Tag: The Sports Junkies

Commanders Jonathan Allen: ‘I want to win now’

Jonathan Allen liked what he heard from owner Josh Harris on Monday.

On Tuesday’s edition of the “Sports Junkies,” a conversation with Washington defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was both entertaining and revealing.

Allen revealed he sat down with Ron Rivera prior to the season finale, and they discussed his playing with a sore knee and plantar fasciitis.

The two agreed with the Commanders being 4-12, it really was not worth it for Allen to be out there again this season.

Allen goes to great measures to maintain his health. He expressed that during the season, he really cuts back on drinking alcohol and cuts back on greasy foods as well.

Allen and his wife will be taking another extensive trip this offseason. This time they are going to Easter Island, which is west of Chile, South America.

When asked about some of the unusual cults approaching him while on Easter Island, Allen did not hesitate to respond, “Oh man, I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. Man, I don’t believe in all of that mumbo, jumbo.”

Then asked if he believes in the voodoo witch doctors, Allen replied, “No sir, hey, keep that away from me. I don’t even watch TV shows that have that crap in it.”

When Allen walks through airports, fans come up to him. But interestingly, when Allen is with his wife, Allen insists no one comes up to him.

His wife is a distance runner, having even run half marathons and a marathon. Allen, who weighs around 300 pounds, told of how he tried to run with her one time, and he only ran a mile, expressing he was miserable.

When flying into some of these remote airports across the planet, Allen said he has literally prayed, recognizing, “People get mad at me when I say this, but I’m on a plane, and I have no control. So, if it is my time to go, it is what it is. I can’t control it now.”

When asked why he puts his huge body in a plane seat all of those hours to fly on these trips all over the world, Allen again did not hesitate, “Well, that’s what the wife likes, you know, so got a suck it up.”

When the Allen’s traveled to Bhutan (between China and India), Allen talked of how the elevation was 12,000 feet above sea level. They embarked on a hike up to a place called Tiger Nest, a Buddhist Temple. Jonathan said it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. You start at 12,000 feet and hiking up to 14,000 feet. I was getting crushed by this thing; lack of oxygen. Again, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I don’t think I will go back.”

He expressed he liked what he heard from Josh Harris at the press conference, stating he is not looking for a reason to be leaving, but he does want to win now.

That is certainly understandable, as Allen’s first year in the NFL was 2017. He has been through many battles in the trenches.

There was even more revealing from Allen; here is the link to the entire conversation.

Commanders’ Allen understands fans perspective, but he is an NFL player

Allen talks fans rooting for a higher position in the 2024 NFL draft and the quarterbacks.

Did the close loss to the Jets ruin Christmas for Jonathan Allen?

That was one of the early questions, asked of Allen on his weekly appearance on the “Sports Junkies” Tuesday.

“No, and here’s why. The amount of work I put in this week leading up to the Jets is probably some of the most I have done in my entire career. The way I was able to go out there and play hard, I can go to sleep knowing I left it all out there on the field.” Allen finished with four tackles and three of the four Commanders quarterback hits.

Allen said he has learned how fans look at it from their perspective of how can the team win over the next ten years. But he has also learned that as an NFL player, the only right way for him to look at it, is he is trying to win right now (this day, this game).

Allen then confirmed that a younger version of himself would have been upset with local fans and local media, wanting the team to lose for a better draft position, etc., but now that he has matured, having been in the NFL since the 2017 NFL draft, those things don’t bother him. He understands the fan base has their perspective, and they need to understand he has a player has his perspective.

As for the Commanders’ two quarterbacks and which should play against the 49ers next Sunday? “Obviously, Sam Howell is struggling, and Jacoby is playing great. Thank God, I don’t get paid to make those decisions. I just focus on what I have to do. Do you move on from him or do you continue to try to work with him (Howell)? I don’t know. That’s a tough question. I don’t think that is really a question I can answer.”

Allen was not being avoidant, he simply is mature and knows there is a time and place for everything.

 

Jonathan Allen named three Commanders having a good season

Allen believes Sam Howell is just going through the growing pains of a young quarterback learning on the job.

“We could make excuses, but we are just not a good defense right now.”

That’s how Jonathan Allen making his weekly appearance on the “Sports Junkies” of 106.7 The Fan, described the Washington Commanders defense, after giving up some more explosive plays that led to Washington’s 28-20 loss Sunday to the Los Angeles Rams.

When asked about the offense having too many short possessions, forcing the defense to go right back out there on the field, Allen wasn’t taking the bait. He responded, “It is a huge factor; but there have been a lot of times we (the defense) haven’t held up our end of the bargain. There have been times the offense has done their job, and it’s been the defense who hasn’t done our job.”

When asked about how Ron Rivera might be calling the Commanders defense differently than former coordinator Jack Del Rio, Allen responded, “I definitely feel like we have been more aggressive, blitzing our linebackers more.”

Allen didn’t hesitate when asked if there were some guys on the Commanders defense who were playing well. He, without hesitation, declared that safety Kam Curl and rookie defensive end K.J. Henry are both playing well right now.

When asked about offensive players having a good season, Allen quickly supplied the name right guard Sam Cosmi. You may recall that Cosmi was a tackle before moving inside this season.

Regarding Sam Howell’s benching for Jacoby Brissett Sunday against the Rams, Allen expressed, “Sam, being a young quarterback, is going to have growing pains. He is going to have to experience things and struggle to learn.” Allen also stated he is not surprised Jacoby Brissett made some good plays Sunday, citing his experience and years in the NFL.

 

Rick ‘Doc’ Walker on Commanders: It ‘is a manhood issue now’

Walker names the things he’s looking for in the final four games and it’s not necessarily wins.

“It’s like we are flat-lining now. This is where you have got to have that captain, that person on the staff, whomever, that doesn’t allow you to let go of the rope.”

Rick Doc Walker visited with the “Sports Junkies” Tuesday, and he didn’t hold back in saying how he feels about this Commanders team. In fact, Walker said it is now a manhood issue for this team.

“When guys start giving up on you and they’ve given up on the program, I’m trying to find how do I motivate myself now?” Walker was referring to the fact the Commanders still have four remaining games on their schedule.

The Commanders have fallen apart, losing six of their last seven games after starting the season 2-0.

“Now, I am looking for competitors. What would I be looking for now? Who doesn’t quit? Because if you quit on me, I quit on you. I can dump the whole roster because it’s a last-place operation. I am going scorched earth if the guys don’t prove to me that they are competitors.”

Walker was asked, “Who on this team would you choose to build around?”

“It’s easy. Who do you win with? (Pause) Nobody.”

Walker then elaborated, “In other words, I am going into expansion mode if I have to. These guys are going to prove to me now if they are competitors. Clearly, you need more competitive people on this team.”

“Why would I anoint anybody anything? That is our problem. We give away too many awards before they are earned.”

“You saw the Niners, the Cowboys. Hell, the Rams are going to be ferocious. They are turning the corner. Other people (teams) aren’t giving up. So, this is a manhood issue now. Let’s find out how many competitors we have. Talk is cheap. I want to see effort.”

“The bottom line is that everyone makes money; win, lose, or draw. So guys aren’t playing for the money. They already make the money. You got to find a way to get some incentive.”

Walker was asked if Sam Howell is the guy for next season.

“Oh, he’s going to compete. He ain’t the guy; he’s going to compete. Sam Howell is going to compete to be on my team. I am not holding any slots for anybody on a last-place team!”

“Everything is going to be open the way it ought to be. You got to earn the right to start.”

“What am I doing reserving a spot for a guy I can’t win with?”

Doc Walker would like Commanders next coach to be Jim Harbaugh

But Doc believes a GM is the more important hire. And on Sam Howell: he has “it.”

Rick “Doc” Walker found one positive out of the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving Day massacre of the Commanders.

Washington embarrassingly lost 45-10 to Dallas, but Walker stated on the “Sports Junkies” 106.7 The Fan that one thing was positive. He pointed out that QB Sam Howell was under duress all day, but “the guy doesn’t collapse. You can’t break him. He’s unflappable.”

Walker expanded a bit, declaring that there have been NFL quarterbacks who were beat up early in their careers but fought through it, becoming premier players. He then stated, “This kid has it, whatever ‘it’ is. Now, what would it be like if he had an offensive line? What if he had a defense that could get him the ball?”

Walker pointed out how the Thanksgiving massacre had huge ratings. “41 million, one of the largest crowds ever to watch THAT?”

He feels the Commanders must respond. “You have to come out and avenge yourself. If not, I wouldn’t want them on my team next year.”

He declared the linebackers can’t cover anyone, asked, “What happened to Benjamin St-Juste? I thought he was promising. Regarding the defensive line, Walker said, “I thought it was an area of strength. Obviously, it is not.”

Regarding the defense as a whole, Walker summed up his observations, saying, “Somebody has to be responsible for it.”

When asked what type of coach he might like to see come, replacing Ron Rivera, Walker pointed to Jim Harbaugh, “he’s won more than our whole group here now.”

But he was quick to clarify, “I do believe in the general manager being the dog in the group, the real K9, not the (head) coach. The coach has too many relationships with the players. That’s why some players play hard for a coach. But someone over there has to be the bearer of bad news. What strikes me is they have nobody that can deliver bad news.”

Walker also pointed to a problem he sees in today’s players. “The object used to be to win. Now, it’s to get rich.”

“I get it; it’s the end of an era. Eventually, they’ll be playing flag (football) from across the board, the way I see it. In the meantime, I’m just trying to enjoy the remains of pro football.”

Commanders’ DT Allen: ‘Growing up here, it is more personal’

Allen defends Del Rio, while acknowledging football is a production-based business.

How does Jonathan Allen feel about this being another losing season for the Washington Commanders?

The Commanders defensive tackle made it clear to the “Sports Junkies” at 106.7 the Fan, Monday, “Growing up here and being a fan of the team, long before I played here, it’s even more personal.”

Allen continued, stating that most players get drafted and want that team to do well, but “growing up in this area, going to the training camps, following them, supporting them, rooting for them for five to ten years before I even came on this team, it sucks, because I want to win.”

“But even more importantly, I want to win here. If winning was all, I wouldn’t have signed a contract for here. I would have gone free agency and gone to the best team. Winning somewhere else wouldn’t feel the same for me.”

“The idea of winning here is something I am going to achieve before I exit this league, God willing. It is tough, but it gives me the resolve to come back year and year with even more optimism. Because I truly believe we found our quarterback…”

The “Sports Junkies” cast then asked about defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio being fired, and Allen offered some heartfelt thoughts.

“We live and play in a production-based world and a production-based league, and when the defense has played like we have played, heads are going to roll. That’s only natural,” said Allen.

“I do not think Coach Del Rio was the entirety or sole reason why we are where we are. But as the leader and the guy who leads the group, you are always going to get the blame. Like when the offense doesn’t play well, the quarterback gets the blame.”

“It’s part of the blame. It sucks. But at the end of the day, we get paid to perform. Changes are going to be made.”

“There’s nothing he did that I largely disagree with…As players, I think we could have performed better.”

“I’ve never seen a pencil win a game. It’s a coach’s job to try to put you in the best position to make plays. At the end of the day, the coach is not the one out there telling you play the double team or to catch the interception, or react fast and hustle to the ball.”

“It’s not Del Rio’s fault a guy doesn’t win his pass rush rep, or a guy loses his one-on-one man-to-man rep. I’m always going to lean more to the players could have done a better job.”

“I can point out a lot of things as to why we are not playing well. It’s a year-to-year league even when you have the same personnel.”

“I reached out to him and told him I appreciate him for everything he’s done, and I wish him and his family nothing but the best. He sent a nice message back, telling me to continue to lead and be true to who I am. We had a good relationship.”

There is more. Here is the video link to the entire conversation with Jonathan Allen.

Commanders Jonathan Allen: ‘We’re playing for our pride’

Jonathan Allen understands the Commanders are playing for their jobs the remainder of this season.

“I think I played pretty good this game, but at the end of the day, we didn’t make the plays we needed to make, to win the game, and that’s what ultimately matters.”

That was how Jonathan Allen opened his weekly appearance on the “Sports Junkies” of 106.7 The Fan.

The Commanders recorded nine quarterback sacks Sunday against the Giants. Allen quickly praised his defensive coordinator.

“I’m gonna give Coach Del Rio a lot of credit with some great blitzes to give (Tommy) Devito a lot of different looks to confuse him a little bit, make him unsure what he was seeing at times.”

Del Rio had the defensive unit focused on stopping the run, and indeed the Commanders at halftime held a 72-0 advantage in rushing yards. It continued through the third quarter as Washington rushed for 145 yards limiting the Giants to only 36.

“Our main goal was to stop the run, put the ball in his (Devito’s) hands, and when he does have the ball in his hands, you get after him and try to make him uncomfortable.”

But Saquon Barkley did get loose a few times late, finishing with 83 yards on 14 carries. “You give a guy like Saquon an inch of room; he is going to take advantage of it,” confirmed Allen.

When Allen was asked regarding the secondary giving up many big pass plays Sunday, he responded, “I would assume it’s miscommunication. To be honest, I try to stay out of it. The thing that’s tough about a defensive back is when they make a mistake, it is a touchdown, or it is 40 yards. When a defensive lineman makes a mistake, there is a 50-50 chance nobody will ever know.”

Now 4-7 and losers of four of their last five games, Allen was very openly honest when he said, “Some guys might pack it in. It’s a real fact that we are all human. Obviously, we are not eliminated from the playoffs, but we aren’t going to worry about that right now. We’re going to try to take it one game at a time.”

“We’re playing for our pride; we’re playing for our jobs. For a lot of guys, legacy is a big thing that they’re playing for. For me, I know the record we have is not going to change my approach to the game. It’s not going to change my outlook in what I’m trying to do week in and week out.”

The Commanders fly to Dallas on Wednesday for the annual NFL home game that Dallas always gets to play on Thanksgiving Day.

Commanders Jonathan Allen: ‘Winning is all that really matters’

Allen said playing well at times means nothing if you don’t win. He also praised Sam Howell as the franchise QB again.

After the walk-off loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Jonathan Allen just wanted to get his mind off of the loss.

So, on the long flight back from Seattle, the Commanders defensive tackle and captain watched The Flash and Aquaman.

Not only did the Commanders lose 29-26 on a last-drive, last-play field goal, but then the plane experienced problems, forcing the team to remain at the airport another two hours before they began their flight home.

During his weekly appearance on the “Sports Junkies” (Monday morning 106.7 The Fan), Allen conveyed to the group that the team arrived on the team bus but then had to remain on the bus for over an hour and then once on the plane, again wait for over an hour.

Regarding the Seahawks game, Allen pointed out, “We have to be better at limiting explosive (plays). That’s kind of been the thing all season.”

“I felt like I had a decent game against my guard. I was able to get some pressure on Geno Smith. Obviously, I wish I could have brought him down a couple of times. But we were able to force an intentional grounding, get some holding calls, and kind of make them uncomfortable.”

“I felt we played pretty good but not good enough to win, and that’s really all that matters.”

When Allen was asked about the bad call going against KJ Henry last week and Emmanuel Forbes being disqualified this week, the veteran displayed why he is a good captain.

“I try really hard to stay away from blaming the refs because then that is the easy way out from accepting accountability for what me as a player and we as a team can do to be better.”

Allen did say though he saw the helmet-to-helmet contact and found nothing malicious about it. He was thus confused that Forbes was ejected and found that bizarre, something you see in college for targeting.

Concerning the final Seahawks drive, Allen said he has not watched the film of the game and can’t comment on what went on behind him.

How about Sam Howell? “He has given us every opportunity to win the game, and that’s all we could ask. I’ll say it again: he is our franchise quarterback, and that always gives you a chance in the NFL.”

Commanders’ Jonathan Allen: ‘This is my home’

Washington is home for Allen and he also believes the Commanders have found their franchise QB in Sam Howell.

Jonathan Allen set the record straight that FOX NFL insider Jay Glazer was wrong.

Glazer had said Sunday on the FOX pregame show that Allen had made it known he wanted to be traded. Allen himself countered Monday on his weekly appearance with the “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan.

Here is the link for the entire interview.

“This is my home, and this is where I am going to stay,” asserted Allen. Allen played his high school football in the area at Stone Bridge right here in Ashburn.

“When things go bad, people are going to find excuses or find stories and make up whatever they can. But if I wanted a trade, I would have come out and said it publicly.”

“I’m focused on what I can do to help this team win now. And about the future, we’ll see what happens in the future. But as of right now and the rest of the season, my goal is to help this team win.”

The “Sports Junkies” conveyed to Allen they didn’t feel Glazer had an actual source but was rather interpreting Allen’s rant after the loss to the Giants last week as wanting to be traded out of the organization.

Allen responded, “In the NFL, one thing I know is anything you say can and will be used against you. It is what it is.”

What did Allen have to say regarding Sunday’s 38-31 loss at FedEx to the Eagles?

“It’s definitely frustrating when you lose two times to an opponent that we felt like we had them right where we wanted them. We had them in great positions. But that is the difference between great teams and bad teams. Good teams find ways to win games and bad teams find ways to lose games.”

“We’re not a bad team, but we are not where we should be. We’re not where we need to be, and I will take the blame. We (the defense) need to be better.”

When addressing the offense, Allen said he firmly believes the organization has found its quarterback of the future in Sam Howell. Allen expressed Howell has shown enough to warrant that conclusion, and Allen believes Howell will be the Washington quarterback for the next five to ten years.

Commanders Jonathan Allen: ‘I’m still pissed off like I was yesterday’

Allen: Everyone needs to play better and “that starts with me.”

“I’m still pissed off as much as I was yesterday.”

That’s how Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen began his weekly segment Monday, with the “Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan.

Allen then continued there are still games to be played, but it is time to turn it around right now, “there is no more time to waste.”

When the defensive tackle was asked if he still believed in Jack Del Rio, without hesitation Allen said with conviction, “I do. I truly, wholeheartedly do.”

Jason Bishop inquired as to what Allen was referring to when he went off Sunday in the locker room following the 14-7 loss to the Giants.

“I would say the inconsistency,” began Allen. “You cannot win games in this league playing inconsistently. Some weeks, the offense shows up, and the defense doesn’t. Some weeks, the defense shows up, and the offense doesn’t.”

“It would be different if we didn’t have enough talent,” expressed Allen. He continued with how he has one Seltzer in the hot tub with his wife and vents, and when he gets out, it’s on to the next week. Allen even revealed he loves the “Truly” brands of Seltzer drinks, explicitly mentioning Fruit Punch, Pineapple and Lemonade.

Allen talked of the first 15 plays that an opponent plans and practices all week in preparation, and he feels the Commanders need to do a better job early against those plays. “We can’t keep putting ourselves in these holes and expect to come back every game.”

When asked to comment on the offensive line surrendering five quarterback sacks to a team that had only generated five in six games, all Allen would say was, “It definitely was not their best game.” He also quickly added, “The only way this season is going to work is if we circle the wagons.”

“I understand the (fans) frustration; trust me, I am frustrated too. But that frustration has to be used in a positive way. Again, there is so much left for us to play for; now is not the time to abandon ship, start turning on one another. We are going to get this thing fixed.”

Allen said the defense could blame the offense and vice versa, but as for himself, the defense needs to play better, “and that starts with me.”