Tag: Tavita Pritchard

NFL teams interested in Commanders coaching staff

That’s five coaches who’ve received interest from other teams — so far.

“Imitation  is the sincerest form of flattery.”

That’s the famous quote by Oscar Wilde, and since the NFL is a copycat league, that certainly holds true in the NFL as well.

However, in the NFL, your success might not only be imitated, but your coaching staff will undoubtedly be pursued.

After going from 4-13 to 12-5 in one season, the Commanders’ coaching staff is on the NFL’s radar. Everyone is suddenly eyeing the coaches and seeking interviews.

Just one year ago, Dan Quinn was announced as the Commanders’ new head coach, and many, yes, many in the Commanders’ fan base were calling Quinn a retread, a has-been, etc. But now, one year later, Quinn and his staff won 12 games, then two playoff games, and now they are in demand.

Before the NFC Championship game, there was talk of Kliff Kingsbury and Joe Whitt Jr. being sought for head coach interviews.

This week, we already have news that three more members of Quinn’s staff have been requested for interviews. The Jacksonville Jaguars have interviewed Commanders’ quarterback coach Tavita Pritchard for their offensive coordinator position.

Word broke Thursday evening that Commanders assistant head coach and offensive passing game coordinator Brian Johnson is expected to interview with the Houston Texans for their now-vacant Offensive Coordinator position.

Two teams are reportedly interested in assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough. The Jets are interested in Blough for the quarterback coach position, and the Bears’ new head coach, Ben Johnson, recently hired from the Lions, wants Blough to be the Bears’ new passing game coordinator.

Five of Quinn’s coaching staff (that we know of) have been contacted. Quinn must be surprised at the rapid demand for his coaches.

Jaguars interview Commanders’ assistant for their offensive coordinator vacancy

Could Kliff Kingsbury lose two of his offensive assistants?

Earlier on Wednesday, Mike Garofolo of the NFL Network reported that the New York Jets and Chicago Bears requested permission to interview Commanders assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough.

Thanks to Washington’s tremendous offensive success under Kliff Kingsbury in 2024, another team wants to interview one of his assistants. The Jacksonville Jaguars revealed on X — formerly Twitter — that they had completed an interview with Commanders quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard.

Pritchard, 37, just completed his second season as Washington’s QB coach. Initially hired to serve on Eric Bieniemy’s offensive staff under Ron Rivera in 2023, Dan Quinn retained Pritchard last offseason.

A former college quarterback at Stanford, Pritchard immediately jumped into coaching after his playing career ended. He spent the first 13 years of his coaching journey at his alma mater, serving in roles such as QB coach, running backs coach, wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator. Current Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh gave Pritchard his first coaching job in 2010.

The Jaguars recently hired former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as head coach. Pritchard and Coen have no known connections.

Kingsbury chose not to interview for head coaching vacancies this cycle, so it will be interesting to see how many of his assistants he can keep.

QB Jayden Daniels is the Commanders’ biggest reason for optimism in 2024

The Commanders have reasons for optimism and none are bigger than QB Jayden Daniels.

The Washington Commanders have many reasons to be excited about the future: A new owner, a new general manager, a new head coach, over 20 new free agents and a highly-touted draft class led by a dynamic quarterback.

All of those reasons should excite fans. But quarterback Jayden Daniels is the greatest reason for optimism in 2024 and beyond.

The No. 2 overall pick comes to a franchise with a solid nucleus of talent and a coaching staff built to aid in his development. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury is a former college quarterback and college and NFL head coach. New assistant head coach/pass game coordinator Brian Johnson is a former college quarterback and NFL offensive coordinator. Quarterback coach Tavita Pritchard and assistant quarterback coach David Blough each started at quarterback in college.

Additionally, Daniels’ expected backup is a former No. 2 overall pick himself: Marcus Mariota.

Pro Football Focus recently a reason for optimism for all 32 NFL teams. PFF picked Daniels for the Commanders:

Washington selected LSU’s Jayden Daniels with the second overall pick in this year’s draft. He’s the face of a new regime that has overhauled its roster with hopes of competing sooner rather than later.

Daniels enters the NFL as one of the best athletes at the quarterback position. He led all FBS quarterbacks in overall grade and rushing yards last season while finishing second in passing grade. He also holds the Power Five record with a career 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate (minimum of 600 dropbacks). The Commanders finally have a franchise quarterback.

That last line: The Commanders finally have a franchise quarterback. That statement alone is enough to create genuine excitement for long-suffering fans. However, most fans also proceed with caution. They’ve seen others who were supposed to be the franchise savior.

This time, it’s different, though. Sure, there is no guarantee of success for Daniels. But it will not be because the organization set him up to fail. And with his talent and work ethic combined with the organization doing everything possible to support his development, you like your chances.

WATCH: Commanders QB Sam Hartman drops it in the bucket in practice

Sam Hartman showing off his accuracy.

The Washington Commanders exited the 2024 NFL draft with the most experienced passers from the three-day event. We know about No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels, who started for five seasons between Arizona State and LSU. After three solid seasons at Arizona State, Daniels’ career took off once he arrived in Baton Rouge in 2022.

After the draft, Washington signed Sam Hartman as an undrafted free agent, giving him a significant signing bonus. Washington’s ultimate goal was to have Daniels as the starter and Hartman as the long-term backup.

Hartman played for four seasons at Wake Forest, where he appeared in 48 games with 45 starts. He transferred to Notre Dame for his final season and started 12 games for the Fighting Irish.

Over his final two seasons, Hartman’s accuracy took a big jump, going from around a 57% passer to a 63% passer.

During a drill on the final day of Washington’s three-day minicamp, Hartman did something the other three quarterbacks, including Daniels, did not.

Check it out:

That’s an impressive throw. Daniels, Marcus Mariota and Jeff Driskel came up short, but quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard and assistant quarterbacks coach David Blough also dropped it in the bucket. Both Pritchard and Blough were starting college quarterbacks, with Blough having played in the NFL.

 

Commanders sign veteran tight end Zach Ertz

The Commanders add a veteran tight end on Wednesday.

The Washington Commanders released tight end Logan Thomas last week in a salary cap move.

On Wednesday, the Commanders found his replacement, signing veteran tight end Zach Ertz to a one-year deal that could earn him up to $5 million.

Ertz, 33, was the Philadelphia Eagles’ second-round pick out of Stanford in 2013. Ertz spent 8.5 seasons with the Eagles before being traded to the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. Ertz was waived in November.

Ertz’s coming to Washington reunites him with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury was Arizona’s head coach for Ertz’s first two seasons with the Cardinals.

It also reunites him with Washington’s quarterback coach, Tavita Pritchard. Pritchard was a senior during Ertz’s freshman season at Stanford and was part of the coaching staff for his final three seasons with the Cardinal.

Ertz becomes the most experienced player in the Commanders’ tight end room, which features John Bates and rising third-year players Armani Rogers and Cole Turner. Rogers missed last season with an Achilles injury, while Turner played sporadically. Washington will almost certainly look toward the draft to add to the group, too.

Ertz was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Eagles. When traded to the Cardinals, he was 30 and produced good numbers under Kingsbury. In 11 games with Arizona in 2021, Ertz caught 56 passes for 574 yards and three touchdowns. In 2022, Ertz had 47 receptions for 406 yards and four touchdowns in only 10 games. Ertz suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 10 after signing a three-year extension earlier that year.

He returned in 2023, catching 27 passes in seven games before he requested his release in November.

Ertz has enjoyed success against Washington over his career. He has 93 receptions for 888 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games.

 

Bobby Engram to return as Commanders wide receivers coach

Bobby Engram is the third Washington assistant set to return in 2024.

As Dan Quinn continues to fill out his first coaching staff for the Commanders, another holdover from Ron Rivera’s staff will return in 2024.

Former NFL player and veteran coach Bobby Engram will return next season as Washington’s wide receivers coach, per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post. Engram was hired by Eric Bieniemy last offseason and joins quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard coaches who’ll be on Quinn’s staff.

Washington’s wide receivers took a step back last season, although that had more to do with Bieniemy’s offense than Engram’s coaching. The Commanders’ wideouts had issues separating consistently, and Washington’s route concepts were often criticized.

Engram, 51, is a former second-round pick of the Chicago Bears. He played 14 NFL seasons and finished his career with 650 receptions, 7,751 receiving yards and 35 touchdowns. His coaching career began immediately after playing with the 49ers in 2011.

In his 13-year coaching career, Engram has had stops with the 49ers (2011), Pitt Panthers (2012-13), Baltimore Ravens (2014-21) and Wisconsin (2022) before coming to Washington in 2023.

One person happy that Engram was back: Wide receiver — and fellow Penn State alum — Jahan Dotson.

Engram, Pritchard and Ryan Kerrigan will all return in 2024, with Kerrigan taking on the role of outside linebackers coach/pass rush specialist.

The only position offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury must fill on his staff now is running backs coach. Former running backs coach Randy Jordan is now in Tennessee.

Quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard to remain with the Commanders in 2024

The Commanders are building a terrific coaching staff.

It was a busy day for the Washington Commanders. First, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN revealed that Washington was expected to hire former Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson to a “prominent role” on the offensive coaching staff.

Fowler later noted that Johnson’s role would likely be pass-game coordinator for new head coach Dan Quinn.

Shortly afterward, Fowler revealed a key hire for the defense, tabbing Jason Simmons as defensive pass-game coordinator. Simmons spent last season with the Raiders, but spent several years in Green Bay, working with new Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.

Later Thursday, more coaching news, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported that quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard will return in the same position in 2024.

Pritchard, who joined Washington in 2023, had interest from around the NFL and impressed Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. A former college quarterback at Stanford, Pritchard later served as quarterback coach and offensive coordinator at his alma mater before coming to the NFL last season.

Washington is building a terrific coaching staff and, on offense, appears to be focusing heavily on the development of a young quarterback.

Commanders QB coach explains an important area of growth from Sam Howell

Commanders QB coach describes an impressive area of growth from Sam Howell.

So much is made of Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell and the sacks. Through seven games, Howell has been sacked 40 times. He’s on pace to shatter David Carr’s 21-year record — Carr was sacked 76 times in 2002.

Every week, we hear analysts and fans debate who is at fault for the sacks. The truth is, there is plenty of blame to go around. Howell does hold the ball too long at times, the offensive line hasn’t been good at times and offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy must also do a better job.

If there is one coach who works closer with Howell than anyone, even Bieniemy, is first-year quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard. A former college quarterback, QB coach and offensive coordinator, Pritchard is in his first season as an NFL coach.

On Friday, two days ahead of Washington’s rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles, Pritchard spoke to the media and was asked about Howell’s development.

What area of growth has stood out most to Pritchard?

It may surprise you, but it was an impressive answer and one that matters to coaches when developing young quarterbacks.

“I think one thing is you’ve definitely seen steady growth in just his operation of the offense,” Pritchard said.

“I guess what I mean by that is, you haven’t seen a lot of that procedural penalties, and we’re in and out of the huddle, so I feel like he’s handled that well because a lot of times with young quarterbacks, that’s one of the first things that’s happening. It’s just him getting out of the huddle and calling the snap count, right? I think he’s done well with that, but then it’s obviously about executing and protecting the football and moving the chains and scoring points.”

Pritchard confirmed with the media that the Commanders have had only one delay of game penalty through seven games.

There has been a lot thrown at Howell, so while we focus on the sacks, turnovers, or touchdowns, it’s the small things such as this that matter to coaches. Howell is showing signs of growth, whether or not some see it each week.

Will Alex Smith’s concerns apply to Commanders in 2023?

Alex Smith had some interesting comments about defensive-minded head coaches and their development of young quarterbacks. He speaks from experience.

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Will Alex Smith’s recent comments apply to Sam Howell this upcoming season?

Smith knows something about overcoming adversity as an NFL quarterback; even more, he knows about severe adversity in real life such as almost having your leg amputated.

Smith quarterbacked Washington in the 2018 and 2020 NFL seasons. Previously he had been with the 49ers for 7 seasons after they drafted him and 5 seasons with the Chiefs, the last of which he mentored current star Patrick Mahomes.

Smith voiced his concern this week (on SiriusXM’s NFL Radio) for young NFL quarterbacks who are forced to play under a defensive head coach. He questioned how well a defensive head coach can develop a young quarterback.

“There is a different mentality, from my career, when you play for an offensive head coach that wants to light up the scoreboard and outscore the opponent,” Smith said.

“There’s a different mentality you have, especially as a young quarterback versus a defensive head coach, when really the [coach’s] mentality is, ‘Hey, don’t screw up, don’t turn the ball over, don’t put us in a bad situation.’ … That’s a huge difference in a mentality and a mindset for a young quarterback, especially if it’s a bit rocky to start.”

It’s no secret Smith was drafted by the 49ers in 2005, and his first head coach was former Washington defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. Nolan was the head coach for Smith’s first seasons (2005-2008) before being replaced by former Chicago Bears middle linebacker Mike Singletary (2008-10).

Three more seasons with the defensively intense Singletary before Smith had himself an offensive-minded head coach in Jim Harbaugh in 2011.

After two seasons with Harbaugh (2011-12), Smith went to Kansas City playing for head coach Andy Reid from 2013-17. So, is there any reason to doubt that Smith is not merely speaking abstractly? He is speaking from his many years of experience in the NFL.

But might much of this depend upon how much the quarterback coach and offensive coordinator build a relationship with the quarterback? For instance, yes, Ron Rivera a former linebacker for the Chicago Bears is Sam Howell’s head coach here in Washington.

Yet, if Rivera truly gives control of the offense over to Eric Bieniemy, then isn’t it up to Bieniemy and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard to build as much a rapport as possible with Howell? This is after all Bieniemy’s opportunity to take on more leadership with an NFL offense. Isn’t this why he departed Kansas City and future Hall-of-Famer Patrick Mahomes?

I could be entirely wrong (it wouldn’t be the first time) but Alex Smith’s experiences with his defensive head coaches do not have to necessarily be a very similar experience for Sam Howell. Bieniemy and Pritchard could go a long way in preventing Smith’s experiences from being repeated with Howell.

 

Commanders quarterback coach Tavita Pritchard’s uncle played QB in the NFL

Pritchard played QB at Stanford before becoming a coach, but his uncle was a successful college QB before being drafted into the NFL.

Commanders fans may be unaware, but new quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard had an uncle who played in the NFL.

Pritchard himself started at Stanford in 2007 and 2008. Those as old as I am will remember that before his uncle quarterbacked in the NFL, he also played in the PAC-8.

Pritchard’s uncle was a quarterback starter at Washington State, Jack “The Throwin’ Samoan” Thompson. Thompson finished ninth in the 1978 Heisman Trophy voting and then was selected third overall in the 1979 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

With the Bengals from 1979-82, Thompson received little to no playing time, being unable to unseat veteran starter Ken Anderson. In those four seasons, Thompson managed only five starts (1-4), 13 touchdown passes and 19 interceptions.

Looking to desperately replace Doug Williams (who would later quarterback Washington to a Super Bowl XXII 42-10 win over Denver), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers unbelievably traded their first-round choice in the 1984 draft to the Bengals for Thompson.

Thompson closed out his NFL career the next two seasons in Tampa, going 3-13 as the starter, throwing 20 touchdown passes and 26 interceptions.

Pritchard’s uncle (Thompson), however did enjoy a fine college career at Washington State passing for 601 completions and 53 touchdown passes. Washington State retired his No. 14 jersey as he was all-PAC-8 three seasons.

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