por Brent Bates and Andre Moye
Brent and Dre are back previewing the Commanders' matchup against the Dolphins on Sunday. And just like the odds, neither thinks this game will be remotely close. Brent and Dre start talking about what to expect from Sam, the offense against a Dolphins defense that is beginning to hit their stride, and getting the pass rush home. Then they talk about who gets the unlucky responsibility of guarding Tyreek Hill on Sunday. Brent and Dre think that Tyreek goes over 200 yards receiving with multiple scores and that the Commanders give up 40+ at home again.
Brent and Dre are back a few days after the Thanksgiving beating to talk about the game, even though there aren't many positives to talk about. Dre starts bashing EB saying that he's not putting Sam or the Wide Reicvers in positions to flourish while Brent believes the offensive line is to blame. Brent still believes that EB may be valuable as a head coach, but Dre thinks EB's refusal to run the ball and adjust to the personnel disqualifies him. Defensively, neither Brent nor Dre felt that there was much to discuss outside the fact that Kam Curl probably doesn't deserve to get paid what he wants from the Commanders and the overall lack of production from Allen and Payne. Then, they discuss the firing of Jack Del-Rio and who actually made the call: Ron or Josh. It's a pretty miserable road either way as the season slowly comes to a close.
The Commanders are heading to Dallas on Thanksgiving, and Brent and Dre believe that Dallas will give the Commanders an ass-kicking on national television! The two discuss how worried they are for Sam Howell against the relentless Cowboys pass rush and how that affects his ability to throw the football. Then, they discuss what to expect from the WR group on Thanksgiving. Defensively, Brent and Dre think that the Cowboys will be able to have their way against our secondary, and Dak will have all day with the Commanders' lack of edge pressure. Finally, they discuss if this game will eventually be the one to earn Ron Rivera his walking papers and if any players on the roster would be safe during the rebuild next off-season. Happy Thanksgiving to all the Battered and Bruised listeners and their families!
Brent and Dre react a few hours after the Commanders get outclassed by the hapless Giants, questions about the strength of the Commanders' rosters are asked. And there are some hard truths to come to grips with after this game. Sam Howell was poor, but Brent thinks the O-line and WRs were worse than he was and the reason why they lost. Dre talks about how bad EB was calling plays, and adjusting with the run game. Defensively the Commanders had nine of the emptiest sacks you'll ever see. Everyone's jobs are in question and that included some of the leaders of our team. This was the worst lost of the last four years.
Brent and Dre are back to check on the last stretch of Wizards basketball, and to no one's surprise, the Wizards are terrible. Dre starts talking about how bad Jordan Poole has looked in the latest stretch, and Brent chimes in on how they give up huge leads and allow the team to close the gap and win down the stretch. Of course, they talk about Rubi Rose's visit to DC and how Poole performed with her in the arena. Brent even wonders if the Wizards could get two seconds for him now. Then they talk about the national perception of the team and who would help Poole when Draymond comes to town and tries to choke him out, too. It's all laughs as the Wizards sprint to a top-3 lottery pick next June!
Brent and Dre are back to pregame the game between the Commanders and the Giants! For once, both Brent and Dre agree that this will be a win for the Commanders as they pick on the Giants, who seem to have given up on the season! Brent and Dre think that the Commanders' defense will underperform during a game that could not only seal Ron's fate but maybe cost some of our top players not to be with the team next year. Offensively, both have high expectations of Sam Howell, even if the wide receiver group has struggled all year. Howell and company have to make up for a poor showing in the Meadowlands earlier in the year, and this is one of the few games that will show growth against a similar unit.
Brent and Dre are live just a few minutes after the game concludes to talk about a loss that didn't feel like on to the Seahawks. Sam Howell showed poise, command of the offense, and a top-10 ceiling against a top passing defense against Woolen and Witherspoon! And Sam did all of this with our top wide receivers missing and looking to Brian Robinson to do the heavy lifting. Brent and Dre were blown away by some of the stuff Sam showed off as he threw for over 300 yards again. On the other side of the ball Brent and Dre weren't surprised at all by the defense that allowed Geno to find his groove in the second half thanks to an non-existent pass rush and carve on the secondary on the way to the win. Brent and Dre talk about whether or not there is another fairytale playoff run that Ron can pull out of his hat, and then give us the 'Chase & Tez' watch before looking at what's next for the Commanders.
Brent and Dre are back to preview the matchup against Seattle, and neither is very optimistic about going up against the 12th man. Both are concerned about how Terry, Jahan, and Co handle the secondary of the Seahawks. Then, on the other side of the ball, Seattle's pass catchers could have a day against Forbes, St. Juste, and Fuller if the pass rush isn't a factor again this week. Geno Smith can be a problem for the Commanders' defense if we play zone. Brent and Dre also note that Seattle could run the ball if they want and are worried about the linebackers after Stevenson gashed them last week. Dre thinks the Commanders can steal a win, but Brent believes that Seattle is a much better team and handles the Commanders. We'll find out who was right on Sunday!
Brent and Dre do a quick podcast before the Wizards take on the 76ers and talk about what they've seen from the team so far. Brent talks about how much of a disappointment Jordan Poole and Daniel Gafford have been at the start of the season. Then Dre talks about how Kyle Kuzma is the fourth-best option on a team that wants to contend for a championship. Dre also points out how inept Wes Unseld Jr has been with the game flow to start the season, but both are happy with what we've seen from the rookie Bilal. This one was quick because it mostly turned into jokes about this team and the direction the team is headed in.
Brent and Dre are back after a Commander's win over the Patriots, and while it's good to celebrate a victory, neither is buying that a trademark Ron Rivera winning streak towards the 7th seed is coming. Both are impressed with Howell's performance against a middle-of-the-pack Patriots pass defense but question whether or not a new regime looks at Howell as the QB of the future. Defensively, as expected, the Commanders looked terrible against a bad Patriots offense, and both talk about the coming weeks for Emmanuel Forbes, who got the start and played well against below-average wide receivers. Brent brings up whether the Commanders can look to move Terry during the offseason for an additional first-rounder, and Dre about targets and free agency and in the draft.