Austin Ekeler has embraced Washington, and has also embraced the Commanders fanbase with their passion on the road.
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00:00Thanks to our friends at IT Cadre who make the segment possible.
00:04Trusted Insight from Trusted Insiders presented by IT Cadre where DC Sports Insiders like
00:10Austin Eckler share their exclusive perspective and today it's a perspective we need injected
00:16into our veins.
00:17Here, here.
00:18Washington, a playoff winner.
00:19Austin, congratulations, man.
00:21You guys pulled off the first of hopefully a few more.
00:24How are you?
00:25I am doing well.
00:26Doing well.
00:27Thanks for having me on.
00:28It's good to be back on.
00:30I hope you guys enjoyed the weekend as much as I did.
00:34More than you know.
00:35Yeah, it was fine, Austin.
00:36You know, it was cool.
00:37It was like medicine to a sick person.
00:40Look, you were coming back from injury, gutting through the concussion recovery, and I'd imagine
00:45all along out in front of you, you know, the carrot being dangled was, I'm going to get
00:49to play playoff football.
00:50I got to imagine it was all worth it, everything you went through in the rehab to be not just
00:55on the field, but such a key component late as you guys moved down the field to get the
01:00game-winning field goal.
01:01Yeah, absolutely.
01:02You know, playoff football, just in my day, has kind of turned out to be kind of the more
01:08special times and special seasons that I truly remember the most, just because of what it
01:13takes to get to the playoffs and, you know, being able to kind of, you know, reap the
01:16benefits of hard work, of all that stuff kind of coming together.
01:19And so this is no different.
01:21Definitely wanted to get back and make sure my body was right before I stepped back on
01:26the field.
01:27And we did that, took the right steps.
01:28And now it feels good to be in the journey and not only in the journey, but also getting
01:32our first win.
01:33Okay.
01:34Take me inside the mind of Austin Eckler.
01:37Yeah.
01:38Foot touches ball.
01:39It goes up in the air and starts to drift ever so slightly to the right before it hits
01:45that upright and goes in.
01:46Just walk me through your thought process, your reactions, just your feelings.
01:49I got to know what it was like on that sideline.
01:51Yeah.
01:53I mean, it's different from everyone's perspective, but from my head, we were pretty close, like
01:58for the NFL anyway, like you guys can make these all day.
02:00So that's what I'm thinking.
02:01All right.
02:02Like, this is a nice little chip shot.
02:03You get out there and, you know, kick it in Zane and we'll get on the plane.
02:07And, you know, from our angle, it's hard to tell, you know, obviously we saw it hit the
02:11post, which was crazy.
02:13But then, you know, we've seen enough doinks in our day that we've seen some go in, some
02:17bounce out.
02:18We could see that that one clearly went towards the net.
02:22And then we saw the rest, put the hands up.
02:23And so then it was time to go celebrate on the field.
02:26And yeah, it was it was definitely nerve wracking.
02:28But again, not really at the same time, because even if even if we did miss it, you know,
02:33we had confidence in the defense to go get a stop and let's go in overtime.
02:36And then we'd want to get that way.
02:38What was your reaction after it went in?
02:41Like we saw the video of Jaden Daniels.
02:43I don't know if he was just tired or he just is just a football robot who it's the reason
02:50he's great, where he just doesn't emote.
02:52But he did not really react.
02:54It was amazing.
02:55Yeah, it reminds me of, you know, the Kobe clip is like, why should I be happy?
03:00Job's not finished.
03:01Yeah, I kind of like one of those clips.
03:04But, you know, like I said, everyone kind of reacted differently.
03:08I think, you know, for us, you know, we don't want to be in that close of a game, but it's
03:12the playoff.
03:13So crazy stuff happens all the time and we're able to get it done.
03:15And that's just the way he reacted.
03:17He's, you know, cool, cool, the cucumber, as they say, or however the saying goes.
03:22And so that's just Jaden being Jaden.
03:24That's him being himself.
03:25Austin Eckler with us here on GND.
03:28So Austin, going to that drive, that two minute, brilliant drive to you guys end the game with
03:32possession of the football, forced Tampa Bay to take all their timeouts and win it with
03:35a walk off.
03:37That 18 yard catch and run you had, again, a couple moments took probably days, weeks,
03:41maybe even months off of my life.
03:43The ball drifting towards the upright was number one.
03:46But number two, that passes in the air to you in kind of that left flat.
03:50Yeah.
03:51Yeah.
03:52Diaby, who's just an astounding athlete, by the way, like it looks like on the TV he's
03:57got it.
03:58And I'm like, Oh my God, it's a pick six.
03:59The world is going to end.
04:00I'm going to crawl and live in a hole and just wait for a meteor to hit me.
04:04Then you've got it.
04:05And you're shimmying and shaking and chucking and jiving and spinning, going 18 yards down
04:08the field.
04:09And as soon as you did that, I'm going, Holy crap, they're going to win.
04:12Like that changed everything for me.
04:14Take us inside that play.
04:16What did it look like from your perspective?
04:18What was the call?
04:19Were you first in line?
04:20Walk me through it.
04:21Yeah, absolutely.
04:22A lot of emotions going there.
04:23Seriously, dude.
04:24Oh man, man.
04:25So I mean, it's funny because I've definitely felt those emotions, those same things when
04:26I was, you know, watching from the sideline.
04:27But, you know, as a player, when you get in the game, you're so locked in, like the intensity
04:38of the moment is really magnified like that for you to really kind of just, Hey, back
04:43to the basics, fundamentals, let's push from this play, focus on this play.
04:48And for me, you know, I ended up getting to the flats, kind of went across the formation
04:53and ended up being in the flats and the DN was dropping with me.
04:56And so I came from across, so it wasn't really like a free release to a side where he had
05:00a lot of eyes on me.
05:01So kind of got turned around because he didn't realize that, Oh crap, here comes Austin.
05:04I got to go guard the flat.
05:06So luckily he was turned around and Jayden threw it to me and right over his shoulder.
05:10I was kind of able to like jump and awkwardly catch it because I didn't know if it was going
05:13to ricochet or not.
05:14And, you know, like you said, you know, skirted up the sideline and, you know, got loose and
05:18got us into some field goal range, a little bit better field goal range anyway.
05:22But it was one of those where, you know, if he, if he moves his arm in one direction,
05:26you know, tips it down and it's a different play.
05:29But that's the game we live in, the game of inches.
05:31Yeah.
05:32And that 18 yard play, a lot of inches, 45 yard line of Tampa down to the 27.
05:37And that was kind of one of the first moments I think where people started to say, Oh my
05:41goodness, they might run this clock out and they're going to have a chance to win this
05:45thing without giving the ball back.
05:47And that was made possible based on you guys getting one more first down.
05:52So I want to go to the play after that, the Bucks burn a timeout and then it's first intent
05:56from the 27 and you guys call a run play and you guys had been unable to run the ball pretty
06:01much all game long, like from the traditional running game, you had a 12 yard run in air
06:05quotes.
06:06It was kind of like a, a slip screen behind the line of scrimmage that went as a run statistically,
06:10but you got eight yards and it was maybe the best run of the game.
06:15What's being said in the huddle right before that when now it's like, let's get yards and
06:18run the clock out time and take us through that eight yard run.
06:22Yeah.
06:23You know, they have a pretty good front and we knew that going into the game, they're
06:27kind of designed in our eyes to really stop the run.
06:30You've got to beat them with the pass.
06:31And so we kind of anticipated something like that going into the game and it definitely
06:35held true.
06:36But late in the down and say, Hey, we want to make sure we have a play that we can make
06:39sure the clock continues to go and we can get a little bit closer and ended up finding
06:43a seam up in the, up in the middle and scamper for a little eight yard run in there and put
06:47us in a position to say, okay, cool.
06:48Now we're close to another first down.
06:50And as you know, we were talking about can get us into a position where we can run out
06:53all their timeouts.
06:54But still have to pick up this first down and we want to do it in a way that we keep
06:59the clock running no matter what, right.
07:00Cause we want to take this all the way down and use up as much time as possible.
07:04And if we do have to kick it here, um, on fourth down, we want to just eat up as much
07:08as we can.
07:09So we knew we were going to be running the ball and um, yeah, so that eight yard run
07:12definitely put us in a position where it's like, okay, this is very manageable.
07:15We're in field goal range now and in a position to potentially end the game, which is the
07:19ideal situation for us, where we call it no Moss, like, Hey, stay in bounds, uh, make
07:23sure to get down.
07:24Cause we're trying to end the game with the ball in our hands and kick it to a goal to
07:27win.
07:28Wait.
07:29So go back to no Moss.
07:30I've heard, uh, people call it, I think it was, uh, what was the line?
07:34I heard it was like high school.
07:35Cause they say you can't score, right.
07:37Or something like that, but no Moss.
07:39What is that?
07:40What's the, what's that mean?
07:41Yeah.
07:42No Moss means it means, Hey, stay in bounds.
07:45Cause we're trying to, like, don't try to get caught again.
07:48No more.
07:49No more.
07:50Right.
07:51Like no more.
07:52We don't want any more after this.
07:53Like this is us stay in bounds.
07:54All right.
07:55Don't score.
07:56Get down.
07:57You know, we have a couple of situations.
07:58That's actually what the charges a couple of years ago.
07:59We're on the one yard line.
08:00We're in no Moss where we don't want to score.
08:02And the defense is, if you're down that close, they might want you to score so they can get
08:06the ball back.
08:07So don't score.
08:08Don't go out of bounds, but get the first down.
08:09So, and I'll stay with this year on G and D. So coming into this game, which you said
08:13about their defensive front, Grant and I were saying kind of all week long, can't see and
08:17Vita.
08:18They are incredible up there upfront.
08:20And so I sort of predicted this, not that I'm any kind of genius, but I sort of was
08:24pretty intuitive Austin that this was going to be an Austin Eckler game, right?
08:27Where you were going to get touches, you're going to be involved.
08:29Is that something that, you know, going in as kind of the game plans getting installed
08:33and you're sort of walking through the week going, this might be more than your average
08:36week for Austin in terms of getting some touches.
08:39Yeah, look, there's a different matchups all across the league.
08:42And this is one of those where it's like, Hey, we know they have a stout run defense
08:45inside.
08:46And so for, for me, when I come into the game, typically, you know, I've been known to, you
08:51know, catch the ball, the backfield.
08:53And so when it's in the two minute situations, I'm in the game and in two minute situations,
08:58what are we doing?
08:59We're throwing the ball.
09:00And so guess what?
09:01Where we think they're weaker was throwing the ball.
09:03And we were able to, you know, move the ball, majority of the game doing that it was really
09:07in the past game, really the run game, like you mentioned, you know, they've had, they
09:10had this kind of hunker down, which, you know, you still try to be multidimensional, but
09:14sometimes, you know, you get into a game and it's not the flavor that day.
09:17And so, yeah, there is times where it's all right, Austin, you know, we're going to drop
09:20a few more plays because of the way we match up against these guys.
09:23So you saw, you know, with me on the screen, you know, with me catching some checkdowns,
09:27I had a couple other checkdowns in there as well throughout the day.
09:29So, yep, our coaches are on top of it.
09:32They're looking at different matchups, making sure, OK, what kind of players do we have
09:35and how do we match up against them?
09:36And let's put them in positions to win.
09:39Austin Eckler presented by IT Cadre on Grant and Danny, speaking of how do you match up
09:44next up to Detroit Lions, Detroit at home in one of the loudest environments in the
09:49league, a 15 win team on the season, a juggernaut, and you guys get to keep playing
09:56and try to now go there and make it two in a row in the playoffs.
10:00What do you make of taking on the Lions on the road?
10:04Yeah, it'll be it'll be definitely a fun game, fun environment, you know, records don't
10:09really mean anything in the in the postseason, it's pretty much zero zero because there's
10:13nothing after this. So you want to know it's all it matters, you know, and I'm sure
10:16you've heard, you know, any given Sunday for us Saturday in this case.
10:20But for us, yeah, we're looking forward to it.
10:22We we think we're in a position where, hey, let's continue to be ourselves and we'll see
10:27what happens, right? Good things tend to happen when we're in a rhythm and we can
10:30continue to move the ball. And so that's what we've done pretty much all year and
10:34looking to continue doing it now.
10:35I'm really excited to go out there and be in the playoffs second round, get tested.
10:40That's what this is about. It's our brotherhood versus their brotherhood.
10:43And we know their brotherhood on display has been building for the past couple of years.
10:47Well, guess what? So is ours for this last year as well.
10:49So really looking forward to it.
10:51Just going to be, I think, a great, heavy hitting match for two really good teams.
10:56Austin, you guys are pretty much one and walk off or near walk off fashion over the last
11:01month and a half. Why are you guys so comfortable in those kind of situations where it
11:05seems you've come through every single time?
11:08You know, I think that's just because we've been battle tested, we've been in those
11:11situations and not like you're trying to, you're trying to blow everyone out of the
11:15water, but that's not how the NFL works.
11:17You know, the NFL is, you know, a bunch of highly skilled players playing each other.
11:22And, you know, it's one of those things where that's been our flavor.
11:26That's our flavor this year.
11:28Hey, we're in a lot of close games and we're going to get some teams have different
11:31flavors the way they're winning.
11:32But this is how we've been doing it.
11:34And at the end of the day, in the win loss column, it doesn't have the little notes
11:38below it. It just says win or lose.
11:39And so for us, it's about getting the win.
11:42I don't care if it's a doink in to get to the next round.
11:45I don't care if it's a Hail Mary.
11:46I don't care if it's the last second, you know, fade ball, whatever it is, defensive
11:51stop. Make sure we get the win.
11:53And I think that's what our team has really been doing a really good job of is, hey,
11:56whatever it takes, whatever it takes, let's be bought in for each other.
12:00Let's lay it on the line for each other.
12:02And then at the end of the day, we'll see what happens.
12:03But we'll know that, hey, we put it all out there in the field.
12:06I mean, the best compliment, Austin, I can pay Jaden Daniels, I think, into this
12:10offense generally. And I felt the same way even against Dallas, to be honest, when he
12:14wasn't on the field. When you guys got the ball back with 440 to go, it felt like a
12:19certainty that you were going to score.
12:21Now, I don't know.
12:23I did not have confidence that you guys could run out all 440 because that's just so
12:27hard to do even in a four minute offense.
12:29Right. But I thought at a minimum, they're getting a field goal and at most they're
12:33getting a touchdown. And then we see if they can stop Tampa Bay.
12:36Like what better compliment is there?
12:38But I say that just to ask this question, you guys, after now five straight games with
12:42wins on your final play from scrimmage, I'd imagine that the confidence is ridiculous
12:46even in the huddle. Like when you're trotting out there, if you hadn't had any of those
12:50games and that way over the last five weeks, maybe it's different.
12:54But you've been doing this every single week for over a month.
12:56It must have been like a yawning kind of all right, well, let's let's go down there.
13:01She's going to walk off.
13:02Just go get the points.
13:04I mean, seriously, right?
13:06Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't say it's yawning.
13:08I mean, for me, all of us on the sideline, you know, we are locked in like it is time
13:13to go. Like for us, like it's a different type of vibe for us.
13:16I know everyone's like nervous and OK, even by the defense.
13:20Like, come on, boys, let's go get it.
13:21But like when you're in the huddle, when you're on the field, like the intensity level
13:24and attention to detail, that's such a premium.
13:27You don't really have time to really think of kind of what's at stake.
13:30It's more so execute, execute the job, execute what I have to do.
13:34And that's what we've been able to do.
13:36I think Jayden's done an excellent job at continuing to be kind of the leader of that
13:40and making sure, hey, if things do break down, I can use my legs, I can run and I can
13:45throw and I can give ourselves even another one, two more chances in the same play to
13:50keep it alive and keep going.
13:52And we have enough guys around him that have been coming through as well, whether you're
13:56talking O-line blocking, giving him time or guys scrambling, getting open or guys, you
14:00know, being in route and throwing on time and catching and running down the ball.
14:03So it's, it's complimentary, but it definitely, definitely helps when you have number
14:07five, who's at the helm, who can continue to extend plays and get us in positions to
14:11to kind of continue to make the play into the second play and then continue to go.
14:16And then, OK, now we have more opportunities that maybe we wouldn't have had if we
14:19didn't have, you know, an elite quarterback like we do with Jayden.
14:22Austin, you know, we always end our conversation with a listener question presented by
14:26IT Quadrant.
14:27We get those submitted all over the place.
14:291067, the fan YouTuber, people are watching or on social media and somebody here wants
14:34to know your thoughts on how many commanders fan traveled to Tampa and then your
14:37message to a lot of the people who have already scooped those expensive tickets in
14:41Detroit. It seems like a lot of commanders fans are going to make the trip again.
14:46Oh, yeah, it's it's there's a buzz, there's a buzz around the city and that's spread
14:51into other parts of the nation.
14:53So that was really cool to see out there in Tampa.
14:55You know, there's a bunch of defensive chance, you know, like, OK, Chris, he's one of
15:01our receivers that just came in.
15:02He's like, man, I've I've never been on a team that has this type of culture.
15:05So just know you guys are not only making impact for the people that have been here,
15:09but also even the new guys on the team that really feel that the impact of of how we're
15:13able to travel with our fans.
15:14So let's keep that going.
15:16And if you are going to be out there in Detroit, look, I just expect more of the same.
15:19You guys have been crushing it all year with the energy, you know, with the chance, with
15:23everything like don't change, just like we're not going to change.
15:27We're going to continue to go out there and be ourselves.
15:28That's what we expect from you guys.
15:30We know it's going to be a hostile environment.
15:32It's going to be loud, right?
15:33They had a buy. They've been anticipating this for a long time.
15:35So guess what?
15:37So we we've been anticipating, you know, getting to this to this point and we're finally
15:41here. Now it's just time to go execute, whether you're a fan, player, coach, you know,
15:45someone in the media. Let's let's go out, do our jobs and, you know, hope for the best
15:49and see what happens.
15:50Love it. Austin, awesome with us as always.
15:52Congratulations again, man.
15:53And keep it going, dude. This is just so much fun.
15:56Awesome, thanks, guys.
15:57You guys have a good one, brother.
15:58There's Austin Eckler on Grant and Danny.
16:00They're on the fan presented by I.T.
16:03Cadre, always sensational, just such a fun interview all season long that he's provided
16:09for us. Sharp guy, man.
16:10Yeah, just sees the game in a certain way.
16:13It's reminded that mentality that those guys have.
16:16Like I'm sitting there going, the ball's drifting to the right.
16:18He's like, yeah, we got it right over time.
16:20They're just different. No exaggeration.