Tag: Kliff Kingsbury

Why Commanders offense is struggling the last two games

Why has Washington’s offense struggled the last two weeks? There are multiple reasons.

The Washington Commanders offense is looking to rebound from two subpar performances.

The Commanders, in the last three games, have been outscored 39-11 in the fourth quarter.

In their last game, a 26-18 loss to the Eagles (8-2), the Commanders generated only 264 offensive yards, averaging 4.2 yards a play.

One of the early season successes for OC Kliff Kingsbury’s offense was the largely effective conversions on third and fourth downs. However, against the Eagles, the Commanders were only 3-12 on third down.

In particular, Jayden Daniels was not getting the ball down the field, as Terry McLaurin never even had a reception until 10:27 in the final quarter. Daniels was visibly inaccurate more often than usual.

In addition, Daniels only passed for 191 yards, though he attempted 32 passes. This resulted in Daniels averaging 5.9 yards per attempt, much lower than he was accomplishing earlier in the season.

The offensive line is beat up, though able to continue to play. Rookie Brandon Coleman had his worst pass-blocking performance in the last two weeks, but then again, he is playing with a shoulder that is not 100 percent. Guard Nick Allegretti and center Tyler Biadasz are playing injured.

Local DMV sports media might consider thinking a bit more before lashing out at Kingsbury, as some have. They suggest the Commanders’ offense is falling off because Kingsbury’s offenses always do later in the season.

That may or may not be true this season with Washington. What is undeniably true is that the Commanders’ offense is wounded right now, and the bye week can’t come soon enough for Washington.

The offensive personnel has many members playing injured. Consequently, their performance is bound to decrease. Kingsbury has not been the one bouncing passes, dropping passes, and being unable to pass in the last two weeks.

Understand the Steelers and Eagles are both division leaders through Week 11. They are simply better teams than the Commanders right now.

Yes, the offense has been struggling lately, but injuries to an offensive personnel already not one of the elites in the league while playing against two quality opponents only stand to reason there were going to be more struggles.

Are the Commanders worn out and tired?

Are the Commanders’ recent struggles due to them badly needing a bye week?

The Commanders won’t get their bye until December 8.

Two weeks ago, the Commanders were 7-2, 2-0 in the NFC East divisional games. Today, they are 7-4, having led both of the last two games in the second half but lost both games in regulation.

Jayden Daniels looks tired and lacks the same energy. The offense actually only generated ten points until that final possession, when surely every Commanders fan noticed the Eagles were playing with less intensity, simply seeking to keep everything in front of them, chew up more clock, and end the game quicker.

Daniels played so well earlier in the season that we forgot he was a rookie. Thus, he is going through an NFL season for the first time. Thursday, he missed some open throws that he did not miss early in the season. Yet, in the last two games, we have seen him appear much more human.

Suddenly, Kliff Kingsbury’s offense has significantly slowed, scoring less. But then again, the Eagles are very talented defensively. How much of what is happening to the Commanders’ offense might be because there are now 11 games on film that are being watched closely by NFL opposing coaching staffs?

Thursday, the offense did not come easily. It struggled for the entire game. Did you notice that when Washington trailed 12-10, the Eagles’ defense suddenly made the Commanders’ offense look very weak?

  • 2nd-and-1 at the Eagles 25. Brian Robinson carry gets zero yards.
  • 3rd-and-1 at the Eagles 25. Brian Robinson loses one yard.
  • 4th-and-2, the entire play was a mess with the snap, missed blocks, and Daniels, having no place to go, was hit hard.

What now?

Some of this is the last two teams are better than most opponents this season.

Some of this is that Daniels is injured, beat up, and needs rest.

So, keep perspective: Did you forget Washington has not had a winning regular season since Kirk Cousins was starting in the 2015 and 2016 seasons?

 

Will Kliff Kingsbury get another NFL head coaching job after 2024?

Could we see Kliff back with a head coaching job in 2025?

Kliff Kingsbury’s NFL coaching tenure during his career has been … rocky.

After success at the college ranks, he became the Arizona Cardinals’ head coach, where he compiled a 28-37-1 record that included a playoff appearance in 2021. Not that great. But then after he famously vacationed in Thailand and departed from the Las Vegas Raiders as their new offensive coordinator and got that role with the Washington Commanders, he’s gotten a ton of buzz thanks to a revitalized offense in D.C.

So … could a team like the New York Jets grab him in the offseason? How about the Chicago Bears, where he could coach the QB that he worked with in 2023: Caleb Williams.

We’ll see. Keep an eye on him as a candidate.

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Kliff Kingsbury not the only successful Commanders coordinator

Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. also deserves praise.

Kliff Kingsbury has been the talk of the NFL through 10 weeks due to the play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels isn’t playing like a rookie and is firmly in the MVP mix because of his play in leading the Washington Commanders to a 7-3 start.

Kingsbury’s offensive design and play-calling are praised across the NFL. The praise for Kingsbury and Daniels is deserved. Did anyone watch Washington’s offense last year?

But defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is barely mentioned in the talk about Kingsbury and Daniels.

It’s time to change that. After Sunday’s 28-27 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Whitt’s defense is ranked 14th in total defense, 6th in pass defense, and 12th in scoring defense. The Commanders’ run defense must improve, but they did an excellent job Sunday against the Steelers, holding them to an average of 3.3 yards per attempt.

When you consider Washington’s personnel challenges, specifically at cornerback, Whitt is doing an outstanding job.

Another area where the Commanders have done well is pressuring opposing passers. Most believed Washington would struggle to rush the quarterback with no high-level pass rushers on the roster, yet veteran Dante Fowler Jr. has 8.5 sacks and is on pace for a career year. Others, such as Dorance Armstrong, Clelin Ferrell, Jalyn Holmes, and rookie Javontae Jean-Baptiste, have had success rushing the quarterback at times, too.

When you’re a coach, you’re judged by results. Is your team or unit improving throughout the season? In Whitt’s case, yes, it is. Check out this graphic courtesy of Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.

The Commanders hope the acquisition of Marshon Lattimore pays dividends. The four-time Pro Bowler was acquired last week and has yet to debut. But general manager Adam Peters felt good enough about the team’s progress to make a splashy move for a high-level player at the NFL trade deadline.

Earlier, we asked if you’d seen Washington’s offense last year. Did you happen to see the defense? It was even worse. And Whitt’s defense is improving without one of its best players, defensive tackle Jonathan Allen.

So, the next time someone praises Kingsbury, don’t forget about Whitt. Heck, special teams coach Larry Izzo has been outstanding, too. Regardless of how things end up, the Commanders truly had a home-run offseason from hiring Peters to Quinn and his staff to the selection of Daniels and other newcomers.

Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury has interesting thoughts on Thursday Night Football

Kliff Kingsbury gives his thoughts on Thursday Night Football.

NFL coaches aren’t fans of Thursday Night Football. The league has scheduled it, so almost every team will play on Thursday. Some teams play twice on Thursday, which makes for a difficult week.

The Washington Commanders (7-2) head into Sunday’s showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) knowing they have a game the following Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles (6-2). That’s two critical games in four days for Washington.

Furthermore, Sunday’s opponent, the Steelers, are entering Week 10 after enjoying a bye week in Week 9.

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury must create two game plans in a matter of days as Washington faces two of the NFL’s better defenses. The good news is that he has rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Kingsbury certainly understands the challenge of Thursday Night Football.

“Yeah, it’s a test for everybody,” Kingsbury said Thursday. “I mean, any those Thursday games as far as NFL coaches go, I’d say you kind of just throw your hands up and say, ‘We hope we play really well.’”

Then, Kingsbury joked about the unpredictability of the short week.

“Like I’ve seen times that we didn’t practice and you’re almost like, ‘Well maybe we should just do that shit every week, because it’s like we played really well.’ But yeah, you walkthrough, you try to have as much carryover and as many things maybe that you’ve repped and didn’t get to in the game.”

That’s an idea players may get behind. Kingsbury was joking, and even if he wasn’t, this Washington team is built differently. On Thursday, wide receiver Terry McLaurin said practice no longer feels like work.

How successful can the Commanders be next week? It’s safe to say defeating Pittsburgh would be their signature win, but they won’t have much time to enjoy it if they win with an NFC East showdown days later.

Caleb Williams appreciates Kliff Kingsbury’s role in his development

Caleb Williams and Kliff Kingsbury speak ahead of Week 8.

When the Washington Commanders hired Kliff Kingsbury in the offseason, it fueled talk that they may pursue a trade for the No. 1 overall pick to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams.

Kingsbury, you see, spent the 2023 season at USC as a senior offensive analyst after taking a year off away from the NFL. At USC, Kingsbury reunited with good friend Lincoln Riley, his former college teammate at Texas Tech. Riley saw the opportunity to add Kingsbury to his staff could benefit the quarterback room, particularly Williams.

Kingsbury wanted to return to the NFL in 2024, interviewing for multiple offensive coordinator positions in Washington, Las Vegas, and Chicago. The Bears went in another direction, and Kingsbury chose the Commanders.

As far as Kingsbury and Williams reuniting in Washington, the Bears were never moving off the No. 1 pick, and the Commanders were locked in on Jayden Daniels at No. 2 regardless. It’s worked out well for both teams. Kingsbury and Daniels look like a match made in heaven, and Williams has played well recently.

The Commanders and Bears meet on Sunday. Williams spoke to the media this week and reflected on Kingsbury’s role in his development.

“He could give me great feedback on this next level that I knew that I was probably heading to at that time,” Williams said via Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune.

“That was big for me being able to listen to him and obviously build a relationship with him knowing the QBs he’s been around and similarities in some of the offenses that I’ve been in……….It was great to have those moments with him. I think it’s helped me for these moments now.”

For his part, Kingsbury also has fond memories of his short time working with Williams.

“Tremendous person, competitor, freaky talent, watching the stuff you do in practice and in the games,” Kingsbury said Thursday. “His ability, his feel, really, really special. I mean, he’s going to be one of the top guys in the league for a lot of years, and so that was cool to get to spend time with him last year.”

Williams and Daniels join the list of quarterbacks Kingsbury has mentored throughout his career, including Patrick Mahomes.

The biggest question ahead of Sunday’s game between the Commanders and Bears is whether Daniels will play. He suffered a rib injury last week and is questionable for Week 8.

 

Commanders rookie’s first NFL TD came on a play called ‘Taylor Swift”

Commanders TE Ben SInnott’s first career TD came on the “Taylor Swift” play.

Washington Commanders rookie tight end Ben Sinnott had a quiet start to his NFL career. Sinnott did not have a catch through the first six games this season until he was finally targeted in last week’s 40-7 win over the Carolina Panthers.

It just so happened that his first NFL catch was also a touchdown. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury provided more information on Sinnott’s first career catch on Thursday.

“His first catch was a touchdown, and the play was called ‘Taylor Swift,’ so you can’t really beat that to start your NFL scoring career,” Kingsbury said on Thursday.

The fun didn’t stop there, though, as Kingsbury revealed the Commanders have other plays named after pop stars.

The Commanders also have a play named “Kelce,” but not after Travis Kelce. It’s simply called Kelce, with Kingsbury letting everyone know the plays aren’t “married together.”

As for Sinnott, the second-round pick from Kansas State has played in all seven games for the Commanders, appearing on 32% of Washington’s offensive snaps. Sinnott has been lauded for his blocking, but Kingsbury hinted that he could be much more involved in the passing game going forward.

Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury talks where he got unique play

Kingsbury reveals where flea-flicker screen originated from.

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is the talk of the NFL. Some of that is due to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is taking the NFL by storm. However, the former Arizona head coach is rightfully earning praise for the offense he’s built around Daniels.

Coming into the season, there were lots of questions about Kingsbury. Would his pass protection schemes work? How would he run the ball? What about keeping his top wide receiver lined up in one spot throughout the entire game?

It’s safe to say Kingsbury didn’t listen to any of that talk. The former quarterback and head coach regained some of the buzz surrounding him before landing with the Cardinals in 2019. Analysts watching Daniels can’t get enough of Kingsbury’s schemes and play designs.

In Sunday’s loss to the Ravens, Kingsbury called one play many fans and analysts had never seen before. It was a flea-flicker, but it wasn’t just any flea-flicker.

Check it out:

On Friday, Kingsbury met with the media and was questioned about that specific play, to which the offensive coordinator revealed where it came from.

“Yeah, I gotta cite my sources as always,” Kingsbury said. “It’s a [Louisville head coach] Jeff Brohm play. He did it at Purdue, and obviously, we have [Assistant QB Coach] David Blough, who played for Jeff Brohm. So, David Blough had brought that one up and we ended up, they threw it to a tight end. We ended up sneaking [RB] Austin [Ekeler] back there and it ended up working out. The guys executed it perfectly because they brought a pressure, which even made it better. But yeah, that’s, shout out Jeff Brohm for that one.”

Blough played for Brohm at Purdue and later for Kingsbury with the Cardinals. He joined Kingsbury’s offensive staff this past offseason.

While some in the media world spent the offseason criticizing Kingsbury, he was in a lab creating plays, studying other offenses to build the perfect offense for Daniels.

If things keep trending in this direction, Kingsbury will have head coaching options again in his future.

What Jayden Daniels saw on touchdown pass to Dyami Brown

Kliff Kingsbury already trusts Jayden Daniels to call plays he likes.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was phenomenal again in Sunday’s 34-13 win over the Cleveland Browns. Daniels was so good he didn’t play the final 13 minutes.

If you ask Daniels about the win, he’d tell you it’s another opportunity for growth. As good as he was against the Browns, he wasn’t perfect. His interception is one throw he’d like to have back.

However, Daniels shook off a slow start against Cleveland’s pass rush and led the Commanders on six scoring drives. Daniels had several big runs and made some big plays in the passing game.

There was one sequence in the second quarter where Daniels used his legs to set up a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dyami Brown.

First, here’s the play:

During the play before, Daniels scrambled and saw something that had him going to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury to call the play, which would be the touchdown to Brown. He explained it after the game.

“I ran out of bounds the play before and then kind of saw some of the defense, I had seen they were playing man coverage, and I was turning back around, and I said, man let’s take a shot to Kliff and he called the play and we did it,” Daniels said. 

This is impressive on many levels. How many rookie quarterbacks would see this? How many rookie quarterbacks would deliver like Daniels did after the coach took his advice?

This is next-level stuff from Daniels; his comfort with the scheme and Kingsbury is encouraging moving forward.

 

Jayden Daniels is the NFL’s best downfield passer

Another impressive Jayden Daniels’ statistic.

Remember when critics tried to say Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels couldn’t throw across the middle? Or that Daniels did not scramble to throw?

Well, Daniels is quickly putting some of those pre-draft narratives to bed, completing 82% of his passes through his first four NFL games. That completion percentage is a record for a four-game stretch, besting legends such as Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.

Daniels isn’t the only one crushing narratives. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury received criticism throughout his time in Arizona, and many called him a bad hire. The criticism for Kingsbury centered around pass protection, the lack of downfield passes and not moving his receivers around.

Through four games, Kingsbury’s offense has been phenomenal. In addition to his creative play design, balance and pass protection, Kingsbury and Daniels are creating big plays.

Check out this statistic from The 33rd Team. Daniels has the NFL’s highest passer rating for throws over 10 yards.

So, for those who haven’t watched Daniels, his insane completion percentage through four games isn’t inflated by bubble screens. He and Kingsbury are attacking every level of the field.

The NFL will adjust; the league always does. The key is how Kingsbury adjusts.