Commanders offense undergoing overhaul
After consecutive seasons finishing near the bottom of the league in total offense, Ron Rivera and the Washington Commanders' brass chose to start fresh at offensive coordinator, hiring the aforementioned Eric Bieniemy to steer the ship in 2023.
Following his stint under Andy Reid with the Kansas City Chiefs, Bieniemy brings a wealth of knowledge and championship experience to the table. The former running back is a creative play caller and uses a wide variety of formations, personnel groupings, and motions to attack defenses from all angles.
A key staple of Bieniemy's offense will be the short passing game featuring screens and inventive alignments. Washington will look to get the ball out of quarterback Sam Howell's hands quickly to his deep stable of versatile pass-catchers that features wide receivers Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, and Dyami Brown as well as running backs Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson.
Veteran Logan Thomas also looks to rebound to top form in Bieniemy's tight-end friendly scheme. Something that's clearly excited the veteran based on his comments via CBS Sports.
"The past system, we didn't have much of a quick passing game. This system... I mean, you gotta have a quick passing game, because if not, everybody's just gonna drop out, everybody's gonna be underneath everything. Then you call the deep pass, and they're ready to step up because they're tired of giving up 7 (yards), they're tired of giving up 5, they're tired of giving up 6. And then you get 25 over the top, and if you look at Kansas City, that's exactly what they did, too."Logan Thomas via CBS Sports
Washington's 2023 offense probably won't rival the reigning NFL champions just yet. But Bieniemy will likely get the most out of his green, gifted quarterback as well as the multitude of talented playmakers now at his direct disposal in D.C.