot in two thousand and ten. And I don't remember
the fourth one. When did I do the When When
was the other one? But anyway, I hated playing them.
I feel like I never could get going with them
like you only got like.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Four or five. I always have.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
They always have a paragod I feel like, I feel
like I played well and spurts against them, like it'll
be a game. I have a breakout game here and
then the next game you don't hear nothing from me
with it, like, but they just I never never kind
of one game. I remember I was rolling that year.
That's the year I had a thousand yard. I think
I had eleven hundred yards this year just I had
just played the Cowboys in in in Jerry's world, went
(22:35):
for like one fifty.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Next week we got zooing. We go to Philly, I don't.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Catch a passs and he give me the game ball,
talking about for what for?
Speaker 1 (22:43):
I want to get ten of the game ball because
he played. I'm like, you don't get.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
That gamepation, thank you for coming with me, joke going
to my game ball because ten And they and go
out there and I say, see this is what happened
when you be nice and you try to play within
the confinements of the off. But I'm going out. I
just went with one fifty and this week you don't
give me the ball.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Well, London played the Philadelphia Eagles seventy two times. And
guess what he only had one hundred and forty two
town because six tackles for the loss.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
One pig herold three seconds.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
This dude played them for two decades. This dude listen
first of all, man, I played them eighteen times, and
that if you look at that, that's putting in work.
And what I don't but I don't see, is how
many passes defense. So if Maddie or Kaylor, if they're
able to get how many passes defenses that I had
(23:42):
to get.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
One and a half.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
And you better home, you better hope I did not
have more passes defense? Did I guess the Eagles didn't?
How many did you did I shoot against the Eagles?
Then I just tell you they didn't throw at me.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
If you watch any Phil that you feel I have
never gave up a touchdown in the link, I have
never gave up a touchdown, and financial I have never
gave up a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Against the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
I'm one of the few callers that went a full
year in the NFL without giving up a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
We played cover two all the time. We did, of course, you.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
Know we was a man.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
A man covered time now.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
I'm remember talking to Donovan and he was like, you
know what, I can't wait to face Fletch a time,
my face, Flitch, I give him the business boy, And.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I was like, you and wrench Brook need to be quiet.
Like I've been putting there. I'm putting the work for
Philly back and I was in saft Lois. I got
an NFC Championship off Philadela. You better check my record. Listen, man,
don't nobody watch that old TV though. All right, man,
it's it's always great to go back down memory playing man.
(24:57):
After this, after this break, we gonna have our John
bas Joe check in. You never check out NFL fans.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
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(25:33):
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Speaker 1 (25:49):
Slash Commanders. Welcome back to the Players Club. As promised,
we got a special guest, we might say, the most
dominant blocking tight end in the national one of my favorites,
John Bass. John Man, We appreciate you joining us.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Yeah, Man, thanks for having me in here. It's cool
to sit down and chop it up with you guys.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Yeah right, we all go back to this offseason. Man,
you were free agent. Team said, you know what, we
cannot let him get out the building. Team you got paid.
How to feel man, knowing that the team value what
you what you bring to the table, and it was like, no,
(26:34):
we got we gotta resign you. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 6 (26:36):
It was a really cool opportunity for me, you know,
with the whole coaching staff change and everything. It was
kind of last year going to my rookie contract and
obviously like I had something to pay for or play
for in terms of you know, trying to get a
new contract.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
And stuff too.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
But it was also I think really humbling for me
in the sense that, like I had a whole new
group of guys that didn't know who I was and
what I was about. And so it almost kind of
like brought me back to like a rookie mentality of
I got to come in here and I got to
prove myself all over again because none of these guys
know anything about me. I'm brand new essentially to them,
and I got to, you know, show them my worth.
(27:13):
And so it was a super homeling experience for me.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Man.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
And you know, this is the place I wanted to
be throughout the whole process. I want to try to
leave a legacy here and be one of those guys
that can stick around for a long time around this place.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
So with that being said, I remember sitting down with you.
I'm not sure what training camp it was, but we
was out there underneath the tent, and so I'm I'm
glad he brought up the whole process about the off season,
you getting signed and you know, being able to come
back here. But how has the journey been? Because I
remember talking to you and you were just saying you
straight up with us. I was like, man, I'm just
(27:46):
trying to find my way. I'm trying to find my
way that you know, what can I do for this
team at this position? How has that been for you?
Speaker 6 (27:53):
Right, It's been a really cool process for me, just
because like kind of came in and as a rookie,
I had Logan Tom and then Ricky Seals Jones was here,
and so I was just a rookie trying to make
the team essentially right and do whatever I could to
find a way on the field, whether it was special
teams or blocking or whatever. And you know, just after
a lot of hard work, and I think consistency has
been the biggest thing for me, just being able to
(28:14):
show up every single day, be consistent off and on
the field, and just show that I can be a
reliable guy that you know, I can go out there
and do my job at a high level and get
it done. And then when I also get my opportunities
you know in the past game that you know I'm
a person that can be relied on. And so, you know,
it's been a lot of hard work and just keeping
my head down and that's kind of the mindset of've
you know, even to this day, having to do contract
(28:38):
and stuff. It's all funny games, but at the end
of the day you still have to go out and
prove your word every day.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
And so.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
You know, my mindset is someone's always trying to take
your job, and the second age comfortable in the NFL is.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
The day that your career starts to end.
Speaker 6 (28:54):
So I've just kind of always taken like a progressive
mindset and just trying to every single year like what
can I get better at? How can I improve here?
And just try to be like the most you know,
well rounded tight end I could be.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I got to ask you this, I'm not as serious
as these two crooks over here.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
I checked this out at your jobs, your.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Job, take it.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Feel me out, buck, I kicked this out, Joe. I
gave you a nickname. Have you ever had a nickname?
Speaker 1 (29:24):
A little bit?
Speaker 6 (29:24):
I've had one around this building.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Now, what's the nickname around the building.
Speaker 6 (29:28):
I don't call myself, but they call me the Boogeyman.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
So I like the good what you got.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
I want you to compare it and rate it to
my nickname that I gave you. I gave you the
nickname Bates Motel. It's where people check in and never
check out.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Rate it from one to ten and tell me how
you feel it's got a ring to it. Man, I
probably six seven. It's good.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
I like, I like.
Speaker 6 (29:56):
To What's crazy though, is I really didn't even try.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
To do that right there.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
That actually just came out not where to God. No,
that's a cool one though. I don't know something about.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
But tell them why you gave him that nickname.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Because when you're blocking people, when you engage them, I
never see them again. And when people checked in, I
don't know if you know about you know, the murder
case of Bates Motea, people would check in and you
able to see.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Them ever again. Actually a good movie.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
And you know what, you got robbed two weeks ago
in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
You pancake like they don't they changed. You can't pancake
no more. Yeah, they got to take him down.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
Point that they the defensive guys. The guys are starting
to figure out, man.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Like this with the crazy part about it.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
You did it and in the same game they did
it to us with Louvu and they don't throw the flag.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
It's just like one of those crazy things.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
I think.
Speaker 6 (30:58):
Defensive guys, the coaches too, are really starting to figure out,
Like the way the referees are looking at these like
type of holding calls is like first they're looking to
see if they see any sort of color and then
obviously restrictions.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
So I mean they might not even.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
See like the engagement of the two players, but as
soon as they see a hand go up or something
going out, I mean they're gonna.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
They're gonna call it.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
It was first of all, when you're known for doing
that and it was a flawless block, they got to
give you credit for what you're known for. Like they
those refs know when they go in the game London
Fletcher bring pain.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
He's bringing that thunder.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
This guy he's a speech that he's running this guy here.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
He's gonna be he frisk, move on ho. I'm just
trying to play none of that exactly. Going back to
that name that that base moteil is too long base.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
That's the only downside.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
It's two words too long, the base moteil, boogiey man
the same thing, crapouty I want to use. I like
them both.
Speaker 6 (32:02):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Let's talk about the got opportunity to play last couple
of seasons. Zach Ertz Man hate that he had that.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
It's terrible.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
What's it like being being around Zach and learning, being
able to learn from one of the best tight ends
in NFL history, and and just being around him and
how how is that that tight end room in general,
you got a couple of young guys as well, then yourself,
you kind of the mid middle guy in that room
in terms of years in the league, and then you
got the older guy and uh, Zach. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
No, It's been like probably one of the greatest opportunities
in my life, just because you know, he's a guy
that as a young tight end you grow up watching
and just trying to model your game after because of
how dominant he is in the past game and just
as a football player in general. I mean, he can
do it all when he needs to. And so, you know,
the the coolest part about having Zach in our room was,
especially younger guys, is he really modeled what a pros
(32:56):
pro looked like, from his routine to his eating habits,
the way he took care of his body, the way
he approached practice day in and day out, and just
the way he treated people with respecting the building too.
And so you know, I give him a lot of
credit for you know, just the entire room and what
he's been able to bring to this team from leadership
standpoint in our room. And you know, the things that
(33:18):
I've learned from him in just terms of being a
prose are things that you know, I'll take through the
rest of my career.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Year five, did you think it was gonna come this fast?
And oh and two, what is your process? What is
your thought process like just going forward? Like I know
as a player, I never counted the years. I care
less about counting, but I just knew I wanted to
always be prepared for the good and the bad of
what's to come. How is your thought process going forward?
(33:44):
Just knowing that, man, this thing, I blink my eye,
I'm already year five.
Speaker 6 (33:47):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's kind of a crazy thing
when you sit back and just like how has five
years gone by so fast? And I mean now that
you know, I've moved out here, married, now, I got
two kids, and so it's like things or even moving.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Way faster than before.
Speaker 6 (34:02):
And so I really just try to stay present. I
don't try to get too far ahead of myself. And
from a football aspect, kind of like going back to
what I said, there's just going into the offseason kind
of just like a lot of self reflection and what
I felt like I did good and what I felt like,
you know, areas I can improve on. It kind of
make that my emphasis. I just want to always keep improving.
(34:25):
I never I mean, I know that there's a cap
in a limit for every single player, but you know,
I feel like that there's a lot of untapped potential
in me, even still five years in, and I just
want to be able to keep you know, it doesn't
have to be fast progression, but if I can just
keep climbing the year after year and finding ways to
get better.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Almost you touched on a little bit very underrated as
a pass catcher. Yeah, like I mean, that's not when
you got Zach, He's going to be the guy. He's
receiving the most passes opportunities. There's an opportunity for you
to be to show you to level you're not just
a blocking tight end. You had ability to catch passes
(35:04):
as well. Man.
Speaker 6 (35:05):
Yeah, for sure, it's an exciting opportunity for me. And
like I said, I just put my head down work
and working on all the little small things. And you know,
he jack hauld take it on that role before, but
you know I'm ready to go at any moment. I
trusted my training and what I'm doing behind the scenes
that no one sees, and you know, hopefully get my
opportunity to showcase myself as a number one.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
You will. But you got that lip over the hag.
You got something else you want to said a word? Listen.
I was enjoyed. Listen to.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
And now we got to bring the ball in him
for him the ball and then you go stowing that crap, John.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
As you can see, we give it real lon. We
this is a locker room. This is went out of
the locker room this man when you retired about ten
fifteen years and now that you gonna missed that locker room.
So come on to the Players Club to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
All right.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
So that'll do it for this episode of the Players Club.
We'll see you next week. Same time.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Players Club was filmed at Big Bear AI Command Center Studio.
Big Bear AI offers Mission Ready AI for a rapidly
involving world, proudly protecting the Washington Commanders and his fans
Welcome into the players Club. We are your hosts. I'm
loveing to Fletch aka Big Fletch. We got sat Tia
Moss aka Cowboy Killer aka eight to the Nine, and
we got my best friend. Yeah, you know it's the
holiday season when I refer to Fred as my best friend.
(00:27):
With that being said, Tea Fred telling people what they
can expect from this week's episode.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
You know, we're gonna get into this matchup man, this
week with these Eagles, these birds that we don't like.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
Listen, man, bleach your creatures.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
This is what I call it fan base that fan
based bleacher creatures.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
And also, man, we're gonna talk to our guy, I
tight end, John Bates.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
It's time to get this show started. And fellas, it's
been a long time man. We're about to start off
with something that I forgot we even had part of.
It's been on holidays.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
It's been months since we had to do this and
we're about to do We're about to do it.
Speaker 1 (01:08):
Dubs on the wind. Dude, what do you do with
dubs of the week when you get a dub? And
like you said, Fred, seventy days, man, there have been
seventy long time one.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
It's a long time.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
You say Halloween, Thanksgiving was coming up on Christmas. But
you know what, though, we got to win, man Fred.
I'm gonna start off with you. Who gets your dub
of the week.
Speaker 4 (01:30):
My dub, butther week goes to Antonio Hamilton.
Speaker 5 (01:33):
He went down his wife, graduated college, and comes back
and he plays.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Listen, I've been waiting for somebody to just reach out
and touch wires. And I watched him just hand battle,
play out to play out to play out to play,
and then we come down to the second to the
last player of the game and gets who making the play?
It's Hamilton. I'm gonna give you your jest due. I
don't care if you're thirty two. Your play like it
was twenty two. So this is what I'm won't say
(02:00):
about you, Hamilton. Great job, job like that. That's a
double the week.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
And it's crazy because the guy who I'm going to
get my double of the week it's Jayden Lane. And
if you look at that point return, the last man
running with him was Hamleton.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
So this guy was one of those guys that day. Man,
he was on win.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
But I got to get my double the week to
Jay Lane. Man, I've been saying for the last few weeks.
In order for us to get back into the winning column,
you know, we had to just do some things that
we haven't been doing. Offensively, you know, we're paid to
score a touchdown, so that's to me, that's the obvious
thing to do with offense. But defensively, you know, we
had to kind of you know, pick our game up
a notch, get some turnover, make some turnovers, probably try
(02:40):
to score and special teams.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
To me, I think that's huge.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
When you can score on special teams, especially in that
return game, that gives you a greater chance to win.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
Chang changes game.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
So when you look at that game, we won the game,
what twenty nine twenty one, Right, if we didn't score,
we still withd have won. But still that score, that
score changed the momentum of the game in the first half.
So I think that was huge for Lane. I think
that was huge for a team as a whole. And
that's what you need right now going to these late
games this year. Man, you got to be special on
(03:11):
special teams, and he did just that.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
To two great guys, great doves of the week for
you guys. With them picking those two, I'm gonna go
to my double week, I'm gonna give it to Bill
Dollar Bill, Bill Crosskey Marrit had eighteen carries ninety six
yards in the touchdown.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
I wanted to see him go one hundred.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
I wanted to get up to get over one hundred
yards rush and that would have been great. But just
in that game, man, when you look at he loves
playing against the Giants' first game of the season open
the game of the season, he went ten carries for
eighty two yards, had a touchdown against them, and then
come back this game. It's something about the way he
(03:51):
ran against the Giants. This time he ran. You know,
you got the electricity, the ability to jump in and
our great vis and stuff like that, but he ran
with more power than that.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
This was a beat and see yet that's what he did.
It wasn't outside he was.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
He was. He was very decisive downhill downhill, hitting holes
and running with great physicality. So I'm gonna get, yeah,
get my double the week to Dollar Bill.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
Matt's huge too, And I also felt like Bill took
that he was he was offended a little bit going
into that game. Felt like, you know, I don't have
nothing against these other backs. But when Rodriguez go down,
I should get.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
The nod to be starting again.
Speaker 4 (04:32):
And when I didn't see him start.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
I was like, well, you know what, this guy who
starting the game, he deserves it too, because Nicholas has
been running the ball, you know, with that same kind
of passion. So I thought when I saw Bill getting there,
I saw a different kind of running style, you know,
I mean ran he did put on the ground, but
when he put them on the ground, that button got touched.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
He has a different electricity than I'm sorry, he sees
it too.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
He got he got vision like like like no other man.
All right, yeah, that's a good one. All right, fellas,
it's time to get into this weekend's matchup on this
edition of fast Lane. Fast Lane presented by Eastern Automotive Group,
Any car, any way for everyone. Since nineteen eighty eight, Feilas,
we got Marrioda man, he got the gnad for the
(05:16):
rest of the year, since we shutting down.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
You know, Jaden J five.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
What you want to see from our offense man, for
us to jump on the head of these these birds man,
these eagles, man to make them not get off the
ground offensively trench warfare.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
I want to see the fat boys go to war
where they've been, where the Eagle's been beating us set
for the last couple of years. Officive line, defensive line, right,
that has changed the game. The question is campaign and
the rest of these guys play on the other side
of the ball. Can our offensive line Lara me Tonshaw condently,
can they move these boys? You got Brandon Graham over there,
(05:55):
you got different type guys. I want to see. Can
we move these guys off the spot? There's a big question.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I think that's gonna be paramount. Anytime you're dealing with
a team like Philadelphia and you got in a defense
like Big Fangio aggressive, Well, not only that, a lot
of times he's gonna play that cover to that two
shell cover for and have his four man front try
to stop the run. Can we run the football effectively
(06:21):
against that formt rush? You look at the Eagles, man,
they've had all kinds of struggles this year. Not the
same type of team, not the same defense that they
were a year ago. And I was doing a little research, man,
I looked at Philly just from a let's look at
just from a rush defense standpoint this year in between
last year, last year, they were only giving up one
(06:41):
hundred and four yards rushing per game, and they were
tenthing in the league stopping the run. This year they
given up one hundred and twenty six yards rushing per
game twenty second. Yeah, that's a big difference. That's a
big jump, big big jump and just being able to
stop the run, and they quite frankly have. Now there's
been some teams like the Chicago win in there ran
(07:04):
for almost three hundred yards. What they do there with Chicago?
Do they running the ball? They went in there and
ran the ball. In Philadelphia ran the ball all of them. So,
you know, you talk about what do I want to
see for them his offense, I want to see another
commitment to running the football football. Don't ask Marcus to
have to. You can't have him dropping back so one
of the thirty plus times against his defense, because if
(07:25):
you do that, they're gonna they will in accept the
ball in the turn, they'll turn the ball over. But
let's let's let's have a great commitment to run the football.
Speaker 2 (07:34):
Yeah, what are some of the things that because you know,
speaking of running them football, I mean that's you know,
and and I think folks finding are anytime they hear
a receiver, you know, saying that, Hey, I'm all about that,
because I understand. I look, I grew up in those
kind of systems. You know, you can chool from the
high school to call at um they were, We ran
that same style. We're gonna run the ball first and
second down, third down, y'all boys get busy. So with
(07:55):
that being said, if we do have that mindset that
we took into the New York up last week, we're
running the ball first and then finding those guys on
the outside, what do you think terry them will be
able to do with this this secondary Because I know
one guy that stands out till He's a Florida boy,
so he plays sticky. He's one of those guys that
love y'all love any matchup. But I want to know, j'all,
(08:15):
if Queen.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Jum Mitchell could catch the ball, he'll have ten.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Like that's how good this kid is.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
Sticky, coverage, fast, quick out of his cuts, and he
want them guys like I always judge a ConA on
how you play comebacks, Like that's that one route that
when when wide receivers sell out and say I'm finna
go deep, then they stop come back if you can
stop that route. They tell me you a genuine cornerback
in this league, and Queen Young Mitchell is that dude.
(08:41):
The question is how can we play action off of
everything we do with the run. Can't that separate us
and give us a chance to make play, especially with
Mariota in there?
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Yeah? Yeah, and you talk about Queen Yon, I don't
think the Jahn Yeah, I don't think he gets enough. No,
he he is.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
The third corner is the people where people been attacking him.
When he moves in, they go to the third corner
and they attack the third outside corner.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Yeah, so that that second dary back. Then I don't
know if there's safety play, it's as good as it
has been in the past. You know, if we can
try to get we can attack them, to attack them
in the second get up to the safe safeties. But
I think it's all gonna start if we have the
ability to run the football effectively. Now you mentioned the
(09:29):
play action pass. Can we get some shots down the
field If you can't, If you can't run that ball
effectively against fan, y'all, he's gonna sit back and play
that cover for and they're gonna basically be doubling those
outside guys just waiting, especially if you if you don't
have it's gonna be.
Speaker 4 (09:47):
Very important that either being sent it.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
John Bates, we gotta have some prisons in the middle
of the middle of the If you ain't got no
president in the middle of.
Speaker 4 (09:54):
The field, we can't work the outside like if we
get some prisions in the middle of the field.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
And one thing I think when they talk about their
their run defense, Jalen Carter has been in and out
of the you know.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
He even playing this week. He had surgery last week.
He had the surgery hit his surges on the shoulder
last week.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
So he's been so in and out of it.
Speaker 3 (10:13):
So it's just been Jordan Davis in the middle of
the defense. So that's what we need to attack. That's
what we did good great against your New York Giants.
We ran the A and A B gaffing. We said,
take this, well.
Speaker 1 (10:24):
You mentioned attacking the middle of the field, I think
you gotta You you mentioned center and baseball, I thought
you also got to include Depot in them. He wins
a lot on those in breaking rocks as well. He's
another guy that can attack the middle of this Eagles defense.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
That was something that I saw against the Giants that
I saw. You know, we tried to kind of I'm
not saying feature him, but when you start early in
that game, how they played the coverage towards seventeen. Yeah,
we was trying to get that ball to one a lot.
Yeah one of them, I think one or two of
them you missed. So that's gonna be huge for us
if he can be a presence, you know, and take
(11:03):
over for zach Ertz. You know, he can be that slab,
be that tween, or be that guy that can play
like that slot position where he's taking some of those
routes and then still allow him being and base to
be you know, true tight ends in this offense. Or
speaking of you know, running the game, you know our
run game and trying to get get our run game established.
What do you think about those guys on the other side,
(11:23):
their offense been up and down or hey, when you
got a guy like Sa Kwan, any game, he can
break out, and you saw what he did to us
in that NFC Championship game. You saw what he's been
doing this year has been you know, hit a miss
sometime with him running the ball. How do we bottle
him up and not get that run game started and.
Speaker 3 (11:39):
Start with Their offensive line has been their catalysts.
Speaker 4 (11:43):
Like do you take Lance.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Out of that offensive line and it's a different offensive line.
You look at when Lance is out compared to when
he's not. I think they're like eight and sixteen. When
he mixes a game like he is, he changing, he
changes everything about them.
Speaker 4 (12:00):
Now.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
The thing about it is with that offensive coordinator, they've
been predictable on first down. They've been a run on
first down team, and they've been having to deal with
that later in the down they forced to pass the ball.
The question is can we make them play behind first down?
Like if they get for yours on first down, they're
gonna be hard to stop. If we can make them
play a long down and distance on first and second
(12:23):
and third down, we got a chance to do it.
Because I'm sorry, it's something wrong with the connection between A. J.
Speaker 4 (12:30):
Brown and Jalen Herd.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
These used to be best friends in college, and now
they don't like they even look and talk to each other. Like,
if I'm a corner out there, I'm finna be so vindictive.
I'm gonna use my mouth to fracture them. And I
hope it's one corner out there. I don't know if
it's Mikey, I don't know who it is. Make sure
you interject yourself into this relation.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
Well, I say that the play calling from a defensive
play calling standpoint. See if you can frustrate a Brown
frustrated with with the play the offensive play call here,
he's not getting the ball. We're doubling him, doing different things,
playing high on him. Yeah, making making hurts. Have to
go somewhere else with the football. And you're a receiver.
(13:15):
Eventually that man gets missed off by not getting out.
That's one thing.
Speaker 2 (13:19):
But how's this guy able to be so effective? Because
I you know, they receive a cord in their tight
end and some of the best in the league. You
got Smith, you got Brown, you got God. You know
AJ can't run to me. When I'm watching him, I'm like,
I'm almost like here, but.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
He just gets open.
Speaker 2 (13:35):
So strong man, what do you have to do defensively
to stop a guy who don't run. He's not a
fast runner, he's not a guy that's stretching the field,
but he still finds.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
He might be faster than we really really guys and
Cuombo think about still was fasting the A J. Brown
I watched. I watched bro.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
The way he takes his steps and the way he
Quan was a.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Quicker type of big guy.
Speaker 2 (14:03):
Aj ain't no quickness coming out of him, but he
beating you up with his head and he putting that foot.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
In the ground on something like a one ball awareness.
He can find that ball no matter where it is.
He got strong hands. And when you go up to Jaim,
you playing into his real wheel. Now I'm finna wrestle you.
I'm finna throw you off of and do this like
the subtleties like this, shoulder into you, this or that.
Speaker 4 (14:26):
He Keenan McCardell. You remember Keeny McCarty. He was your coach,
right and I played against Keeny McCardell. I played with
Keny McCardell.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
Not fast, never fast, But boy did he have these
subtleties and the nuance of the position. He understood how
to get separation when he couldn't get separation.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
And this is what A J.
Speaker 3 (14:47):
Brown has. He understands the small part. What are you
smiling about?
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I think about Kenny used to rot your ass l
the year well during when Keeny was with us. He wasn't.
He used to do a lot of the Scout team offense,
so he's servicing the defense. Keeny used to give them boys.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
He was slow.
Speaker 1 (15:15):
Ken didn't come about that boy with ten for too hot.
He was Keny was. He was my locker bank. And
after practice, I'll be talking to you, man. He was slow,
like the boys can't.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
It was the art of receivings.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
He understood that. The craziest part, I'm thinking, why the
hell he ain't playing in the offense. Why don't they
put this dude in because he was working, y'all, boy man,
because he knew how to win every So that's basically
how you're saying, like something, that's what a J. Brown brains.
So that you know what.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
I'm watching them because I like to compare, and I'm all,
I've always been this guy because I'm a guy that
was considered the guy to stretch the field. So when
I watch offenses, I always try to look for my
college kind of style offense that we had. We had
Shoki in the middle, we had Regi on the outside,
you had me and I look at these boys as
that kind of offense you got, we got, you got
a J.
Speaker 1 (16:13):
Brown. That's Reggie run precision round. You got hands, you.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
Got Devonte Smill who's to fit out me. Then you
got Shocky that's god Her, you know what I mean.
Like he can move the change in the inside. He's
one of those guys. So when I look at them,
I feel like they all complimented, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
That's the key, that's the key. I got a big
bruiser on the outside. I got a speech on the outside.
I got a tight end that can do anything I
asked him to do. That changes your offense right there.
I'm telling you the weakness of the window.
Speaker 2 (16:40):
They have these spots where this thing like they just can't.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Jay hurs because Jayalen Hurst would throw the ball late.
That's his thing.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Hold on to it like he wants you to be
wide open before he throws the ball, and that causes
him to throw the ball late. And everybody hates on
that DVA AJ Brown. But AJ Brown is not lying.
It's Jalen Hurst installed in this offense.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Let's talk about that. We got to talk about the
run game, particularly Ku Bark the Eagle. I know you
mentioned Lane not being there, so they they their rushing
offense it's not as effective as it was a year
ago either. Again, my great researcher me not real. Last
year the Eagles were as a rushing offense, they were
(17:25):
the number two rushing office in the National Football League,
average almost a yards. Think it was a little Baltimore
bo Yeah with Lamar and Henry. Yeah, they average almost
one hundred and eighty yards rushing per game. This year, man,
they are nineteenth. They averaging one hundred and fifteen yards
rushing per game. Wow do yeah? We against us man
(17:48):
in his career, twelve player, twelve games including the playoffs.
Just what this what Barkley has done against us Savage
fifteen touchdowns, eleven rushing, four receiving, averaging about a hot
of yards rushing per game, five point six yards per
care So we gotta be a we gotta bottle him up.
We gotta bottle him up.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
That's that's making wonder.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Man. They're in that defensive meeting room and they presented
you talking about the rush, the passing game and all that,
and her struggling and him and aj not being on
same pace. But you have to stop, say Kwan, Barker.
Speaker 3 (18:22):
You got to And he feels good running in Northwest
State like he with the Giants with Philadelphia. We just
haven't bottled him up. He has been our nemesis since
he got in the league. And the thing about it
is his explosiveness. And he understood, like this officer line,
I ain't gonna lie when he breaks these long runs.
(18:43):
They are clean long runs, meaning nobody's touching him. And
we have to put a man in the box and
make them one dimension and make them throw the ball.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
You know, you know they call me intellectual flesh.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
I did not know that there's nothing intellectual man in.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
It.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
You literally Google, throw standard, your A I and your phone.
You did nothing to help us get to this board.
It ain't like you remembered it like this dude right here,
listen to me. Tell me this dude right here, give
yourself so many You shouldn't give yourself no problem.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
You carry all right? Man, let's uh, y'all want to
get let's get into some memories about the Eagles. Let's go,
let's go. We've all had our sheriff games, fair share
games against the Eagles. Man, do you remember the Monday
night football game against the Egles?
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Not ea talking about the one when Deshaun and went
deep on us and Landry was no.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
This this this the next year. Okay, but that was
Monday night, though, wasn't it?
Speaker 4 (19:43):
But that was next year.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
It was in twenty ten when it happened, So I
couldn't have been on to ten. You want here they
cut you? No, I didn't play in that game.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Oh you was a I was retired, feeling good watching
y'all get beat to death.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
I get seeing that, I see Jackson, I.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
See run land and getting beaten.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
You know what I said, I'm river, they need me.
Speaker 1 (20:11):
He said, you said, I said, they cut you. All right.
Let's look at our stats though against these uh coristass
against Eagles, Fred, you played against the Egles thirteen times,
had two interceptions, seventh passes defense.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
No touchdowns giving yo, y'all have never gave up a
touchdown against the fill up deafield.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
Me. We don't know that for certain, but you had
to intercept your lines interception against It was in two
thousand and three. You played another what five six seasons
against him?
Speaker 3 (20:49):
I played Andy so much. Andy Reed did not bother me.
He knew to leave me alone. He is not the
dude to mess week. I'm gonna throw it fat blue
foot beating him. He knew not to mess with this respect.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
So Tatler, you played the night I actually played them
twenty because I played as a Jets, so this is
as a Red Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Alright, so you had sixty receptions, yeah, eight and twenty
one yards. Yeah, four tds forty three yards per game? Yeah,
I had.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
I had about five because I played, I scored on
him as a Jet. Probably had like nine hundred yards total,
which is it's still good. But I was going to
say one of the things about them. I don't even
recall having four tds as a redskin against him. I
remember three of them. I remember two in one year
that was twenty twelve. I had two that year. I
had one at home, one away, and then I remember
another one.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
To tap toe tapping in twenty twelve. Twenty twelve. Yeah,
the tot tap was in twenty twelve. Was that Philly?
That was Philly that won the game.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Also, I remember one running the now route from the
slot in two thousand and ten. And I don't remember
the fourth one. When did I do the When When
was the other one? But anyway, I hated playing them.
I feel like I never could get going with them
like you only got like.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Four or five. I always have.
Speaker 2 (22:11):
They always have a paragod I feel like, I feel
like I played well and spurts against them, like it'll
be a game. I have a breakout game here and
then the next game you don't hear nothing from me
with it, like, but they just I never never kind
of one game. I remember I was rolling that year.
That's the year I had a thousand yard. I think
I had eleven hundred yards this year just I had
just played the Cowboys in in in Jerry's world, went
(22:35):
for like one fifty.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Next week we got zooing. We go to Philly, I don't.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
Catch a passs and he give me the game ball,
talking about for what for?
Speaker 1 (22:43):
I want to get ten of the game ball because
he played. I'm like, you don't get.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
That gamepation, thank you for coming with me, joke going
to my game ball because ten And they and go
out there and I say, see this is what happened
when you be nice and you try to play within
the confinements of the off. But I'm going out. I
just went with one fifty and this week you don't
give me the ball.
Speaker 3 (23:08):
Well, London played the Philadelphia Eagles seventy two times. And
guess what he only had one hundred and forty two
town because six tackles for the loss.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
One pig herold three seconds.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
This dude played them for two decades. This dude listen
first of all, man, I played them eighteen times, and
that if you look at that, that's putting in work.
And what I don't but I don't see, is how
many passes defense. So if Maddie or Kaylor, if they're
able to get how many passes defenses that I had
(23:42):
to get.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
One and a half.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
And you better home, you better hope I did not
have more passes defense? Did I guess the Eagles didn't?
How many did you did I shoot against the Eagles?
Then I just tell you they didn't throw at me.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
If you watch any Phil that you feel I have
never gave up a touchdown in the link, I have
never gave up a touchdown, and financial I have never
gave up a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Against the Eagles.
Speaker 3 (24:10):
I'm one of the few callers that went a full
year in the NFL without giving up a touchdown.
Speaker 1 (24:15):
We played cover two all the time. We did, of course, you.
Speaker 4 (24:21):
Know we was a man.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
A man covered time now.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
I'm remember talking to Donovan and he was like, you
know what, I can't wait to face Fletch a time,
my face, Flitch, I give him the business boy, And.
Speaker 1 (24:35):
I was like, you and wrench Brook need to be quiet.
Like I've been putting there. I'm putting the work for
Philly back and I was in saft Lois. I got
an NFC Championship off Philadela. You better check my record. Listen, man,
don't nobody watch that old TV though. All right, man,
it's it's always great to go back down memory playing man.
(24:57):
After this, after this break, we gonna have our John
bas Joe check in. You never check out NFL fans.
Speaker 2 (25:11):
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(25:33):
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Speaker 1 (25:49):
Slash Commanders. Welcome back to the Players Club. As promised,
we got a special guest, we might say, the most
dominant blocking tight end in the national one of my favorites,
John Bass. John Man, We appreciate you joining us.
Speaker 6 (26:08):
Yeah, Man, thanks for having me in here. It's cool
to sit down and chop it up with you guys.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Yeah right, we all go back to this offseason. Man,
you were free agent. Team said, you know what, we
cannot let him get out the building. Team you got paid.
How to feel man, knowing that the team value what
you what you bring to the table, and it was like, no,
(26:34):
we got we gotta resign you. Yeah, it was.
Speaker 6 (26:36):
It was a really cool opportunity for me, you know,
with the whole coaching staff change and everything. It was
kind of last year going to my rookie contract and
obviously like I had something to pay for or play
for in terms of you know, trying to get a
new contract.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
And stuff too.
Speaker 6 (26:52):
But it was also I think really humbling for me
in the sense that, like I had a whole new
group of guys that didn't know who I was and
what I was about. And so it almost kind of
like brought me back to like a rookie mentality of
I got to come in here and I got to
prove myself all over again because none of these guys
know anything about me. I'm brand new essentially to them,
and I got to, you know, show them my worth.
(27:13):
And so it was a super homeling experience for me.
Speaker 2 (27:15):
Man.
Speaker 6 (27:16):
And you know, this is the place I wanted to
be throughout the whole process. I want to try to
leave a legacy here and be one of those guys
that can stick around for a long time around this place.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
So with that being said, I remember sitting down with you.
I'm not sure what training camp it was, but we
was out there underneath the tent, and so I'm I'm
glad he brought up the whole process about the off season,
you getting signed and you know, being able to come
back here. But how has the journey been? Because I
remember talking to you and you were just saying you
straight up with us. I was like, man, I'm just
(27:46):
trying to find my way. I'm trying to find my
way that you know, what can I do for this
team at this position? How has that been for you?
Speaker 6 (27:53):
Right, It's been a really cool process for me, just
because like kind of came in and as a rookie,
I had Logan Tom and then Ricky Seals Jones was here,
and so I was just a rookie trying to make
the team essentially right and do whatever I could to
find a way on the field, whether it was special
teams or blocking or whatever. And you know, just after
a lot of hard work, and I think consistency has
been the biggest thing for me, just being able to
(28:14):
show up every single day, be consistent off and on
the field, and just show that I can be a
reliable guy that you know, I can go out there
and do my job at a high level and get
it done. And then when I also get my opportunities
you know in the past game that you know I'm
a person that can be relied on. And so, you know,
it's been a lot of hard work and just keeping
my head down and that's kind of the mindset of've
you know, even to this day, having to do contract
(28:38):
and stuff. It's all funny games, but at the end
of the day you still have to go out and
prove your word every day.
Speaker 1 (28:42):
And so.
Speaker 6 (28:44):
You know, my mindset is someone's always trying to take
your job, and the second age comfortable in the NFL is.
Speaker 1 (28:51):
The day that your career starts to end.
Speaker 6 (28:54):
So I've just kind of always taken like a progressive
mindset and just trying to every single year like what
can I get better at? How can I improve here?
And just try to be like the most you know,
well rounded tight end I could be.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
I got to ask you this, I'm not as serious
as these two crooks over here.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
I checked this out at your jobs, your.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
Job, take it.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Feel me out, buck, I kicked this out, Joe. I
gave you a nickname. Have you ever had a nickname?
Speaker 1 (29:24):
A little bit?
Speaker 6 (29:24):
I've had one around this building.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Now, what's the nickname around the building.
Speaker 6 (29:28):
I don't call myself, but they call me the Boogeyman.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
So I like the good what you got.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
I want you to compare it and rate it to
my nickname that I gave you. I gave you the
nickname Bates Motel. It's where people check in and never
check out.
Speaker 1 (29:46):
Rate it from one to ten and tell me how
you feel it's got a ring to it. Man, I
probably six seven. It's good.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
I like, I like.
Speaker 6 (29:56):
To What's crazy though, is I really didn't even try.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
To do that right there.
Speaker 6 (30:03):
That actually just came out not where to God. No,
that's a cool one though. I don't know something about.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
But tell them why you gave him that nickname.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
Because when you're blocking people, when you engage them, I
never see them again. And when people checked in, I
don't know if you know about you know, the murder
case of Bates Motea, people would check in and you
able to see.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Them ever again. Actually a good movie.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
And you know what, you got robbed two weeks ago
in Minnesota.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
You pancake like they don't they changed. You can't pancake
no more. Yeah, they got to take him down.
Speaker 6 (30:41):
Point that they the defensive guys. The guys are starting
to figure out, man.
Speaker 1 (30:46):
Like this with the crazy part about it.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
You did it and in the same game they did
it to us with Louvu and they don't throw the flag.
Speaker 1 (30:55):
Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 6 (30:56):
It's just like one of those crazy things.
Speaker 1 (30:58):
I think.
Speaker 6 (30:58):
Defensive guys, the coaches too, are really starting to figure out,
Like the way the referees are looking at these like
type of holding calls is like first they're looking to
see if they see any sort of color and then
obviously restrictions.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
So I mean they might not even.
Speaker 6 (31:12):
See like the engagement of the two players, but as
soon as they see a hand go up or something
going out, I mean they're gonna.
Speaker 1 (31:18):
They're gonna call it.
Speaker 2 (31:19):
It was first of all, when you're known for doing
that and it was a flawless block, they got to
give you credit for what you're known for. Like they
those refs know when they go in the game London
Fletcher bring pain.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
He's bringing that thunder.
Speaker 2 (31:30):
This guy he's a speech that he's running this guy here.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
He's gonna be he frisk, move on ho. I'm just
trying to play none of that exactly. Going back to
that name that that base moteil is too long base.
Speaker 4 (31:48):
That's the only downside.
Speaker 1 (31:49):
It's two words too long, the base moteil, boogiey man
the same thing, crapouty I want to use. I like
them both.
Speaker 6 (32:02):
Yea.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
Let's talk about the got opportunity to play last couple
of seasons. Zach Ertz Man hate that he had that.
Speaker 4 (32:10):
It's terrible.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
What's it like being being around Zach and learning, being
able to learn from one of the best tight ends
in NFL history, and and just being around him and
how how is that that tight end room in general,
you got a couple of young guys as well, then yourself,
you kind of the mid middle guy in that room
in terms of years in the league, and then you
got the older guy and uh, Zach. Yeah.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
No, It's been like probably one of the greatest opportunities
in my life, just because you know, he's a guy
that as a young tight end you grow up watching
and just trying to model your game after because of
how dominant he is in the past game and just
as a football player in general. I mean, he can
do it all when he needs to. And so, you know,
the the coolest part about having Zach in our room was,
especially younger guys, is he really modeled what a pros
(32:56):
pro looked like, from his routine to his eating habits,
the way he took care of his body, the way
he approached practice day in and day out, and just
the way he treated people with respecting the building too.
And so you know, I give him a lot of
credit for you know, just the entire room and what
he's been able to bring to this team from leadership
standpoint in our room. And you know, the things that
(33:18):
I've learned from him in just terms of being a
prose are things that you know, I'll take through the
rest of my career.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Year five, did you think it was gonna come this fast?
And oh and two, what is your process? What is
your thought process like just going forward? Like I know
as a player, I never counted the years. I care
less about counting, but I just knew I wanted to
always be prepared for the good and the bad of
what's to come. How is your thought process going forward?
(33:44):
Just knowing that, man, this thing, I blink my eye,
I'm already year five.
Speaker 6 (33:47):
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's kind of a crazy thing
when you sit back and just like how has five
years gone by so fast? And I mean now that
you know, I've moved out here, married, now, I got
two kids, and so it's like things or even moving.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Way faster than before.
Speaker 6 (34:02):
And so I really just try to stay present. I
don't try to get too far ahead of myself. And
from a football aspect, kind of like going back to
what I said, there's just going into the offseason kind
of just like a lot of self reflection and what
I felt like I did good and what I felt like,
you know, areas I can improve on. It kind of
make that my emphasis. I just want to always keep improving.
(34:25):
I never I mean, I know that there's a cap
in a limit for every single player, but you know,
I feel like that there's a lot of untapped potential
in me, even still five years in, and I just
want to be able to keep you know, it doesn't
have to be fast progression, but if I can just
keep climbing the year after year and finding ways to
get better.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Almost you touched on a little bit very underrated as
a pass catcher. Yeah, like I mean, that's not when
you got Zach, He's going to be the guy. He's
receiving the most passes opportunities. There's an opportunity for you
to be to show you to level you're not just
a blocking tight end. You had ability to catch passes
(35:04):
as well. Man.
Speaker 6 (35:05):
Yeah, for sure, it's an exciting opportunity for me. And
like I said, I just put my head down work
and working on all the little small things. And you know,
he jack hauld take it on that role before, but
you know I'm ready to go at any moment. I
trusted my training and what I'm doing behind the scenes
that no one sees, and you know, hopefully get my
opportunity to showcase myself as a number one.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
You will. But you got that lip over the hag.
You got something else you want to said a word? Listen.
I was enjoyed. Listen to.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
And now we got to bring the ball in him
for him the ball and then you go stowing that crap, John.
Speaker 1 (35:43):
As you can see, we give it real lon. We
this is a locker room. This is went out of
the locker room this man when you retired about ten
fifteen years and now that you gonna missed that locker room.
So come on to the Players Club to talk about it.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
All right.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
So that'll do it for this episode of the Players Club.
We'll see you next week. Same time.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Players Club was filmed at Big Bear AI Command Center Studio.
Big Bear AI offers Mission Ready AI for a rapidly
involving world, proudly protecting the Washington Commanders and his fans
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