Fred Smoot is usually always fired up about the Commanders, even in the tough times, but right now, man, with the team in the Final 8, Smooty is just enjoying every step of the ride.
“You gotta realize, we’re in euphoria right now! We’re in places that we haven't been in decades. I am enjoying myself and I am enjoying this ride that these youngsters are taking us on right now,” Smoot told BMitch & Finlay Thursday. “QUOTE.”
However, the Commanders are up against a juggernaut in Detroit Saturday night that is killing teams in man coverage, so they may have to change up their defensive approach a little bit to keep the ride going another week – or, maybe, the best defense is a good offense?
“Let’s be honest: we’re talking about a Detroit offense that doesn't have flaws. You got Williams who takes the top off of the defense, you got St. Brown who moves the chains, a tight end who can make any catch and run any route, two running backs, and one of the best offensive lines in football,” Smoot said. “Jared Goff is the Rodney Dangerfield of quarterbacks – he gets no respect, but he's great, and has shown in the playoffs he can play with the best of them – but you can bottle them up.Their offense is almost unstoppable, but we are a bend but don’t break defense, so we have the players to slow them down. And, they have flaws on defense – this is a team that doesn’t do well with running quarterbacks, and we got to do the same thing we did in Tampa: play defense by playing offense and running the ball. The defense has shown you they can give up 400 yards, and give up points.”
On that defensive tip, what might be the best way to deploy Marshon Lattimore and the defensive scheme?
“I think you let (Lattimore) sit on one side and you play a shell defense. You’re gonna have to play zone against these guys, play bend but don’t break football, a lot of Cover-2 and Cover-4,” Smoot said. “Force them to see two deep safeties and force them to be patient. This offense isn’t patient or methodical – they like big plays and quick drives, so if you can take that out of them and make them be patient, I think then it changes everything. I would rather them run than pass on me, because when they start to get those big chunk yardage plays, that's when they start to put up 30 or 40 points. So, when I say bend but don't break, I want to force them to kick field goals. If we can do that and take that crowd out of the game early, we have a chance to beat them.”
Take a listen to Smoot’s entire visit above!