00:00:01
Speaker 1: What's up, guys? Yeah, obviously another great week to prepare for a really good opponent. Really well-coached team, really good defense, really good scheme, obviously really good players as well. So it's got to be a really good week of preparation. We've been having good weeks, but I think getting a really good week of preparation and then showing it on the field on Sunday is going to be huge for us.
00:00:27
Speaker 2: Good team, good players, all that. When you are looking at a team going, are you even really aware of their record or is it more just what you see on tape and what.
00:00:35
Speaker 1: You see when you study? Yeah, it's all about tape for us. You know, you guys hear nameless, faceless opponent, that kind of thing. It's like, what does that even mean? You know, it really is just about the tape, about the players, you know, and that sort of thing because the NFL is, you know, that's why the NFL is so great. That's why people love Washington is because it truly is any Sunday. And, you know, again, it's a really good football team, really well coached, like I said, and good players. So, you know, we just got to continue to prepare and do our thing and make sure we're just ready to go out there and play well.
00:01:10
Speaker 2: What's it like preparing for and playing against Irwin James?
00:01:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, he's a really good player, obviously, and he does a lot of different things. You know, they can line him up wherever they want. He's a really good run stopper, really good in the pass game, really good blitzing. So, again, It's everything, everything a DB does, anything a linebacker does. He can even do some things that D linemen do really well. So just he's one of those guys that you kind of got to be aware of where he is at all times. Does practicing against Nick remind you at all of him? Absolutely. Not just because he wears the same number, but, man, they're one and the same, just how they operate, you know, just both being very athletic and, you know, strong and being able to cover guys down the field as well. So, again, really good, really good player.
00:01:55
Speaker 3: I'll be back this week, but I.
00:01:57
Speaker 1: Don't know what it's going to mean to have Zach Charbonnet back at practice this week. Yeah, having Zach back in general, just to have his presence and, you know, obviously Zach, man of many words, right? Like, doesn't say a whole lot, but just the way that he leads by example every single day of just coming to work and doing his job, you know, that's huge for us as a team.
00:02:17
Speaker 4: When you look at the offense from Sunday, and there's a discrepancy between passing.
00:02:21
Speaker 3: Yards and running yards, what do you take away from that? that game?
00:02:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, you know, sometimes that's just how it works out. You know, it's like for us as quarterbacks, like it doesn't, you know, it doesn't matter necessarily where the ball goes. It's, it's about, you know, going through my progression and letting the ball kind of find the energy and wherever the defense, you know, allows me to throw it, like trying to find the open guy. It's kind of the same way, you know, with pass yards, run game, like sometimes they're going to, they're going to do a lot to try to stop the run game. And sometimes they're going to be able to go out there and throw it the way that we did. obviously got to take care of the football, but yeah, there's, you know, obviously some ways to continue to run the ball better than what we did last game, but sometimes it's just how the game goes. You mentioned the ball just kind of going where it goes.
00:03:10
Speaker 2: Are there games where you do go into a game saying, we got to target this guy or that guy kind of thing, or is it always just.
00:03:15
Speaker 4: Kind of the ball goes where it goes?
00:03:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, like, not really. Yeah, we're always trying to just, you know, put plays together and Obviously understanding based on coverage and pre-snap looks like where the ball is supposed to go and where it might go. But when I'm out there, I just got to play fast and give the ball again to the guy that has the best odds of making a catch and whether it's getting a first down on third down or just finding a completion on first and second down. So it's really just for me, it's going out there playing fast, not really worried about who's getting the ball.
00:03:48
Speaker 2: Jack's obviously teams know who he is and they're putting a lot of effort into stopping him and yet he's still doing what he's doing like What is it about him that allows him to make the plays he has despite all the effort teams are putting in to stop him?
00:04:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think a huge– it's going to sound silly, but a huge part of it is knowing what we're doing as an offense. You know, him being really locked into our game plan, doing everything that he can throughout the week to prepare himself mentally, to hear the call, hear the concept, and just going out there and playing fast. Because obviously when he goes out there and plays fast, he can just play ball at that point and– He's not running the route like it's supposed to be drawn on paper. He's going out there finding space. And just us being on the same page, that's what it's about. And then kind of like I mentioned before, just if they're taking him away, usually that leaves someone else on the field open to go out there and make plays, which I feel like our guys have been doing a good job of. So you talk about nameless, faceless.
00:04:40
Speaker 4: But you look at the film this week, and you see your friend Josh Allen going against him last week. Does that lead to any more text messages than it normally would?
00:04:49
Speaker 1: Not necessarily. Obviously, we're close friends, but during the season, we try to leave each other alone. Obviously, if something happens throughout the week, like he texts me after week one getting hurt, and then if he has a really good game, which he normally does, I'll send him a text. But if he has three or four games in a row where he does well, I won't text him because I'm sure he gets bored of that. With Zach, we hear a lot about how on the details he is, the word people use is professional. What does that look like behind the scenes? Yeah, I think just, you know, every morning walking by and saying, what's up sharps, how you feeling and having a good, you know, conversation just back and forth about, you know, what he's doing to try to get back and, and still talking about football too. Like he's, he's in our meetings, um, and still talking about like protections and all those sorts of things. Cause he's really good at that. And, you know, how we want, if the, if the backs have a certain route or they're lined up and empty, or we're running a route from the backfield, like he's very, uh, he's just very aware and in tune with kind of what we're doing still. And that's always good. You know, I think that's the main thing, even like a guy like AB as well, like AB is doing a great job of staying in it, you know, because when you're out for a few weeks, it's easy to kind of just rehab and do your thing. But it's good when those guys are able to kind of be in the offense of meetings and even on the field, like being able to watch the tape and make calls and all those things. Cause when you get back, the game happens so fast and you want to continue to stay on point and stay fresh. Did you go to any Chargers games growing up at all? I went to a couple. Yeah, I don't know why, but I feel like on the weekends, as a family, we had season tickets to go to the Trojan games, USC, so we found ourselves in L.A. a little bit more often, but went to a couple growing up, Breeze and LaDainian, all those guys.
00:06:38
Speaker 4: You've had a couple passes over the last couple years that have hit helmets. Is that, like, bad luck, or do you see things where, like, technique or other things you'd want to change.
00:06:47
Speaker 1: To avoid that? You know, there's obviously some things you can control, some things you can't. I think to a certain extent you can try to find a window. But, yeah, like I said before, like things are going to happen on the field that you can't really control. I think if anything, like if it's a shorter route, just being able to get my elbow up and to avoid stuff like that.
00:07:09
Speaker 3: The scheme that they've got defensively, how much carryover do you see compared to what Mike's defense is, especially up front when– They've got a couple of guys that they can move up and down the line.
00:07:20
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, it's a great, great question. They do a lot of good stuff. You know, I'm not going to get into the details, but they do a lot of good stuff defensively, first, second and third down, really. So just, again, seeing the looks, preparing for it and just being prepared for it.
00:07:36
Speaker 3: Sam, I know you talked about it after the game, but the second the second interception, we went back and watched it on film.
00:07:41
Speaker 2: What sort of what jumped out to you is what happened on the play?
00:07:45
Speaker 1: Yeah, just Again, kind of the same thing I said after the game, like being able to make that split-second decision and just dirt it, you know, especially in that situation too, like trying to go down and score, like is a two-, three-yard gain really going to be the difference in that situation? Like being able to like weigh all those things in my head and then I think to keep it short though, like just seeing the defender and being able to burn it at AJ's feet.
00:08:08
Speaker 3: Sam, how important is it for the quarterback to be able to feel the game and when did that come about?
00:08:14
Speaker 1: Say that one more time.
00:08:15
Speaker 4: The ability to feel the game, seeing some mature quarterbacks, you know, Mariota yourself, that ability to feel the game, how important is that in order for you to manage the game?
00:08:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's super important. I think that's something as a young player, you know, I didn't do a great job of was, you know, understanding like the situation, what that might tell with the defense and different calls that they might get in because of the situation. So just, I think an overall understanding of what's going on throughout the game, if they get us with a certain pressure, like is it a coordinator that likes to do it again or is he a guy that kind of likes to bluff it and get out of it? So just understanding all those things, I feel like is very important that you, again, like you mentioned, you continue to understand as you, you know, go on throughout your career.
00:09:04
Speaker 4: Obviously different season, different team and things like that. But last year we saw this team, every time there was a loss, you ran on a wood streak sort of thing. What is it about the culture, everything with this franchise, that you guys have shown that ability, at least in the past, to bounce back in a big way like that?
00:09:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think a lot of it is, you know, and we do this when we win as well, but everyone looking inward. You know, how can I get better? What did I do that wasn't great on the field that I can continue to get better at? And even if we see something that, you know, will help the offensive line with calls or, you know, will help the receivers with some things, like being able to just voice that opinion, even if it, you know, Even if the coach is, like, shutting it down, you know, it's still great to bring it up just in case. So I think just being really honest with each other, but more importantly, just looking inward and see how you can get better personally. I think our guys do a really good job of that.
00:09:54
Speaker 2: Do you feel like the injury is behind you, or are you still kind of in maintenance mode with it?
00:10:00
Speaker 1: You know, it's just, that's kind of the deal of playing in NFL season. There's always things that you're managing and trying to get better at in terms of the body, but by the time Sunday comes around, it's usually ready to roll.
00:10:14
Speaker 3: Thanks, guys.
Speaker 1: What's up, guys? Yeah, obviously another great week to prepare for a really good opponent. Really well-coached team, really good defense, really good scheme, obviously really good players as well. So it's got to be a really good week of preparation. We've been having good weeks, but I think getting a really good week of preparation and then showing it on the field on Sunday is going to be huge for us.
00:00:27
Speaker 2: Good team, good players, all that. When you are looking at a team going, are you even really aware of their record or is it more just what you see on tape and what.
00:00:35
Speaker 1: You see when you study? Yeah, it's all about tape for us. You know, you guys hear nameless, faceless opponent, that kind of thing. It's like, what does that even mean? You know, it really is just about the tape, about the players, you know, and that sort of thing because the NFL is, you know, that's why the NFL is so great. That's why people love Washington is because it truly is any Sunday. And, you know, again, it's a really good football team, really well coached, like I said, and good players. So, you know, we just got to continue to prepare and do our thing and make sure we're just ready to go out there and play well.
00:01:10
Speaker 2: What's it like preparing for and playing against Irwin James?
00:01:14
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, he's a really good player, obviously, and he does a lot of different things. You know, they can line him up wherever they want. He's a really good run stopper, really good in the pass game, really good blitzing. So, again, It's everything, everything a DB does, anything a linebacker does. He can even do some things that D linemen do really well. So just he's one of those guys that you kind of got to be aware of where he is at all times. Does practicing against Nick remind you at all of him? Absolutely. Not just because he wears the same number, but, man, they're one and the same, just how they operate, you know, just both being very athletic and, you know, strong and being able to cover guys down the field as well. So, again, really good, really good player.
00:01:55
Speaker 3: I'll be back this week, but I.
00:01:57
Speaker 1: Don't know what it's going to mean to have Zach Charbonnet back at practice this week. Yeah, having Zach back in general, just to have his presence and, you know, obviously Zach, man of many words, right? Like, doesn't say a whole lot, but just the way that he leads by example every single day of just coming to work and doing his job, you know, that's huge for us as a team.
00:02:17
Speaker 4: When you look at the offense from Sunday, and there's a discrepancy between passing.
00:02:21
Speaker 3: Yards and running yards, what do you take away from that? that game?
00:02:27
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, you know, sometimes that's just how it works out. You know, it's like for us as quarterbacks, like it doesn't, you know, it doesn't matter necessarily where the ball goes. It's, it's about, you know, going through my progression and letting the ball kind of find the energy and wherever the defense, you know, allows me to throw it, like trying to find the open guy. It's kind of the same way, you know, with pass yards, run game, like sometimes they're going to, they're going to do a lot to try to stop the run game. And sometimes they're going to be able to go out there and throw it the way that we did. obviously got to take care of the football, but yeah, there's, you know, obviously some ways to continue to run the ball better than what we did last game, but sometimes it's just how the game goes. You mentioned the ball just kind of going where it goes.
00:03:10
Speaker 2: Are there games where you do go into a game saying, we got to target this guy or that guy kind of thing, or is it always just.
00:03:15
Speaker 4: Kind of the ball goes where it goes?
00:03:17
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, like, not really. Yeah, we're always trying to just, you know, put plays together and Obviously understanding based on coverage and pre-snap looks like where the ball is supposed to go and where it might go. But when I'm out there, I just got to play fast and give the ball again to the guy that has the best odds of making a catch and whether it's getting a first down on third down or just finding a completion on first and second down. So it's really just for me, it's going out there playing fast, not really worried about who's getting the ball.
00:03:48
Speaker 2: Jack's obviously teams know who he is and they're putting a lot of effort into stopping him and yet he's still doing what he's doing like What is it about him that allows him to make the plays he has despite all the effort teams are putting in to stop him?
00:04:00
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think a huge– it's going to sound silly, but a huge part of it is knowing what we're doing as an offense. You know, him being really locked into our game plan, doing everything that he can throughout the week to prepare himself mentally, to hear the call, hear the concept, and just going out there and playing fast. Because obviously when he goes out there and plays fast, he can just play ball at that point and– He's not running the route like it's supposed to be drawn on paper. He's going out there finding space. And just us being on the same page, that's what it's about. And then kind of like I mentioned before, just if they're taking him away, usually that leaves someone else on the field open to go out there and make plays, which I feel like our guys have been doing a good job of. So you talk about nameless, faceless.
00:04:40
Speaker 4: But you look at the film this week, and you see your friend Josh Allen going against him last week. Does that lead to any more text messages than it normally would?
00:04:49
Speaker 1: Not necessarily. Obviously, we're close friends, but during the season, we try to leave each other alone. Obviously, if something happens throughout the week, like he texts me after week one getting hurt, and then if he has a really good game, which he normally does, I'll send him a text. But if he has three or four games in a row where he does well, I won't text him because I'm sure he gets bored of that. With Zach, we hear a lot about how on the details he is, the word people use is professional. What does that look like behind the scenes? Yeah, I think just, you know, every morning walking by and saying, what's up sharps, how you feeling and having a good, you know, conversation just back and forth about, you know, what he's doing to try to get back and, and still talking about football too. Like he's, he's in our meetings, um, and still talking about like protections and all those sorts of things. Cause he's really good at that. And, you know, how we want, if the, if the backs have a certain route or they're lined up and empty, or we're running a route from the backfield, like he's very, uh, he's just very aware and in tune with kind of what we're doing still. And that's always good. You know, I think that's the main thing, even like a guy like AB as well, like AB is doing a great job of staying in it, you know, because when you're out for a few weeks, it's easy to kind of just rehab and do your thing. But it's good when those guys are able to kind of be in the offense of meetings and even on the field, like being able to watch the tape and make calls and all those things. Cause when you get back, the game happens so fast and you want to continue to stay on point and stay fresh. Did you go to any Chargers games growing up at all? I went to a couple. Yeah, I don't know why, but I feel like on the weekends, as a family, we had season tickets to go to the Trojan games, USC, so we found ourselves in L.A. a little bit more often, but went to a couple growing up, Breeze and LaDainian, all those guys.
00:06:38
Speaker 4: You've had a couple passes over the last couple years that have hit helmets. Is that, like, bad luck, or do you see things where, like, technique or other things you'd want to change.
00:06:47
Speaker 1: To avoid that? You know, there's obviously some things you can control, some things you can't. I think to a certain extent you can try to find a window. But, yeah, like I said before, like things are going to happen on the field that you can't really control. I think if anything, like if it's a shorter route, just being able to get my elbow up and to avoid stuff like that.
00:07:09
Speaker 3: The scheme that they've got defensively, how much carryover do you see compared to what Mike's defense is, especially up front when– They've got a couple of guys that they can move up and down the line.
00:07:20
Speaker 1: Yeah, no, it's a great, great question. They do a lot of good stuff. You know, I'm not going to get into the details, but they do a lot of good stuff defensively, first, second and third down, really. So just, again, seeing the looks, preparing for it and just being prepared for it.
00:07:36
Speaker 3: Sam, I know you talked about it after the game, but the second the second interception, we went back and watched it on film.
00:07:41
Speaker 2: What sort of what jumped out to you is what happened on the play?
00:07:45
Speaker 1: Yeah, just Again, kind of the same thing I said after the game, like being able to make that split-second decision and just dirt it, you know, especially in that situation too, like trying to go down and score, like is a two-, three-yard gain really going to be the difference in that situation? Like being able to like weigh all those things in my head and then I think to keep it short though, like just seeing the defender and being able to burn it at AJ's feet.
00:08:08
Speaker 3: Sam, how important is it for the quarterback to be able to feel the game and when did that come about?
00:08:14
Speaker 1: Say that one more time.
00:08:15
Speaker 4: The ability to feel the game, seeing some mature quarterbacks, you know, Mariota yourself, that ability to feel the game, how important is that in order for you to manage the game?
00:08:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's super important. I think that's something as a young player, you know, I didn't do a great job of was, you know, understanding like the situation, what that might tell with the defense and different calls that they might get in because of the situation. So just, I think an overall understanding of what's going on throughout the game, if they get us with a certain pressure, like is it a coordinator that likes to do it again or is he a guy that kind of likes to bluff it and get out of it? So just understanding all those things, I feel like is very important that you, again, like you mentioned, you continue to understand as you, you know, go on throughout your career.
00:09:04
Speaker 4: Obviously different season, different team and things like that. But last year we saw this team, every time there was a loss, you ran on a wood streak sort of thing. What is it about the culture, everything with this franchise, that you guys have shown that ability, at least in the past, to bounce back in a big way like that?
00:09:18
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think a lot of it is, you know, and we do this when we win as well, but everyone looking inward. You know, how can I get better? What did I do that wasn't great on the field that I can continue to get better at? And even if we see something that, you know, will help the offensive line with calls or, you know, will help the receivers with some things, like being able to just voice that opinion, even if it, you know, Even if the coach is, like, shutting it down, you know, it's still great to bring it up just in case. So I think just being really honest with each other, but more importantly, just looking inward and see how you can get better personally. I think our guys do a really good job of that.
00:09:54
Speaker 2: Do you feel like the injury is behind you, or are you still kind of in maintenance mode with it?
00:10:00
Speaker 1: You know, it's just, that's kind of the deal of playing in NFL season. There's always things that you're managing and trying to get better at in terms of the body, but by the time Sunday comes around, it's usually ready to roll.
00:10:14
Speaker 3: Thanks, guys.
