Much like our own BMitch, Charlie Batch played a long time in the NFL for the team he currently does radio work for, that of course being the Steelers – and he agreed with JP and Brian that it was a game between two very evenly-matched teams, with a little veteran presence making the difference.
“Obviously, Washington played a lot of good ball for 3 1/2 quarters there, and when that turnover happened, I'm thinking to myself, okay, this may be the end,” Batch said. “Sure enough, the Steelers were able to make a stop, get the ball back to their offense, and go down and score.”
The Steelers play Lamar Jackson twice a year, which helped their defense prepare for Jayden Daniels in Batch’s mind, so the plan was the same as it usually is with the Ravens: take advantage of weaknesses while knowing his strengths can kill you.
“When you're preparing for a quarterback like Jayden Daniels, let’s take away some of his weaknesses – as he's rolling and making plays outside, you want to bring that blitz to one side, and those are things that you're able to do after you have a nine-game sample of him,” Batch said. “Early in the year, I don't think they would have been able to do some of those things, but obviously in the second half, they were able to make those adjustments and slow down that offense, because that production just wasn't there. But that is the Steelers’ strength, dominating in the second half, and they've been doing that over the past month and a half.”
And making those adjustments were a big part of why Daniels never really got it going with his legs, carrying it just three times after entering the game averaging over 50 yards per game on the ground.
“You definitely were playing that position where you know he’s gonna roll, so you’re having a spy that's gonna follow him, and again, that goes back to being familiar with Lamar Jackson,” Batch said. “And I think when you have the playmakers, like you do with TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith, those guys actually can at least attempt to change what his landmark is by that speed, and not allowing him to get around the corner as fast and hoping that the secondary can collapse on the football. Those are the things you do typically when you play mobile quarterbacks in the manner of Daniels, because twhen you have n you see these type of quarterback plays and you have the speed on defense, that allows you to make those plays and minimize his yardage, and that's exactly what they were doing. They were gonna make him one-dimensional by taking that away and forcing him to throw the ball down the field.”
That said, through 10 games, Batch is very positive about what he’s seen in Daniels’ rookie season.
“I really like where he's at. It kind of reminds me early on of what RG3 was doing when he was taking the league by storm his first year, but if he learns to protect himself there, you know, I think the sky is the limit for that guy,” Batch said. “I like what I see at this early stage, so I'm a big fan of him. Unfortunately, I don't have to watch him every single year because the Steelers may not play Washington but every four years, but this guy is going to be a great player, and I'm just excited to watch his career unfold right before our eyes.”
Take a listen to Batch’s entire visit above, as he also talks about Washington’s struggles with drops and how that affects a QB, Zach Ertz’s disputed spot and their fourth-down proclivities, how Pittsburgh’s offense is moving under Russell Wilson, and more!