What did Adam Teicher, ESPN Chiefs Insider, have to say about Eric Bieniemy?
Teicher was a guest on the “John Keim Report,” discussing the Commanders hiring of Bieniemy as their new offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
Below are some nuggets regarding Bieniemy. Here is the full podcast episode.
JK: “Of all the people they interviewed, I think he was the best choice…I think he is going to provide some energy and juice to an offense that needs it. What you also need is consistent quarterback play and a better offensive line. That makes any coordinator look better. Just hiring a new coach is not going to be enough to turn this offense around.”
AT: “The Commanders are getting a guy who, player after player over the years, has told me is detail-oriented down to the most minute of details.”
AT: “He is a coach who is known to ride his players kinda hard, and that rubs some players the wrong way. Particularly some veteran players have not appreciated that part of his coaching. I know there are a lot of players who think the opposite.”
AT: “His insistence on them doing things right has made them a better player than they otherwise would have been. Jamaal Charles and Adrian Peterson felt this way. Charcandrick West, an undrafted free agent, told me, ‘I wouldn’t be in the NFL if it wasn’t for Eric Bieniemy.’ ”
AT: “He does not let things slide, and you hear that from a lot of people. He is not afraid to throw a guy out of a drill if he is not getting it done the way Bieniemy wants.”
AT: “He’s got that booming voice, and sometimes he will stand out over the pack. So when you see him in training camp, you will hear his voice. No doubt about that.
AT: “You could see an exchange between Mahomes and Bieniemy; it wasn’t a friendly one. So, there are definitely moments like that. There are some players who don’t like that kind of coaching. There were a couple of veteran backs here who didn’t appreciate how Eric Bieniemy goes about his business. The Commanders are probably going to see that from time to time.”
AT: “There is no doubt that Andy Reid’s shadow is considerable here. The two previous offensive coordinators (Pederson & Nagy) coached Patrick Mahomes. There is a considerable shadow there, when you think about it. What will Bieniemy be like without Mahomes? Well, we don’t know.”