Tag: Scott Turner

Jay Gruden had some suggestions for who should call plays for the Commanders

Jay Gruden was a hit on the radio Tuesday, offering some good insight into play-calling, Dan Snyder and more. He was hilarious. Oh, and he is impressed with Sam Howell.

Former Washington head coach Jay Gruden is a frequent guest on the local airwaves throughout the NFL regular season, offering his insight into the NFL and the Commanders.

Gruden, who coached Washington from 2014-19, was known for his ability as an offensive play-caller. So in an appearance on “Grant and Danny,” on 106.7 The Fan Tuesday, Gruden defended former Washington offensive coordinator Scott Turner, who the team fired.

“Not a fan of it personally,” Gruden said, “I don’t think Scott Turner had a lot to do with the offensive struggles, I think it was more personnel-related, especially at key positions, but that’s just me.”

Gruden went on to explain how the interior offensive line wasn’t very good, and the quarterbacks were either not accurate or lacked the arm strength to make the downfield passing game work.

The best part of the interview was when Grant Paulsen asked Gruden what he thought about Washington general manager Martin Mayhew’s comments about wanting to have a 2-to-1 run/pass ratio.

“Maybe Martin Mayhew and Ron Rivera should call plays,” Gruden said. “I mean, seriously, it’s embarrassing; you can’t just hand the ball off, two-to-one, and say you’re going to do that. The score dictates it, your line play dictates it, your tight ends; if you don’t have blocking tight ends, it’s hard. What are you gonna run, inside zone, you gonna run outside zone, you gonna run toss plays? It’s very difficult to maintain a two-to-one advantage if you’re trailing, or if you’re 2nd-and-12, or 2nd-and-11, multiples times throughout the course of a game.”

Gruden was then asked if he ever dealt with someone telling him he wasn’t running the football enough. His answer was fascinating and not surprising.

“Yeah, I had it every day,” Gruden said. “Every Monday, when I went into the office. We didn’t run the ball enough; I had a thing on my desk saying, ‘hey, the Dallas Cowboys are running the ball 2-to-1; they’re leading the league in rushing. That’s why they’re leading the division. I said, ‘well, they’re winning every game because they’re in the lead, they’re not behind, and they have a powerful offensive line and a great back.’

Who left the note on his desk? Was it owner Dan Snyder?

“Who do you think” Gruden responded. Grant Paulsen responded: “Goose [Bruce] Allen?” “Yeah, probably,” Gruden answered. “I don’t know; who knows? It was on my desk; I don’t know who put it there. I glanced at it and threw it right in the garbage when I was done.”

Gruden said it was color-coded and said there was no vanilla ice cream outside his office.

Gruden then explained his philosophy as a play-caller. He noted how it is every offensive coordinator’s dream to run the ball twice as much as you pass it because it makes the offensive line and defense happy, but it’s not possible. When he called plays, he used things like bubble screens, the quick game and RPOs to keep the defense off-balanced.

In another funny moment, Danny asked Gruden if he wanted Washington’s offensive coordinator position.

“I would love to coach again,” Gruden said after a pause. “Who’s the owner?”

“Something tells me Dan’s not going to be hiring you, Jay, Grant said.

“Something tells me I wouldn’t go back if he was,” Gruden responded. Gruden, Grant and Danny were all laughing.

Finally, Gruden gave a scouting report on rookie Sam Howell.

“I was impressed with him,” Gruden said of Howell. “That’s why you gotta give Scott some credit. I thought Sam Howell played very well. He used his legs, he showed some accuracy on the deep ball and did some really good things. Moving forward, I don’t know how much you can put into that one game, although it was a big game. It was against the Dallas Cowboys, who played everybody, and he played well.”

Gruden is clearly a fan of Howell and has seen growth from when he watched him at North Carolina.

Washington fans love to criticize Gruden, but he’s an excellent analyst, quick-witted and never takes himself too seriously, which makes him a fun interview every time.

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Twitter reacts to Commanders firing offensive coordinator Scott Turner

Twitter reacts to Scott Turner’s dismissal.

It was no surprise Tuesday afternoon when the news broke that the Washington Commanders fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner.

Last week, Turner didn’t sound too confident about his job status, while head coach Ron Rivera didn’t have much to say. Then, on Saturday, a Washington Post report stated up to nine players were upset with Turner’s play-calling, essentially sealing Turner’s fate.

As you might expect, many Washington fans were happy with the news. Some believe many of Washington’s offensive issues don’t fall on Turner. Turner has dealt with eight starting quarterbacks during his three seasons in Washington. Journeyman Taylor Heinicke was the Commanders’ best quarterback during that time and someone who Turner picked up off the street.

Regardless, Rivera will be looking for a new offensive coordinator as he heads into year four of his regime.

Let’s see how Twitter reacted to the Turner news.

Commanders fire offensive coordinator Scott Turner

Scott Turner is relieved of his duties after three seasons as offensive coordinator.

The Washington Commanders fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner Tuesday, two days after Washington’s season-ending win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Just hours before JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington broke the news on Turner’s firing, head coach Ron Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew met with the media, where Rivera was asked about Turner.

“I think Scott did his job, did the things that he tried to do,” Rivera said. “We’re going to self-evaluate and go through that process.”

Turner was fired after a Washington Post report from the weekend stated nine offensive players complained about Turner’s play-calling, with some saying that Turner often tried to outsmart himself, even when the game plan was good.

Rivera released a statement on Turner:

“I met with Coach Turner today and informed him that we will be moving in another direction going forward with the offensive coordinator position,” the statement read. “Unfortunately, we did not live up to the expectations and standard that I expected to see from our offensive unit. I felt it was best for a fresh start at the coordinator position heading into next year. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Scott, and thanked him for his three years of service to our organization. I wish Scott and his family all the best in the future.”

Turner, whose father Norv was head coach of Washington from 1994-2000, was the team’s offensive coordinator for the past three seasons.

We’ll have more on this developing story.

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Will Week 18 be Scott Turner’s last game as the Commanders offensive coordinator?

Could Sunday’s game against the Cowboys be Scott Turner’s final game as offensive coordinator?

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It wouldn’t be the Washington Commanders if there weren’t leaks in January after another lost season. Once the Commanders were eliminated from postseason contention last week with a loss to the Cleveland Browns, the focus immediately turned to 2023.

A big reason for Washington’s absence from another postseason is its offensive struggles. Despite having an outstanding group of weapons at wide receiver and in the backfield, Washington’s offense ranks No. 20 in total offense and No. 25 in scoring offense, averaging only 18 points per game.

Two reasons for Washington’s issues this season are quarterback and offensive line. The quarterback position has long been a problem for Washington, and it took just seven games this season for the Commanders to realize Carson Wentz wasn’t the answer. On Sunday, rookie Sam Howell will be Washington’s third starting quarterback this season, following Wentz and Taylor Heinicke.

When Howell starts Sunday, he will be the eighth quarterback to start a game in head coach Ron Rivera’s three seasons.

The offensive line had been solid until this season. Injuries have played a part, but Rivera’s gamble on two older guards from his Carolina days didn’t pay off. In the offseason, Brandon Scherff left in free agency, and the Commanders released Ereck Flowers, replacing them with Trai Turner and Andrew Norwell.

Another problem for Washington in 2022 is its offensive coordinator. Scott Turner had plenty of excuses in his first two seasons, often earning praise despite glaring personnel deficiencies, specifically at quarterback. While the quarterback position remains a problem, Turner’s play-calling and game plans haven’t necessarily helped.

Speaking of those aforementioned leaks, the Washington Post released a report Saturday stating that Commanders players were frustrated with Turner’s play-calling. The report cited multiple examples of frustration with Turner. The most prominent being in Washington’s Week 14 loss to the Giants, where Turner abandoned the run despite running back Brian Robinson Jr. averaging over seven yards per attempt. The Giants had no answer for Robinson, yet Turner went away from the run.

Tight end Logan Thomas offered the following when asked if the play-calling put the players in position to succeed.

“The way I put it is: We got so much talent, we should be scoring more points than we have [been],” Thomas said.

The following excerpt highlights the level of frustration:

Nine other Commanders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid about a coach, expressed frustration with the play-calling. They complained about predictability, an abandonment of the game plan against Cleveland and Turner’s tendency to deviate from plays that are working, which several players described as the coordinator “outsmarting” himself. They suggested Browns defenders had anticipated their plays in the loss that effectively ended the Commanders’ season.

Interestingly enough, the report comes two days after Turner was asked about his job security and offered this reply:

“I mean, that’s just part of this league, you know, it could happen, it could happen to anybody,” Turner said. “It’s happened to guys when they don’t expect it, it’s happened, you know, whatever. So I just do my job. I’m focused on the Cowboys. Whatever happens after this week, you go with it after that.

One day later, Rivera was asked about Turner’s performance this season:

“I think we’ve had our moments,” Rivera said. “I think there’s some really good things considering the availability of everybody. You know, it’s been tough.”

Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

If you combine all of the above, it makes sense to wonder if Sunday is Turner’s last day with Washington.

The Commanders are in a difficult position. Rivera’s job security would likely be in question if the franchise wasn’t involved in a potential sale. For Rivera, it could be hard to attract a quality candidate to replace Turner due to his own status and a possible new owner. But it sounds as if Washington’s players are ready for a change.

As for Turner, not everything is his fault. However, one complaint is Turner often didn’t cater a specific game plan to his quarterback’s strengths. Will Turner tailor his game plan to Howell’s strengths with his inexperience in mind for Washington’s Week 18 game vs. Dallas? And if he does, will it be too late?

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Report: Commanders offensive players frustrated with play-calling

This shouldn’t come as a surprise.

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The Washington Commanders went into the last offseason with a clear objective: Upgrade the quarterback position. After failing to land Russell Wilson and passing on Jimmy Garoppolo due to concerns over his injured shoulder, Washington traded a pair of draft picks to the Indianapolis Colts for Carson Wentz.

Washington dodged a bullet by not acquiring Wilson. However, the trade for Wentz ended as many projected. Wentz started the first six games and then injured a finger on his throwing hand in a Week 6 win over the Chicago Bears. Taylor Heinicke led the Commanders into playoff contention during his absence but was benched in the second half of a Week 16 loss at San Francisco after the offense had struggled for weeks.

Wentz relieved Heinicke, looked good in limited action, and head coach Ron Rivera started him in the Week 17 game against the Cleveland Browns. Wentz was terrible, and the Commanders were dominated in a 24-10. As a result, Washington was eliminated from the postseason.

It was a frustrating loss for the players, coaches and fans. And while the defense faltered in the second half of Week 17, with players such as Jonathan Allen, Kam Curl and Benjamin St-Juste sidelined, it was the offense that ultimately cost the Commanders a playoff berth.

This leads us to offensive coordinator Scott Turner.

According to a report from Sam Fortier and Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, Commanders’ players are frustrated with Turner’s play-calling.

After last week’s loss, one anonymous player said, “ask the play-caller,” in response to why the offense failed to have a spark that Rivera believe when turning back to Wentz.

Veteran tight end Logan Thomas went on record with his concerns.

“The way I put it is: We got so much talent, we should be scoring more points than we have [been],” Thomas said via Fortier.

Other nuggets from Fortier’s report said some players believe Turner is sometimes guilty of “outsmarting” himself and that Browns defenders often anticipated what was coming in the Week 17 loss. Cleveland linebacker Reggie Ragland spoke after the game of Wentz’s release and that some players told him they preferred Heinicke. 

While that may be true, other players didn’t place blame at the feet of Wentz. 

“I feel bad for Carson,” a player said. “I don’t think we knew how to utilize him.”

Another player didn’t necessarily blame Turner, instead saying that the pressure of Wentz trying to save his career was evident even before the game began.  

Head coach Ron Rivera was asked about Turner Friday and offered the following assessment:

“I think we’ve had our moments,” Rivera answered. “I think there’s some really good things considering the availability of everybody. You know, it’s been tough.”

It remains to be seen what happens to the coaching staff after the season. With a potential ownership change, it’s not an ideal time for coaching upheaval.

The biggest criticism facing Turner this season was the Week 15 loss to the New York Giants. Rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for 89 yards on 12 attempts and the Giants couldn’t stop him. Yet, Turner went away from Robinson and later admitted that was a mistake.

Rookie Sam Howell will start at quarterback in the Week 18 finale against the Dallas Cowboys. Earlier in the week, former Washington tight end Logan Paulsen, a terrific analyst covering the team, said Howell wasn’t ready. 

Why is Howell not ready? Fans look around the league and see San Francisco’s seventh-round pick Brock Purdy thriving. Sure, there are extenuating circumstances as San Francisco has a loaded roster and Kyle Shanahan is the best offensive coach in the game. But after 17 weeks, you can’t tailor a game plan around your rookie quarterback?

Sunday’s game is critical for Turner. Can he scheme an offense that caters to Howell’s strengths in his first career start?

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Studs and duds from Commanders’ Week 17 loss to the Browns

Which players stood out for the Commanders? Which ones did not? Our list of studs and duds from Week 17.

The Washington Commanders had multiple chances to lock down a playoff spot over the last month but failed at every turn, going 0-3-1 in their previous four games before Sunday’s 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

The loss officially eliminated the Commanders from the playoffs.

Why did Washington lose? Where do we begin? It was a long day for the Commanders, who led 7-3 at halftime before completely falling apart on both sides of the ball in the second half.

Washington was missing several key players on defense, particularly in the second half when Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was out. Still, it doesn’t excuse the Commanders’ woeful performance on offense.

Scott Turner discusses the change from Taylor Heinicke to Carson Wentz

How will Scott Turner’s offense look with Carson Wentz back under center?

In the first six weeks of the season, you could see shades of the type of offense that Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner wanted to run.

In Carson Wentz’s first five starts of the season, he attempted 38 passes or more in every start. Wentz had 41 attempts or more in his first five games. When Wentz went with an injury, Taylor Heinicke returned to the lineup.

In Heinicke’s nine starts, he only went over 40 attempts once, in the Week 13 tie with the New York Giants. In six of Heinicke’s nine starts, he was under 30 attempts.

Do you sense a theme here?

Now that Wentz is back in the lineup, will Turner go with a more pass-heavy approach or strike a balance between Heinicke and Wentz’s passing attempts?

One knock against Turner is some feel he lacks a feel for the flow of the game. While other teams adjust, Washington is often behind in adjustments. For instance, in the loss to the 49ers, it took Turner until the third quarter to realize he couldn’t run against San Francisco and Washington’s wide receivers were a mismatch for the Niners.

On Thursday, Turner met with the media and discussed Wentz’s return to the lineup.

“Carson’s excited to get back in, playing,” Turner said. “He’s been preparing the last couple weeks to play. He was excited to get back in the game. I think Coach [Rivera] talked about it, you know, Taylor [Heinicke] has been a little beat up. We’ve had some issues; some of them have been stuff Taylor’s done, and some of it hasn’t been his control. I think it gives a little bit of a spark of Carson coming in. Like we said, he’s healthy, energized, and ready to go. I think there’s not going to see much difference as far as what we want to do. We still want to be physical and be balanced in that way. But I think just his excitement and energy coming in will be good.”

There are multiple reasons why the Commanders turned back to Wentz. Quite simply, he offers a much higher ceiling than Heinicke regarding the passing offense. And when you have wide receiver talent like Washington does, your offense becomes much more dynamic because there is a threat of the deep passing game.

It will be interesting to see how Turner calls the game in Wentz’s return to the starting lineup.

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Twitter reacts to Commanders’ prime-time loss to the Giants

The officiating was a hot topic after Sunday’s game, as was Scott Turner.

The NFC East is back. Time will tell if that’s permanent or only a mirage, as all four teams are currently over .500 and hold four of the NFC’s seven playoff spots.

The Washington Commanders came into Sunday night’s duel with the New York Giants as a 4.5-point favorite and in the No. 6 position in the NFC. However, the Giants walked away with the win, moving the Commanders down to the No. 7 spot.

While Washington still controls its destiny, the schedule looks daunting with a trip to San Francisco next week and home against the Cowboys in Week 18.

The Commanders blew opportunity after opportunity in Sunday’s loss. Rookie Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for 89 yards, averaging over 7 seven yards per attempt, while quarterback Taylor Heinicke had two fumbles. Washington’s defense failed to deliver critical stops and the officiating was horrendous.

What was social media during and after the Washington loss?

Here are some of the top reactions from Sunday’s game.

 

Studs and duds from Commanders’ loss to Giants

We name the studs and duds from Washington’s loss to the Giants.

The Washington Commanders remain in the playoff hunt after Sunday’s disappointing 20-12 loss to the New York Giants. At 7-6-1, Washington still holds the NFC’s final playoff position, but with a trip across the country to face the 49ers in Week 16, things could look drastically different a week from now.

The Commanders had every opportunity to defeat the Giants Sunday night but failed to deliver. Two turnovers, pass protection and a lack of timely defensive stops were all to blame for Washington. The Commanders also had some head-scratching coaching decisions, and the officiating was wretched.

Who was at fault for the loss? Plenty of people contributed to this one. Here are our studs and duds from Washington’s loss to the Giants.

If Commanders make the playoffs, what happens at QB in 2023?

If Heinicke leads the Commanders to the playoffs, what happens in 2023?

Logan Paulsen and Craig Hoffman were asked Friday on their Take Command podcast, what occurs with the Commanders’ quarterback position next season if the Commanders make the playoffs this season?

Hoffman: If Heinicke wins a playoff game, I think you have to bring him back with a chance to compete for the starting job. That’s one of those things, is the locker room going to let you go another way?”

“It would take some major boldness from Rivera and the Marty’s [Mayhew and Hurney] to move on from a guy who wins a playoff game, if we get to that point.”

“I think it makes the Wentz part of this very easy though. I think you move on from him. You don’t want to spend $26 million on him next year. I don’t know that I would want to do that anyway. I think if we are talking a guy who wins a playoff game, that is going to be hard to move on from.”

Paulsen: “I don’t think there is any doubt Taylor is going to be back here with some type of extension. The question is, is he your long-term answer? I think both of us would say, probably not.”

“I do think there is some merit to finding guys in the second and third rounds with upside talent. Taylor has all the intangible things you want. But if you were to get a guy and insulate him in this offense. Grow him up in the offense much like the Steelers did with Ben Roethlisberger or Baltimore did with Joe Flacco even Russell Wilson in Seattle.”

“I think Heinicke should be back; he deserves to be back. I think there is no question about that. I don’t think he is the starter for this team.”

“If the ultimate goal is to get to a Super Bowl and win a Super Bowl, which I think it is for you and I and a lot of fans and the coaches here, then something definitely needs to change. You need to be able to deploy and embrace a passing attack a little bit more to be successful.”

For the second half of the answering the question, click the link above,

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