Commanders' offense is just getting started under Kliff Kingsbury's wizardry

Who was the last Washington quarterback to lead the team to a 3-1 start at the beginning of a season?

No, it wasn’t Doug Williams. The same kind of misdirection Kliff Kingsbury is orchestrating like the finest of maestros with the Commanders' current offense. Odd alignments. The occasional unbalanced line. Running plays that feature counters, sweeps, and dives. Passing plays that target virtually every wide receiver. It has been a joy to watch over the last three games.

The correct answer to the question is Rex Grossman.

The year was 2011. Mike Shanahan was the coach. Future offense geniuses named Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, and Mike McDaniel were on the staff. Stellar offensive line coaches Chris Foerster and Chris Morgan were also around. The offensive staff was so good that genius-in-waiting Bobby Slowik was coaching defense.

There were just too many great minds already on the offensive side of the ball. And so a journeyman like Grossman took the team to a 3-1 start.

After that start, Washington went 2-10 the rest of the way and finished in last place in the NFC East. The great start to 2024 does not guarantee anything going forward. But this is not 2011. Not even close.

Commanders offense will only get better under Kliff Kingsbury

The Commanders' offense, which has scored points on 20 of its last 22 non-kneel-down drives, hasn’t even come close to reaching its potential. That means this team is going to get better. Maybe a lot better.

It might not happen this year. Opposing defenses will begin to get a read on what Kingsbury wants to do and what Jayden Daniels' tendencies are. They will adjust. But in short order, this offense will grow even more explosive.

It all begins with Daniels. You can have a good offense with a B+ quarterback. The San Francisco 49ers are proof of that. To have a great offense, you need an A+ under center. The former LSU star is not there yet, but the things he does give every indication that he will be there soon.

He is so calm under pressure. Washington converted 77 percent of its third and fourth down plays in Week 4. You only do that with a very cool and confident quarterback. Daniels threw his first NFL interception. He then proceeded to complete 17 of his next 20 passes. That pick did not rattle him very much.

Daniels can play much better. He has already shown a wonderful touch on short throws. He has shown a great ability to check down and run when necessary. But he has not been particularly good on deep throws - something at which he excelled in college.

He has not always seen open receivers or anticipated who is open on any given play. Daniels is going to get better at that with experience and confidence. He has Kingsbury, Tavita Pritchard, Brian Johnson, and David Blough on the staff to help him get better. And he has the intelligence and temperament to take full advantage of all his gifts.

Only a few pass-catchers on the squad - Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown, John Bates, and Brian Robinson Jr. - have ever lined up together before this season. The trust and the timing that characterizes the very best quarterback-wide receiver tandems take time to develop. Davante Adams played with Aaron Rodgers for four seasons before turning into one of the best in the game. Those deep throws are going to come. The timing on those awkward-looking bubble screens is going to get better. It just takes practice and patience.

Continuity is key for Commanders' offensive growth

It will not happen this year, but Adam Peters is going to add more talent on the perimeter in the coming seasons. Olamide Zaccheaus, Luke McCaffrey, and Noah Brown have been effective weapons in this offense, but imagine what it will look like if someone like Maryland prospect Tai Felton is lining up opposite McLaurin next year.

Consider how this offensive line performed against the Cardinals. Arizona came into the game averaging eight tackles-for-loss and five quarterback hits per game in 2024. They recorded one of each versus Washington.

The offensive line protected Daniels extremely well. But they still have room to grow.

Brandon Coleman passes the eye test. He looks like he belongs at left tackle. But he is still green. He can get a lot better with some very basic technique work. Again, that simply takes time and experience.

Andrew Wylie always starts slow and gets better. He is slightly ahead of schedule right now but can and should progress. The interior, which has been a problem spot for several seasons, is better than they have been since at least 2020, even if they allow too many run plays to get stuffed at the line of scrimmage.

There are still defensive frailties despite a better showing in Arizona. The Cardinals called a very poor game and didn’t take advantage of potential weaknesses. I don’t see mediocre pass rushers suddenly getting better. They were good against Kyler Murray, but only later in the game when they brought five and six-man blitzes.

And I don’t see how Emmanuel Forbes Jr. will ever be a good enough tackler to play cornerback in the NFL. I have some hope for the defense, but not a lot. Not this year.

In 2011, when Grossman was taking the team to 3-1, there was a fair amount of smoke and mirrors involved from that genius staff. Except for Santana Moss, the offense had no decent-skill position players. Roy Helu was the leading rusher. Jabar Gaffney was the leading receiver. On the line, they did have Trent Williams in his rookie season, and a solid guard in Chris Chester. But again, there was an overall dearth of talent across the board.

That is not the case with the 2024 Commanders. There may be some regression during the remainder of the season - they are not going to score on 91 percent of their drives indefinitely. But this offense is going to be among the best in the league shortly, and it will remain that way for a long time.

More Commanders news and analysis