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Commanders vs. Falcons: Key NFC Playoff Implications
SportsGrid
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12/27/2024
Category
🥇
Sports
Transcript
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00:00
The Washington Commanders, Jaden Daniels,
00:02
they're 10-5 for the year.
00:04
And on the other side, it's the Falcons,
00:06
who are still sitting right in the playoff mix.
00:09
Kirk Cousins, he got the old bench job last week,
00:11
but Michael Penix, he steps up and got him the victory.
00:15
Four-and-a-half Commanders laying the points at home,
00:17
47-and-a-half.
00:19
Is that total?
00:21
Do we play the Commanders?
00:22
Do we stick with the hot hand?
00:25
I don't know.
00:26
I mean, listen, I'm not thrilled
00:29
with Michael Penix Jr. coming in here in Week 16.
00:34
I mean, it's great that you beat the Giants,
00:36
who, I mean, let's be honest here,
00:38
is not a real, you know,
00:40
that's not a real feather in your cap here.
00:43
But you're going to be taking on a Washington team
00:45
that, you know, clinched their playoff spot last week,
00:48
did it in epic fashion in a comeback
00:50
against their division rivals.
00:52
And now they got to get up for a, you know,
00:56
an out-of-division opponent here in Atlanta,
01:00
who has got, well, a whole lot riding here
01:03
because they now control their destiny
01:06
since Tampa can't seem to win a game
01:08
and got blown out there by the Cowboys last Sunday night.
01:13
So they, this is a huge game for Atlanta.
01:17
It feels like we might have
01:18
a little letdown situation here for Washington.
01:22
I wouldn't be laying four-and-a-half with them,
01:24
and it would not shock me at all
01:26
if Atlanta finds some motivation here
01:30
behind the rookie quarterback.
01:32
They're going to have to elevate their game for them.
01:35
I mean, make no mistake about it.
01:37
They got a pretty good defensive-minded
01:38
head coach in Washington.
01:40
They're going to be throwing a lot of different things
01:42
at Michael Pettis,
01:43
but another guy that's played a ton of college football,
01:46
another guy very experienced,
01:48
more athletic than whatever Kirk Cousins
01:50
brought to the table.
01:52
This is going to be an interesting game.
01:54
I think we're going to learn a lot about this Atlanta team,
01:57
but I would not be shocked
01:58
if this is your upset of the week here.
02:01
Yeah, and we'll learn a lot
02:02
about young quarterback Michael Pettis.
02:04
I mean, first primetime spot.
02:07
They've got playoff chances on the line.
02:09
It's a must-win for the Falcons.
02:11
That is a lot of pressure to put on a rookie quarterback
02:14
in one of his first few starts in the league.
02:17
And to that point, Joe, let's play devil's advocate.
02:20
The commanders come out.
02:21
They get off to a hot start.
02:23
They put up two, maybe three, 21 to nothing.
02:26
At what point do you entertain
02:27
bringing Kirk Cousins back into this environment?
02:30
Would you bring him back?
02:31
Or do you just let Penix out there and you say,
02:33
well, we'll live and die by that decision
02:35
we made two weeks ago?
02:37
I don't think you make that decision
02:40
and you can ever go back to Kirk Cousins at this point,
02:43
unless something happens to Penix,
02:46
which is possible because he's a lot more mobile
02:49
and he's going to be running the ball
02:51
a lot more than Cousins did.
02:53
So the risk of injury certainly is going to be there.
02:56
But this is a rookie making his first road start
03:01
in a playoff type atmosphere.
03:02
So they're going to need, like they got last week,
03:07
Atlanta's defense had a couple of pick sixes.
03:09
The special teams was good.
03:12
Everybody is going to have to help this kid
03:14
in order to be able, they have the weapons.
03:15
There's no mistake about it,
03:17
but the defense has got to have some answers here
03:20
for Jayden Daniels,
03:21
who continues to light up opposing defenses here.
03:25
So Atlanta's going to have their hands full.
03:27
Could be some sort of wild, crazy shootout too.
03:30
That wouldn't shock me.
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4:55
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