Water Cooler Jazz Weekend

Hope everybody gets a chance to check out the D.C. Jazz Festival this Labor Day Weekend.

I'd been thinking of a theme song for Washington Commanders Head Football Coach Dan Quinn his first go round in D.C. Of course there's the obvious: The Mighty Quinn.

But hey. This is Jazzfest weekend in D.C. And for DQ I figure Pick up the Pieces is just about perfect seeing as how that's exactly what he's doing here. 

I don't know if you noticed but Riggo posted over on his YouTube Channel MegaRiggins. Sounds like he's going to do some posting on the Commanders' season. I recently ran his Steve Sabol interview in the which he mentioned his acting exploits making note of his "emotional preparation". Sounds like Sanford Meisner. The best acting philosophy I ever came across was David Mamet's. His simple direct economy of motion principles would fit Riggo well. 

Somebody should have had Riggo in a Western. I could see him playing Captain Call in Lonesome Dove. Of course, I'd have to cast Joey T as Gus and Chris Cooley as Newt. Doc has to play Ranger Walker.

Kevin Sheehan and Thom Loverro were over on their podcast talking about Dan Quinn's "secret sauce". I expect that sauce is the NFL wanting to get Washington back into the swing of things. If the NFL wants D.C. back in the playoffs for economical reasons, they will be back in the playoffs.

Not that they would ever cheat. But if the League wants something it usually gets it.

As regards the final roster debate, there is no FINAL 53 Man Roster. Guys come and go the whole year. Some say the Washington Commanders Roster "blows". They have unknowns at receiver and offensive line. The secondary is a mystery. Disaster looms.

I expect their answer to secondary questions is Joe Whitt. Questions about the O-Line and receivers get answered with Jayden Daniels, the tight ends, and the running backs. I expect Kingsbury to involve the tight ends way more than we have seen in recent years. They won't be just chipping and fullbacking. They are going to actually score in the red zone this year. 

Jayden gets rid of the ball quick taking pressure off the O-Line and his run-pass psychological leverage on the defense is going to spring those no-name receivers free. He's also going to declutter the running game. That's why people are picking B-Rob in their fantasy leagues figuring he might have an Alfred Morris type season.

Even with Jayden compensating for the personnel weaknesses, it is going to be hard getting over .500. The defense so far has been weak against the pass. But the starters have been out most of preseason. What they have on defense won't be known until Kliff Kingsbury student Baker Mayfield looks it over week one.

I think there'll be a lot of shootout type ball games. That could mean a slide at the end of the year. And one and done in the playoffs, if any.

Still, I think one and done in the playoffs would be seen as a win for Dan Quinn and Adam Peters in their first year.

Eddie Lockjaw Davis

Brother Jack MacDuff Quartet

War -- Gypsy Man 

A Lazy, Uninspired, Lethargic, Entitled Commanders Football Staff

You know, come to think of it, we don't PLAY TO WIN in Washington.

Things began to trouble me earlier this week and I'm not seeing anything dissuading me from the slow creeping depression that I guess was there from the time Jacoby Brissett was benched.

These guys, the new contingent in charge of the Washington Commanders, apparently believe they have a lot of time to build a winner in Washington. They were out of time when they bought the team. Seems like a case where somebody sold you a house somebody was murdered in and you didn't get the memo.

To hear Dan Quinn talk, with his notions of succession in the coaching staff, you'd think he was expecting to be here years on end. That's entitlement. That expectation is going to cut short his stay. The NFL stands for NOT FOR LONG and if you are not serious about WINNING THIS YEAR you probably should spare yourself the trouble coming for you in year two when you get fired and just get the hell out.

I guess we should not be surprised at the lack of urgency apparent in this new staff since the exemplars of lack of urgency, the Dallas Cowboys, were smashed by a more motivated team in the playoffs. That was Quinn's team. They may have been a number one defense but they were also Number One in not giving a damn.

The Free Agency Period, which this Bruce Allen like General Manager appears ready to forsake, features some players who could help Washington.

There are veteran Quarterbacks available Washington should have a serious interest in. The three rookies people are swooning over in this years draft are dodgy at best. Two are not going to make it through the season. The third will be out of gas and decoded as his former team mate was by week 10.

Adam Peters seems to be a laid back kind of guy. Like nothing bothers him.

Seems like LOSING should bother the hell out of you. And the resemblance to Allen lies in the sense you get he is part of the "brotherhood", the OLD BOY NETWORK. I mean he looks like Bruce Dern when he smiles. I hope that means he is as MEAN AS BRUCE DERN. 

Bruce Dern, somebody who shot JOHN WAYNE in the back, would not be laid back about losing. He might smile but that just meant he was about to ATTACK.

The other disturbing thing about this new crew is they are NBA Guys. NBA Guys think they have forever to build a winner. They tank a season they don't care what the fans think. Five years later they are still tanking and they still don't care what the fans think.

That is not going to keep an NFL Franchise in Washington. 

I need to see these guys getting some work done in Free Agency or I'm going to bail. Divest in 2024. Because when help is available and you don't seize the opportunity there is something wrong with you.

I applaud those of you willing to sit through yet another embarrassing double digit loss season. 

It's like your Grandmother telling you you have to put up with a job that makes you miserable and you wake up one day and you've been miserable half your life.

That's what is in the offing for young Washington Football Fans. Don't put up with it because your parents put up with it. 

Hold their feet to the fire or kick them the hell out of your life. Life is too short.

Harris is a Lucky Guy

Josh Harris started his era off right on Monday. The parting of the ways with Ron Rivera will be a blessing for both sides. 

Rivera is ready for his next phase. He has turned his misfortune in D.C. into a pot of gold for Harris. This is easily the most opportune offseason Washington has faced since the hiring of Bobby Beathard. Rivera has put the team in position.

The Commanders have money. They have draft picks. They have transformational capacity. How they proceed will be fun to watch. 

Can they win right off the bat? Yes. Can they win right off the bat AND five years down the road? Yes. The former has mainly to do with good coaching. The latter with getting a good GM/front office in place.

There are a lot of good candidates out there for both positions. Harris has picks and money. It is a good time to have picks and money. The timing couldn't be better for Josh in that respect.

I'm personally enamored with joining the Harbaugh Football Family. Wooing Jim Harbaugh to town would save some valuable time. He just won a National Title with Michigan. He could join the rarefied air of Jimmy Johnson and Pete Carroll and win both a Natty and a Lombardi. He had the best O-Line in college ball. He is not allergic to running the ball. And his defense was a swarm of sharks.

The Commanders would be a well-coached ball club.

Harbaugh getting hired would get a jump on the rest of the field. The NFL is a horse race. Getting the post position would be excellent.

Not getting Harbaugh my second choice would be Mike Harbaugh, er, uh, Mike Macdonald (looks like the D is a d which means he's a Highlander), the young guy from the Ravens who is a frequent dinner guest of the Harbaughs.

It is good coaching that will put butts in seats in 2024. That's essential because franchises can be moved if not enough gluteal maximises show up.

Foundation repair is the business of the Front Office.