Hail on Three
Three fans, two continents, one team. Hail on Three brings together Josh Edwards, James Barker and Lee Edwards to talk Washington Commanders football—the good, the bad and the downright baffling. Expect game talk, guests, hot takes and plenty of side tangents. Whether we’re winning or rebuilding (again), we’re along for the ride.
Weekly preview and recap shows throughout the season. Hail.
Hail on Three
Week 7 Preview Show - Commanders @ Cowboys
Josh and Lee jump on to preview the week seven tilt against the 2-3-1 arch rival Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night, with James dialling in his contributions from the East China Sea. The show includes:
- State of the rivalry chat
- Lee's lookback game
- James's Matchup Matrix
- Josh's 'Commanders win if' statline
- Scoreline predictions
@HailOnThreePod
Welcome to another edition of the Hail and Free podcast. I'm Josh. I'm joined by Lee from Chicago. The last episode without James, I think, I think, I'm not sure who knows how long he'll be away at sea. But, um, just Lee and I today to talk about the upcoming game against Arch rival Dallas Cowboys. Lee, how are you this morning?
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Good morning sports fans. I'm doing well, Josh. I've, uh, just fully recovered from Monday night now, especially after we got out of our system, um, with the podcast there. So ready to move on to Dallas Week.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah, that was really useful, wasn't it? Actually. I mean, it was a bit of a like, oh, we've really gotta do this and chat about all the things. We're really frustrated about the defense and Joe Witt and all that shit, but I feel like it was a kind of good, cathartic. Thing. And, uh, did get a message from James who said he'd listened to it, and I also helped him sort of process the frustration. So hopefully we can be of use to some other Washington fans in that regard when we do lose, but glad to have got it out for sure. but yes, Dallas Week, uh, always a big one. Um, how do you, how do you feel then generally about the rivalry at, at this point? Obviously it's sort of resurrected a bit in the sense of we're, we're hopefully decent now and that makes a difference really, I guess.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Interesting one, isn't it?'cause growing up as a kid, this was the one, it was always the cowboys. It was always Redskins, cowboys historically. And then. Both franchises obviously gone through their, their struggles in, in recent years, and particularly us under the Snyder regime in the last 15 years, just failed to deliver any big primetime games against them, almost so just the idea that the games meant. So much less on the field. I think that diluted the rivalry more than, more than anything else. Um, that and, and the name situation, just from a historical standpoint in terms of the imagery of the game and the feeling around the game. So, uh, I remember some big games over the, over the last 15 years, but not, not too many of them. Right. So you go back to, uh, 2012. Season finale on, uh, Griffin's rookie year that we needed to win to win the division. Uh, 2016 Thanksgiving game was a big one. We both went in with some really good winning records, so that, that kind of felt, felt like it was back a little bit, but since then, it's been a bit of a struggle. So yeah, I'm hoping that this, this rivalry is, is resurrected and end of the day is still Washington versus Dallas. So it means a lot for anyone that's grown up supporting the team, even if. The actual matchups have just kind of meant a little less recently.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah, I, I, I agree. I think that we talked a bit in the off season about Philadelphia and, and, that being. Potentially having the potential, at least to be a rejuvenated high kind of octane rivalry if we are both genuine Super Bowl contenders. Jury's out on that at this point, obviously, I guess. Um, but, um, Dallas was always the historical rivalry, like you said, for so many reasons. And, um, you know, the clip that we, that we kicked off with talks a bit to that, and I'm gonna, I'm gonna put a few things in throughout the podcast just to remind people of the history of, of that. Um, but obviously. You'll do a better job of that anyway with the Lookback game. Um, and I have had a sneak preview of this as you sent a few clips in the middle of the night UK time for me to tee up. So I know that we're going back a little bit this time. It's not a recent one.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, we're gonna start with a look back this week because this is the only way to really set the scene and, and preview this historic rivalry. And on that, let's talk a little bit about the rivalry and, and how it even came about. So this I think, will be interesting to any, any football fan. So back in the fifties, when. Washington was, was part of the league obviously pre-merger days. Uh, our owner, George Preston Marshall, um, he had a pretty decisive vote to whether the Dallas franchise could, could enter the league at the time. They were all, all more northern teams, and, and Marshall was not too interested in having a, a team south, the Mason, Dixie line in the league because of his. Media coverage and, and the Redskins radio coverage that was, was in the south and was revenue generating to, to a high level. So there was a Texas businessman that was very involved as an owner for Dallas Clint Merch and Junior. And what he'd done for$2,500 is he purchased the rights to hail to the Redskins, the song, and he said. It suppressed and Marshall, if you ever want to hear that song again in your stadium, you need to vote us into the league. And
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Wow.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:brilliant bit of history there. Uh, and Marshall relented because he loved the fight song so much, but he hated doing it. So that allowed Dallas into the league in the fifties and it kind of went from there that there was this, uh, not much love loss. Between the Cowboys and the Redskins, even though there was a, a fair amount of geography between the two cities. But when you had the kind of the, you know, the cowboys versus the, the Indians from back in the day, it was, it was all set up for, for a bit of a rivalry to, to commence. And then in the seventies, 71, I believe it was when we hired George Allen as the coach. He kind of amped it up even more. So Dallas came in as an expansion team in the fifties, but became good really fast and really competitive and started, started beating us. And George Allen, father of Future Washington President Ru Allen, um, he, he put so much energy into the team. So he was the, the coach of the over the hill gang. But yeah, that was when everything really started getting even more juiced up. So, um, big hits. A lot of smack talk back and forth. If you look at any of those seventies games, they are just going at it. And probably the game that kind of set the scene for the rivalry, which I'll have as my honorable look back, would be 1972 NFC Championship game in DC uh, when Washington were victorious. I think 26 points, two three, I believe. But yeah, a bit of a blowout. Knocked the Cowboys all over the field and that kind of set the scene for the seventies. And for my look back today, it will be actually the first game that I'm gonna do from the 1970s. And I fought long and hard about this one, and I know it's been a bit of a painful week, but I did say, didn't I? During the season I needed
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Oh no.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Josh. Josh is looking at me pretty angrily. I really joking. I did say throughout the season, I, I have to, I have to find four losses. Now, the reason I picked a loss in this lookback is iconic historic rivalries. The losses make that, make that up as well. Make they, they become part of the story, right? You look at England, Germany and World Cups like 1990 and 96 in the Euros. You know, these heartbreaking, gut wrenching. Losses become part of the, the fandom and, and part of the, you know, the folklore of the rivalry.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Stop it. God, stop it.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:So that's why I had to find one. Maybe, maybe it was just this kind of week led me to it, but, uh, yeah, we're getting to the halfway point of the season, so I thought, this is, this is where it's gonna come out. And 1979, so it was a regular season game, end of the season, mid-December back then with less games and just kind of how the season played out. So we both come into the game 10 and five. It's for the marbles for the NFC East, but not only that, the loser would not make the post-season due to our friend Chicago, winning a lot late in the season and getting that other playoff spot. So it was only gonna be the winner. Of the east that made the playoffs
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Mm-hmm.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:in this game there are some familiar players to me. As you know, I've done a lot of the stuff in the early eighties, but I haven't done a ton from the seventies. However, Joe Fesman is at the helm and John Riggins is in the backfield. For us, it's a Roger Starbuck led Dallas Cowboys team. The end of his career as a player. Uh, this season and Washington were like eight point underdogs, so we weren't expected to do well. We were, this wasn't like a team that was, you know, fancy to do very well at all at the start of the season. To be honest, this is obviously just pre Gibbs era, but it was a hell of a game and it's probably one of the most pivotal regular season games ever in the rivalry. And after a bit of a back and forth in the first half, A one John Riggins takes over the game. Rumbles in from a few yards out to give Washington a 27 21 lead and then takes the ball for 66 yards. Rigo has some speed actually down the sideline when he gets loose.
Play Riggins trying to get outside and will and does break. Tackles and Riggins might be gone. Riggins is gone. Don Riggins 66 yards and a redkin touchdown and the whole bench comes off down. The Washington team is in the Dallas Zone.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:He wasn't just a bruiser, at least back in the seventies, and he puts Washington up 34 21 Dallas, get back into it really late with a Ron Springs 26 yard touchdown from Starbuck. And then the doomsday defense as they lay themselves, got the stop they needed, got the stop they needed, got it back to Starbuck, who delivers to Tony Hill with a touchdown with around 40 seconds remaining to put the Cowboys up.
Staubach lines up under center this time with Springs and Pearson. Behind him, he throws Johnny Hill. Got it. Touchdown Dallas. And now don't forget what's coming. Don't forget either that Washington still has two time outs Left.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:35 to 34. But that is not. Where the drama ends. Washington still has a chance with a couple of timeouts for a late field goal to win potentially if fireman can get'em into range. And a certain Don Warren was featured on this drive, but I mentioned last week a lot in the game,
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Getting a lot of love.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:1979 to 1992, so this would've been maybe his rookie year. Uh, fireman draws a flag. On the throw up to midfield past interference that was to Don Warren wasn't caught but got the penalty. And then with five seconds left and one time out, he finds him over the middle at the Dallas 40 and there is a clear two seconds on the clock. All the Washington players are signaling timeout as the clocks hit zero. But it's never awarded. So this is a very controversial end of the game with literally the season on the line for both teams. The referees huddle in the center of Texas Stadium, and they just award the victory to Dallas. Unbelievable before the days of replay, et cetera. But anyone who goes back to watch that play will see that we clearly had. He caught the ball and fell down with two seconds left and clearly on one second. There's multiple people calling for timeout. It's never awarded. Now, it would've been a very long field goal for Mosley very long, but he'd already hit from 54 that year, I believe, and this would've been a 57 yarder to win it. So huge controversy to end the game. Which is another reason I selected this game, just because it's a, a huge story in the, in the rivalry and probably really heated it up for them early eighties battles. But yeah, Dallas win the division and gets to the playoffs. And was it in season? It's over in controversial style. Uh, and it ends with a Dallas fan spitting at Mark Mosley down the tunnel.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Oh,
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:So there you go.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:What a
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:The rivalry is born. Obviously, Washington would get their fierce revenge in the early eighties, including the famous Darryl Grant game in the, in the following 19, uh, 82 83 NFC Championship game. But yeah, incredible stuff.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Oh, nice. Well, I know you, I forgive you for the, for the lost pick. Um, you got me all juiced up now with that one. That's good stuff. And I, and I also, um, uh, an era that I particularly enjoy revisiting when I look at highlights, just to be able to see Rico and, and, uh, and that that line, the kind of early. Incarnations of the offensive line that became so famous, um, pound pounding the ball against Dallas. Um, like you say, when it mattered so much to everyone and, and when both teams were, um, good at that point.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:great look back.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:it was interesting that their, their, their record is really good if you look at it now, which is a bit surprising, but I guess not so much with the Snyder era. I'd love to see what the record is, um, in like 99 when Snyder took over, but it's 79, 49 and two.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Wow.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:quite a deficit, right? In Dallas favor, but we are two and oh in the postseason, both of them being in NFC championship games, that if you talk to anyone who was a football fan back in the seventies and eighties, this is not just one of the biggest rivalries in the NFC East or in football. This is in all of American sports. Say when you see that star come out on Sunday and you see our, our team face up against'em, it still gets the juices going. No doubt.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:It absolutely does. Uh, one of the things you, you talked about earlier on, in, in there, the buying of the rights of something to then try and, frustrate someone else, right? So they can't use it or whatever. Does remind me that I, I did buy. Washington Commanders co uk, uh, which I thought might have at some point been a useful addition to have. Um, the rights to, turns out doesn't matter. They just wanted commanders and all the versions of Commanders, so I wasn't able to sell anything to Dan Snyder. um, yeah, not as clever as what they did back then with the Hail to the Red Skin song.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, that's, that's funny. I didn't know you'd done that. Good, good, good foresight.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:I hope, I hope I'm still not playing for it. Oh dear. Um, brilliant. All right, nice one. Um, that leads us very nicely. Hopefully got everyone kind of juice up a bit as well. Nicely into this week's game against Dallas. Um, we'll briefly mention the situation the Cowboys are in leading into this game. So, Dallas at two, three and one after that crazy tie. Um, they have lost a Phil in week one. Obviously we talked about that game a bit back then, how they probably should have won that game. Um, they then, they've done a similar thing to us in the kind of win loss, win loss thing, but in reverse with the, and with the tie in the middle. So lost a Philly beat. The Giants in overtime lost to the bears. Had that crazy tie against the Packers, beat the Jets, and then lost last week to Carolina. Um, so they're two, three, and one. So a huge game for them as well to try and get back to. I suppose it is 500 if you're free. Free. And one. Um, and as we know, we are at 500 free and free. Heading into this game, um, James has sent us a clip, um, a voice clip, um, five beers down somewhere in the Chinese Sea where he talks about, um, of vaguely talks about a matchup matrix. Let's hear his voice because this is good stuff. So, James, take it.
Hey guys. Uh, James coming in here from the East China Sea. Um, just finished listening to your pod actually on the Bears Recap game. Um, game recap. Um, yeah, fair play to you guys for knocking that one out.'cause I was fuming. I I watched most of it on my phone. I had a few work things to do on here, so I caught about three quarters of the game, but missed kind of the final. End to it. So yeah, really frustrating. And, um, you guys touched on this, we've got a really tough schedule coming up with some really good offenses. Um, and our defense just doesn't seem to be improving in the, in the way we'd hoped. I, I can't figure out what sort of team we are at this point. Um, mixed bag every week. Um, but it seems that for us to win, we need the other team to either be. Just a really bad team with a bad quarterback or depleted, uh, injury wise. So I would love to see us beat a. Uh, a good team here. Um, matchup matrix. I don't even know where to start, to be honest with you. Like, I mean, if, if, if our defense can't stop Dak and Pickens, and if lamb, if he's bad, then we aren't gonna win. Like, simple as that. So I guess you can make that the matchup matrix if you want.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Alright, cheers James. Um, we saved his, I actually cut his prediction out for the end'cause it was all one clip. Um, so that's why he sort of cuts off a bit sharpish there. Um, but James has lent in, I mean, obviously you can still see a little bit of, um, in his voice about Monday, but, um. He has, he has turned and looked forwards. Um, and he's given us a fair, may, may, maybe a fairly broad, um, matrix in the Dallas offense. Um, passing attack against our defense, which is, you know, is a, is a good obvious place to start really given, um, how poor things have been for us. And we talked a lot about Dak. In the preseason and kind of what, what Dak meant to Dallas and, and where he is on the, on the QB list of where you, you know, how, how, how much he is important to them despite his failings in the postseason and stuff. Um, this is an extremely high powered offense and James' made match, match up matrix is, um, very valid given how our defense has been struggling, right?
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, not much of a rallying cry. Was it from, from James There? Jesus Christ. Um, but we appreciate the, the insight from, from the East China Sea James. Uh, yeah. I mean, look, D's having a, a really good Yeah, we know he is capable of it. We've seen it in a regular season before, haven't we? And some people mocked that trade, didn't they? We picking, but he's looking incredible. They've really got the chemistry going. So if they get CD lamb back, which I believe he is on track to do, then it's gonna be. A very interesting and challenging afternoon for our, our defense that we talked about a lot the other day.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah, CD lamb and potentially, um, Terin CTE Turpen as well, who's a, a proper just straight line deep Fre, is something that we obviously fear the backend as well. So, I mean, they've been doing it without lamb and, and Terin really. Um, which is pretty amazing. They're number one in total offense. That's yards. So, you know, we know that there's some. Nuances to it, but they are number one, you can't knock that 387.5 offensive yards on average per game, which is ahead of the Falcons, the Falcons, the Cols, the Rams, the Niners, all those teams at the top who you'd expect there, um, in passing offense. They're second yards per game at 270, just behind the 49 ERs. Um. And even their rushing offenses is kind of mid middling bang in the middle of the pack at 15. Um, and, and, and not much between it. We've had six games now, so a decent sample size. They're scoring 29.7 points per game and they've scored 20 total touchdowns. Uh, one of only I think five teams that have hit that mark so far. Um, so they are flying offensively and as you say, without some, some of their weapons, um, on fur down offense. They're seventh in the league as well of 41. 43.1 clip. So, um, better than us. Actually. We'll maybe talk about that later. We're only 33.3 on fur down. Um, so yeah, look, Dallas are flying. That's playing really well. They've got some people to come back. It's a tough one. Um, but I'm, I suppose given how we failed against the Bears and all the conversation about how we need to be bailed out by our defense. Every now and then, we can't just rely on our offense. This doesn't feel like one of these games. Right. Does this feels like a shootout? I dunno how you feel about that, Lee. Um, our offense going up against their defense.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:I mean, I could essentially throw every stat you just pulled out back on your face for the defensive stats. Not literally in your face, but just in terms of the actual.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Fuck you then.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:In, in terms of the actual,
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:They're that good on
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:yeah, that's where I, I disagree with James saying we, we can't beat them if we can't stop those guys, because no one has stopped those guys either, and they've lost games. They've lost football games because they are. Points per allowed In the NFL, they are 31st. They're over 30 points a game. They're dead last in yards. Allowed a game over 400 yards a game. I mean, that's incredible. Uh, yards per play. They're 30th at 6.2. Third down, conversions allowed their last in the league over 50%. Uh, callback pressure rate, which we'll talk about. They're kind of middling actually. They're in the top half, so they are getting some pressure. Um, sacks are 21st. They've, um, got 11 on the season pass a rating allowed their dead, last 116.9. And takeaways are kind of with us right at the bottom with just four. So. This is like on pace to be an historically bad defense. So essentially we're just talking about the best offense in the league in terms of stats and the worst defense in the league in terms of stats. Now you have to look at some of the matchups that play some bad teams, some good teams. So yeah, where, where are those? As a football team? They're. They're probably right where their record says they should be. Right. Terrible defense. Good offense. You can have some parallels with us, I guess on that. Uh, they, they've got more talent on the field on offense, outside of the quarterback position. There's no doubt about that in terms of the, uh, weapons at D'S disposal. But to say we can't beat them if we can't stop them, I'm not sure I completely buy that because there've been teams that have proved that they can still just punch right back on the scoreboard.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah. Yeah. Good shout. I agree with you. Actually in that sense, I mean, the, the Giants scored 37 on them in week two after that game. Um. When we, we kind of shut giants down in week one, which was a surprise to people. Uh, the bear scored 31 on them. Green Bay scored 40 on them. Um, Carolina scored 30 on them. This, this is a line for historically bad defense, like you said. Really interesting one that parallels. Between us and them at the moment. Um, I think we're both bad and good in different ways, to be honest, which is, which you kind of mentioned there, especially with the weapons that D's got, um, compared to what we are having to do offensively with Jaden and scheming people open with missing receivers and stuff. Um, but it's true that we both have. good offenses and pretty bad defenses. Um, which on paper makes for a shootout type game. A fun game in the late, in the, well, the evening slot in the UK time, the 9, 9 25 slot right on Sunday. Um, Dallas had been a fun team to watch for the neutral and kind of a fun team to watch. Really, even for me, I, I. I've enjoyed watching their games from a, from a football standpoint because it's been, um, sometimes when they're having those heartbreaking losses, it's good fun, but also they're just quite a fun team, to be honest, because they're such, so bad defensively. Um, and Dax slings it around offensively. Um. One of those stats you mentioned on defense, I think that they, they snuck into top 10 in pressure rate, is this. Oh wow. They're, they're getting pressure sort of sta actually, when you dig into it, they're not getting the right kind of pressure. So they're still quarterbacks a really long time to throw it. So I think they're doing that thing that we sort of critiqued. Um. Chase Young and, and others of in the past where they're not rushing as a team really. They, they, they might have some individuals that are winning and and stuff, but they're not really collapsing the pocket. They're just sort of getting out on the edge maybe. And, and, and the quarterbacks are running around, and have time to throw, which does bode well for Jaden'cause he's exceptionally good at that. If you give Jaden time, he'll find people in second and third reads. Um, so yeah, I went a bit long there, sorry. But I think it's, it's interesting to see how much, you know, many points they're giving away and. We won't spoil the predictions now, um, but I'm imagining that the over under for this game is
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, just, just on that in terms of, um, callbacks, kind of having time to, to try and figure, figure their defense out. They're playing zone at a ridiculously high clip. Uh, basically 90%, I think 87% they're in zone coverage, which is, which is the highest in the league, which to me suggests that. Daniels is gonna have a field day in terms of just having the passing lanes because they're clearly leaving players, um, receivers wide open. It does mean the secondary, obviously facing the quarterback a lot, but that zone will break down and could be huge for Daniels with his legs. That will be a really key matchup actually, if they're gonna be playing that much zone. Or did they watch the Chicago game and say, okay. Maybe we've gotta play more, more man and Deb and de beat us on the outside. It's gonna be gonna be interesting, but I'm not sure how you can go from playing basically 90% zone to 50 50 because you haven't been practicing that kind of defense. So interesting. I.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:No, and there'll be reasons why they've, I mean, generally it's a personnel thing. I mean, it can be a scheme like, this is my philosophy, this is what I'm gonna do regardless thing. But usually it's a personnel thing. If you don't feel like you've got the me, the the guys to play solid man coverage, then you just, you feel like you can't. Um, so I'd be shocked if they change it massively. Um, I think I would prefer'em to stay in that zone. We've got players like Erz and, and McCaffery, um, who are able to find spots. Um. So that's an interesting one. Good, good shout. Um, I, I, should I talk about my, my stat line?'cause I think this is something we haven't really mentioned yet. So let me, let me mention this now and, and kind of go in how, how I think we will win the game. Um, and it might surprise a few people, but I'm gonna look at the, um, the games we've played so far. As I said, we've got six games under our belt, so we've got a decent, um, like you said, it's a bit of a head fake early on, but we have got a decent sample size now, so. Um, rushing yards. So total team rushing yards for Washington. So in our wins, uh, against LA we had 163 against New York. We had 220 and against Vegas we had 201, uh, cumulative rushing yards our losses. We had 51 against Green Bay, 124 against Chicago, and 147 against Atlanta. It's a game script thing. Sometimes it's being ahead. It's all these things we've started slowly in, in, in many games, which has made it harder sometimes. But I think that my stat line and Washington wins if stat line this week is gonna be a over 150 rushing yards. Now people are expecting a, a kinda shootout and a lot through the air from Jaden. But I think ultimately getting off the. Uh, staying on the field on fur down is often Jayden using his legs. Um, it's often getting early down success, running the ball with Bill and others, like we said in the pre uh, in the recap show, getting people mixed in. and I'd like to think that if we are able to run the ball effectively, both as a kind of running back team and Jaden. Then we'll be able to keep Dak off the field and that might be a big part of how do we win this game. So I was tempted to go for time of possession again, but I'm gonna stick with rush yard. So I think over 150 we'll be in good stead and they won't, it won't be as back and forth as as it could be. And we'll be able to keep our defense off the field, which is kind of, I think, how we mitigate the big risks of being shit on defense. Let's hope we can run the ball like John, John Riggins was able to run the ball in your lookback game. and over the years how we've managed to do that to Dallas and I think over 150 rush yards. We have a great
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Love that. I completely agree. So Dallas are not good against the run either. Uh, they gave up a ton of yards, didn't they? On Sunday to their former back, and this is gonna be one, I think we'll come in here early next week, and whatever we give the coaches will be the deciding factor in the game because you just look at both defenses and you say, how are they gonna stop the other offense? Well, I need Cliff to not get super past happy, even if it's working. We need to just really limit. Uh, DAXs time on the field if possible, we need to steal the odd possession. I'm gonna give an example. Say you get the ball back four minutes left in the second quarter and you are receiving in the second half. You need to be telling your offense, we can't give the ball back here. We need like a more, even though we play a different style, sometimes we need to burn clock. We need to score on this possession. We need to not allow Dallas to have any time stuff. Like that's gonna be really important, right? Being able to double dip on the possession of the half and any advantage like that would be crucial because Dallas, to their credit, not only are they having these offensive numbers, they've been really good at protecting the football the last few weeks as well. So. It is gonna be like really crucial in terms of how the game script really, essentially, you're exactly right, so running the ball should work. Passing the ball should work, but do the thing that's going to kind of take the sting out the game a little bit more in terms of game script and gameplay. I agree.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah. Yeah. I mean, cliff should be rubbing his hands together, really, right. Looking at the tape. Like he should, he should be in a position to say, of, you know, be shame if Terry's not out there and Noah's on an ir, but like, I can, I can scheme some stuff up against this defense. Running and passing misdirection on all of it. I think the whole playbook's open to him this week. We're not in a situation like we were against Green Bay or even against Chicago, maybe, where you think, okay, these are the things they do well. We have to try and plan around it. I think we should go in fully confident, really positive early game script. Um, fully commit to it. And take over. I'd love to see us have the ball to start and get, get on the board first. Um, to be honest,'cause I think that slow start kinda stuff going 10, 13 down is, is always gonna hamper you. Um, but yeah, we'll see how that, that plays
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:I, I was thinking that last night. I'm like, if you win the toss, maybe you take the ball here. Like this narrative of slow starts and getting down double digits on the scoreboard is obviously gonna be frustrating to them. And they should, they should think they can score a score, shouldn't they, on their first possession. So yeah. I'm kind of, I'm kind of with you on that. I'd like, I'd like to see us just get outta gates and set, settle us. Set us down because. We haven't really put the other callback under any pressure early, have we? With the start. So not, not saying D's gonna feel much pressure at home against his D but at least going up on the scoreboard. Maybe, maybe we can get something created, give the defense at least on the, on, you know, something to, to hold onto a protect or go after in a way So.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah. Yeah. And, and you said you, you wanted to see a lot of soft zone and four man rush, right. From defensively.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:just, let's just keep seven in coverage, you know, because, um, yeah, it's, it's curious'cause I, that DCA just taken about a ack a game, so they're doing, they're doing pretty well, to be fair. Um, yeah, so I, I mean, look, I get it. We'll get into predictions later, but. If you look at two bad defenses, one potentially historically bad, one that's done okay at times against certain personnel, but really struggled at others, then you're gonna say, okay, well he's got the better offensive weapons. Okay, Dallas, but he's got the better quarterback. Okay, Washington. But yet Dak is still playing at a really high level. So it's a tough one, the call, and it looks like Vegas kind of agrees with that. It's really in the balance kind of game.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah, yeah, uh, for sure. Um, we, we did talk about our injury situation in the, the bears. Recap pod. Um, we are recording this lunchtime Thursday, UK time, really early lease time. So we don't have a Thursday injury report or a Friday injury report yet. Um, this, this going out tomorrow, Friday. Um, but we do have kind of the news again, that's worth reiterating that Cosme was a full participant. Cornerback. Jonathan Jones was a full participant, which is something we haven't really talked about in terms of getting a bit of more help in the secondary. and then we had a load of rest days. and as we said before, Deebo and Rodriguez were. Did not participate for their heel and calf injuries respectively. Um, so we'll see. We're gonna get more news about that obviously as the week goes on. So worth keeping an eye on our beat reporters on X to see where we are. Terry was limited, and this is the big question about the weekend. Terry has been pretty good against Dallas. Uh, and I would love to see him in the lineup, especially if he is full go, obviously, um, you don't wanna risk anything, but I, I just, I think that would be huge, uh, for us in terms of opening up more of the past game, uh, for Jaden and the whole offense. So, fingers crossed for that, for Maclaurin.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, a hundred percent. Terry is gonna take time to work back in and get the reps, even if he is feeling a hundred percent. But what better defense to try and do that against? So just having him on the field, as you say, is gonna cause a lot more. Anxiety for a defense that's struggling anyway, especially with our injury, uh, woes. So it would be massive to get him out there. He was limited yesterday. Let's see, Friday, I guess is gonna be the telling day on that one. We, we will know a lot more by the end of the day, Friday.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:yeah, absolutely. Um, before we get into our predictions, uh, I'm gonna play James' brief prediction first. You might have probably guessed it by the tone of his voice in the previous clip that he sent through. Um, before we get to that, um, have you got any plans for the game Sunday Lee, while, are you up to for it?
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Well, I'm obviously taking my on the ground podcasting career very seriously. So not a holiday, but a quick business trip. Uh, I'll be, I'll be heading south. Down to the Lone Star State, Texas, a great football state. Been there many times and excited for it. Good friend of mine, well ours actually, that I went to, to school with, he's, he's based out here, Aaron, we go to a couple of games a year. He was really wanting to go to Madrid, but can't make it work. So he's been hitting me up about wanting to get to a game and, and this is the one that's made sense. So I'll be down there Saturday afternoon and back Monday.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Superb. Uh, how many times have you been to Jerry World now?
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:I've been twice before. I've seen two really good games, so hopefully that streak continues. I was there for the Colt McCoy Monday Night Football. Game in 2014, uh, when we were probably double digit underdogs and won in overtime. And then I was there for the COVID game in 2020, uh, when I think Antonio Gibson ran wild to Alex Smith led offense on the way to an NSCS title at seven and nine.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah, I remember that game very well, was, it was a really good trick playing that game as well. If I remember
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, it was,
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Tight
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:yeah, it was.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:on
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:He was the tight end that used to be a quarterback in college.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Uh, you know, I'm gonna look silly now'cause I can't remember his name.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Um, I dunno why I can't remember his name. I've gone blank as well. Yeah, he threw a ball downfield.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Uh, just, just, I, I did that thing where you Google something, try and do it too quickly and you just Google something the wrong way completely. It's got a list of really old, tight ends. Robert Royal.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Logan Thomas.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Logan Thomas. Yeah. Logan Thomas. Yeah. A bit of an under throw actually on the
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:It's because I was talking it, because I was talking about Logan Paulson yesterday and I was like, oh, it can't be Logan. I was like, oh no, it's Logan Thomas, isn't it?
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:It's a
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah. Um.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:We had some great tight ends over the years. Um, so I remember that game. Yeah. Gibs Gibson. It was Gibson doing his little wave celebration every time he went in the end zone. I remember that.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, it was one of the,
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:at you in the stands with your mask on.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:uh, Texas forever.
Here's the God in football and 10 years from now, street Good friends living large in Texas, Texas, forever Street, Texas, forever.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Um, but it was,
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah,
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:it was one of those games that I think they was allowed 20,000 in that, that, that day. But, um, great performance actually. Uh, don't think Dallas were very good that year. Obviously they couldn't have been because they had a losing record.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:yeah, yeah. Oh, that's great news. Get, get that you're gonna be in, in person again. Um. I will be watching at home. Uh, so nine 20 five's a difficult one to, to go out for here, um, because you never have a real guarantee that wherever you're watching is gonna stay open or wherever you're gonna get home and stuff on the tube. Um, but I'm in full-time. I'm sort of full, full in training for the winter season now. So I'm gonna be at home with some, some alcohol free beverages and, and really getting into it and looking at the. Looking at each play in detail rather than being either a little bit pissed or a little bit tired or whatever. So I'll be fully there ready to send you my, my in in live game analysis.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, looking forward to it. It's a great arena to, to watch sport in general in so should be a good one and will be well represented as usual, I'm sure from a fan base perspective. So.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah. We usually, we usually are there, aren't we? Um, okay. Let's hear from James and his, uh, his prediction for the game.
Um, I'm gonna predict our first loss. I, I, I actually don't see how we win this game. Um, I know Dallas was thrown away a few games of ugly loss to the pan for the last week, but I don't know, maybe if Terry's back, maybe we've got a shot. Um, high scoring game. Both defense is awful. I know I went high scoring last week. It didn't really pan out that way. I know I ended up fairly high scoring in the end, but it wasn't that sort of game. But, um, two teams probably really, really desperate for a win. This is suddenly become a huge game, which isn't, you know, really ideal, uh, for a, a divisional game, uh, this early on. But it does feel very big. Um. Sorry, I'm going Dallas 31, Washington 27. All the best guys.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:It wasn't a surprise really, the way he led into it. In, in the previous clip, James has gone for a loss. Um, he has at this point, I think, zero faith in the defense. I'd have loved to have seen his grade for Joe Whit last week after the Bears game. Um, yeah, a loss from James who doesn't think we can keep up with Dak and the high power Dallas offense in spite of their defensive woes. Uh, Lee your reaction and your prediction for the game.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Yeah, I was leaning the same direction to be honest, but I said to a friend of mine at the end of last week, I said, Washington gonna go one on one over the next two games and. I just, that's just how I see this kind of season going. In a way, it's like in these mini, like eight day stretches, I was like, I just, I don't think we'll separate to five and two, but I don't think I'm gonna lose both of them. I did think we'd beat Chicago though, so I'm, I'm still really concerned about the game. Um, but yeah, I'm gonna stick with my going one-on-one. So I'm gonna say we're gonna do it. I'm gonna say Jaden Daniels had a massive day with his legs, 80 plus yards on the ground and watch it. And they're gonna win a high scoring day game as Dak does turn over the ball at least once in a crucial situation. So I'm gonna go 34 to 30.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Okay, so a huge, um, shootout a huge win for us to take us to four and three for
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Is that seven wins in a row now I've predicted. Yeah,
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:I is about to say I think it is. Um,
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:They're coming. But the logic was the one-on-one stretch.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:the logic for each one has been good, I think. And, and maybe that's the, that's our home at Homer Hats on. But, um, no, I like it. And I'm gonna match your prediction in terms of us winning the game. Um, and I'm actually really confident that we'll win this game. I, I think that offensively I hear fist pumps from Lee across the ocean, uh, offensively. I think we can. Almost have a bit of a breakout. It hasn't quite yet, had one of those games this season. This is the one to do it in. I think Jaden has been playing great regardless of the, the turnovers last week. And I think he can, he can really put on a show in this one. I think he will put on a show in this one. Um, my score prediction is, again, very optimistic. I think we will score 40 points on Sunday. Um, I think that's very feasible. I think we're gonna win this game 40 20. So a similar, uh, total number between myself and yourself. Um, 20 is because I think we will, and
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:I love it. I loved love.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:You also mentioned DA Dak, a Dak, uh, mistake or two, or, or, or turnover. on Lattimore pick that, hang your hat on that
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:Okay.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:I think he's been playing, playing Bear and I think he's gonna get confidence. I think he might fight for a ball and catch it on the second kind of drop. I'm getting really specific this time. Um, and I think. Offensively Jayden, obviously I said having a massive game. Uh, I think we could see a multiple touchdown day for Zacker as well against that zone defense in the red zone. So 40 20 win, taking us to four and three and that matches the kinda win loss, win loss, win loss, win loss scenario we're in at the moment. Um, which maybe, I mean, that could continue looking at the schedule. Um, I think that would mean we would win in Madrid though, if that did so I'm
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:I love, I love that optimism because you're right in what you say in the sense that we're basically putting up 27 kind of points games, aren't we? And we're not clicking on all cylinders are we either like. I was wondering if you were going to do a fair down stat line. Um, so maybe I'll chuck a little sneaky one in, if you don't mind. Like if we can keep, if we can keep Dallas where they are and,'cause we're only converting what, 30 odd percent on Fair down. Say if we can get towards, you know, 50 plus, 60% on fair down, I think that would be, that'd be massive on Sunday and Dallas. Against Dallas against worse offenses. Let's face it under 50%. Yeah, I, I think you're right in what we have the potential to do on our fence, even with our limitations in terms of the receiver course. So let's, let's see what we can do and yeah, that'd be amazing. I'll take a 20 point win all day. Josh, obviously that sounds quite comfortable.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Well, I, I, I, when, when the, I, I'm not the sort of bloke that does the contrarian thing, like for the sake of it at all, but I do think there's something in. there's so much concern over a certain thing that it will probably, it's probably overblown and it might flow back a bit the other way. And I mean, a bit the other way. I mean, for us, if we keep Dallas to 20 points would be a massive day for the defense, really. Um, and I think that that isn't necessarily wildly out of the question if we're able to stay on the field, run the ball and, and put up numbers. So I, I just feel really good about it after. After a loss like we had. Um, and I think we might be a bit of a wounded animal team coming. We talked about other teams being like that. I think we might be that going into Dallas. I'm actually kind of glad it is on the road in a way. Um, so yeah, there you go. I'm positive. James, come on. Cheer up mate.
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:James did make a valid point in, in terms of not knowing what this team is. So we come in here every week, right, and we're like. Oh yeah, yeah, we're turning the corner. Good win, really good stuff. Really positive signs. And then we lose and then we win and then we lose. And that's been our season. And look, we only lost five times last year and I never thought that would happen this year with our schedule. So it is not where we want to be, but we're only us making a play the other night feeling really good. Aren't we? A bit foreign too, so it just shows it's all fine margins. As with most things in sports, so yeah, I, I'm not, I'm not coming defeatist and the sky is falling. Yeah. I, I can't do it. I, I'm really disappointed with the defense. You could hear that in my analysis, uh, the other day, but. There's still a lot to, to hang your hat on offensively in this season, and if we can just get some momentum. I think just winning two games in a row at some point would, would be huge. And maybe we can, you know, steady the ship. I don't think that's gonna happen over the next month, but if we can just keep in the fight, that's what we need to do here. We need to try and go 500 before Madrid. Keeping the fight is the key thing. So if we win. Sunday, then we just need one of the next three, don't we to, to get to that 500 for Miami. And then all of a sudden you can say, okay, can we go six, six and five against Miami? We should do, and then all of a sudden it opens up a little bit and you've got the hard bit of your schedule out, the way you've got players back. So as much as I don't wanna put too much emphasis on this game, it's gonna be nervous going into it because this game is a huge game for this football team in the season. So.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:I think they're thinking in the same way there. I think if you, if you it stay in the hunt, it stay above 500, just around 500 to a certain point in the season. Hope to get people back and then crack on as other teams that have peaked early, might be then, uh, struggling later on. I think that's the. That, that Quinn will have that mentality. He might not talk about that, but I think he'll think that way. Um, and you just have to be in the fight to have a chance. Right. We're a dangerous team of Jaden regardless, so Yeah. Love that. Um, great. Alright. Um, so we've had our predictions, James was match up matrix, uh, my stat line and, and Lee had a, had an honorary one there on the third downs. Um. Two predictions for a win, one for a loss. Um, very much looking forward to this On Sunday, gonna watch a number of old school highlights, SL with your look back game, and then some other ones, the Monday Night Miracle and all that stuff just to get myself juiced up ahead of the game. Um, anything final thoughts leading into it, Lee, before we close out?
ledders_1_10-16-2025_070811:That's it. Um, I'm excited. I want everyone to. Uh, to not throw in the towel just because of a gut wrenching loss. Like, we've got problems, but we've got some, some really positive aspects of this team moving forward. So we're in the hunt this season. Let's, let's stay there and let's go beat Dallas.
josh_1_10-16-2025_130812:Yeah. Good stuff, Lee. Alright, I'm gonna close it out with, uh, some Texas related music and one of my favorite clips ever from the old school around the NFL Podcast. It's out of date, but Dallas's defense is so bad that I'm gonna let people enjoy. Mark Cesar's 50 phrases to describe the Dallas defense, which hopefully will come true again on Sunday. All right, until then, hail.