One of the biggest issues for the Washington Redskins over the past several years is their inability to match the offensive scheme with offensive personnel. While the talent on the roster may have been able to play things out one way, the offense was often catered to a different type of playstyle.
With Kevin O’Connell as the play-caller in 2019, that started to change a little bit, and we will likely see is continue under Scott Turner, the Redskins’ newest offensive coordinator.
In his brief time as the OC with the Carolina Panthers, Turner was able to take the same problem and find a solution that fit his personnel. One of the best examples of how he did so regards wide receiver Curtis Samuel, who is a dynamic player when he gets the ball in his hands. Before Turner took over the play-calling duties, Samuel was often sent on deep routes where he could gain separation from the defense, but the quarterback was unable to get him the ball. Turner switched the mentality of the offense to get Samuel the ball out of the backfield and let him do what he does best — make people miss.
“He understands where his players win,” RotoWorld’s Josh Norris said of Turner, via NBC Sports Washington. “If they’re not getting the ball enough, [Turner] seems willing to draw up plays each and every week to get his players the ball.”
It’s hard to think of anyone other than Steven Sims Jr. when trying to picture who will benefit the most from Turner’s addition to the coaching staff. Sims is a bit of an anomaly, as he was the last player to make the team in 2019 after being signed as an undrafted free agent, and his talents on the kick-off return team impressed the coaching staff so much that they gave him a role in the offense. After getting him the ball a few times in the quick passing game, Sims showed how special he can really be, finishing his rookie season with over 300 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
We started to see O’Connell gameplan around Sims a bit near the end of the 2019 season, as he tried to get the ball to him in space and let the rookie go to work. It was highly successful. Now, we will get a chance to see Turner continue down the same path with Sims in year two, and hopefully help him realize much more offensive success.
Who knows, he may just turn Sims into the next Curtis Samuel.
[vertical-gallery id=29489]