What is the key to Commanders progress on offense in 2023?

What is the key to genuine progress on offense for the Washington Commanders under Eric Bieniemy during the 2023 season?

The Washington Commanders' offense has everything in place to make legitimate strides next season. They have an abundance of weapons, a solid backfield tandem, tight ends capable of production if given enough looks, and an offensive line that should provide additional stability after an off-season revamp.

Sam Howell manning the plate under center represents the biggest gamble. One that could go either way with a relatively small sample size to go off in a competitive NFL setting.

However, there is one X-factor above all. A man who represents arguably the best possible chance for Ron Rivera to save his job under new ownership once their $6.05 billion transaction becomes official.

After winning a second Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs, Eric Bieniemy opted to bet on himself in pursuit of finally becoming an NFL head coach. The promise of more money, increased responsibilities, and working with some talented young men in Washington was all he needed to take the plunge.

Commanders' offensive strategy under Eric Bieniemy revealed

Many have been wondering how the Commanders' offense is going to look under Bieniemy's guidance. Rivera provided some clues via the team's website recently, which include a west coast system with the intent to get the football out quickly and into the hands of Washington's dynamic playmakers.

"One thing you saw during their [the Chiefs] playoff run was…how they got the ball into their playmakers' hands so quickly. How they relied so much on the underneath passing game, how they relied on just dumping the ball off to the back. …And when you get these playmakers that we have in space, good things can happen."

- Ron Rivera via Commanders.com

This is a win-win for everyone involved. It allows Bieniemy the chance to implement his ethos clearly, taking the pressure off Howell and also making things easier for those on the protection along the way.

Getting Terry McLaurin, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Jahan Dotson, and maybe even Logan Thomas the ball in space early is only going to assist Washington's hopes of becoming an efficient offensive operation with Bieniemy at the helm. It's that simple, really.

The play-caller has been especially hard on his players throughout early off-season workouts. Bieniemy wasn't happy with the work ethic and demanded more, but Rivera added via John Keim of ESPN that every single member of Washington's locker room knows it's coming from a good place.

"They understand that he's not just yelling at me to yell at me and try and make an example of me or show everybody he's stronger than me or smarter than me. It’s because that's how he emphasizes things. That's his way of making a point of something, saying this is very important. We need to pay attention to this. We need to understand that this is how we need to do these things."

- Ron Rivera vIa ESPN

The one thing that Bieniemy can call upon that commands instant respect is winning. He's been to the mountain top numerous times and if the players want to taste something similar, they'd be wise to take their medicine and hang on the respected figure's every word.

Because - and I cannot stress this enough - there is nobody better qualified to bring the Commanders out of the offensive wilderness.