Joon Kim, ESPN Staff Writer October 5, 2024, 6:00 a.m. ET
CloseJohn Keim covers the Washington leaders for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2013 after a stint with The Washington Post. He began covering the team in 1994 for the Journal Newspapers and later for the Washington Examiner. He has authored/co-authored four books. You can also listen to him on “The John Keim Report,” broadcast on ESPN Radio Richmond, and follow him on Twitter @john_keim
ASHBURN, Va. – It didn’t take long for receiver Noah Brown to sense something was different with Washington’s leaders, especially regarding the offense. In fact, it took almost three weeks.
“Maybe the rest of the league doesn’t quite know, but that’s all it took for me to see that there’s a special building here,” he said.
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Washington (3-1) was an early-season surprise entering Sunday’s game against the 1-3 Cleveland Browns (1 p.m. ET, Fox) in large part because of its offense.
The franchise hasn’t had an offense rank in the top 10 in either yards or points since 2016 — and hasn’t been in both since 2012. But after four games, the Leaders rank second in points and sixth in yards. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has helped greatly, of course, but there are other factors as well: the scheme, the line and its versatility. That’s why they are optimistic that the success will continue.
After the 42-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals, receiver Terry McLaurin said the best is yet to come.
“The exciting part is that we still leave a little bit of room for improvement,” he said.
Here are four reasons why leaders are starting to attack so aggressively:
Daniels and Washington’s offense has been buzzing almost all season. AP Photo/Rick Scuteri Jayden Daniels
One pass play against the Cincinnati Bengals showed a lot of what Daniels has to offer. In the 38-33 win in Week 3 on Monday night, the Commanders faced third-and-7 on their own 27-yard line and were clinging to a five-point lead with 2:10 remaining in the game. The play was slow to come in from the sideline. There were only 10 men initially in Washington Square. Daniels was already expecting an all-out attack.
Daniels calmly received the play, told the late arriving 11th man — receiver Luke McCaffrey — where to line up, then sent a perfect touchdown pass to a tightly covered McLaurin in the end zone. Next Gen Stats had a 10.3% chance of completing this play.
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“This kid has poise,” McLaurin said. “He grew up on this deep gorge.”
“His composure is what shapes the offense,” guard Nick Allegretti said.
The play showed his accuracy, toughness and maturity, elements that his teammates and coaches have exploited since his arrival in the spring. Daniels is always one of the first, if not the first, players to arrive at their training facility each day. He does a 6 a.m. walk-through with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, then does extra work on his virtual reality headset that simulates situations at game speed.
The result: Daniels ranked fourth in total QBR (73.3) and first in completion percentage (82.1%). He threw for 897 yards, three touchdowns and one interception and rushed for another 215 yards and four scores.
Kingsbury said he applied some of the concepts Daniels used at LSU to ease his entry into the NFL.
“You have to try to get him as comfortable as possible early on so he can play at a high level, but he gets the hang of it quickly. We put a lot on him and he just keeps taking it and playing,” Kingsbury said. “At a high level and this is due to his preparations.”
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Kingsbury
Before the season, tight end Zach Ertz said he wanted to finish his career playing for Kingsbury. That’s why he was happy to be reunited with him in Washington after spending parts of two seasons with him in Arizona, where Kingsbury was head coach.
“The best part about Kliff’s offense is he makes it easy for the quarterback,” Ertz said. “It will be very flexible.”
It’s not just about cheating players, although that happens in every game.
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Washington also leads the NFL in non-huddle plays with 119 — the closest team, Chicago, has 65. The Commanders gained 285 yards on 37 non-huddle plays against Arizona. They use a variety of appearances and attack from all over the field.
Players say success comes from preparation. They have at least three rounds every day.
“That’s the most runs I’ve ever had,” running back Austin Ekeler said. “We have so many mental reps. People get into different places and move so quickly that we, as an offense, can give you a variety of looks quickly and make sure they’re sharp.”
Kingsbury said he started doing more runs while coaching at Texas Tech.
“Guys will lose interest,” he said of the meetings. “But if you take them out on the grass and talk to them and walk across it, it tends to hold up a little better.”
Offensive line
Washington felt better about its offensive line internally than many outside the building, according to multiple team sources. The Chiefs allowed a league-leading 65 sacks last season — a byproduct of an offensive coordinator in Eric Bieniemy who emphasized the pass; quarterback Sam Howell, who held the ball longer than the coaches wanted; And in some cases, talent.
This offseason, the team added veteran center Tyler Biadasz and left guard Nick Allegretti and drafted left tackle Brandon Coleman in the third round. Coleman alternated with Cornelius Lucas immediately.
Heading into Week 5, the Leaders are 12th in sacks allowed with nine — five of which occurred in Week 2. They are sixth in yards per carry (5.1). Washington also ranked last in the NFL in carries in 2023; The leaders are tied for fourth in that category through four games.
The success stems from Daniels’ ability to get rid of the ball quickly. Washington ranks fourth with a time before passing (2.52 seconds). His ability to extend plays helps as well. The leaders are third in time before the sack (5.38 seconds).
Tight ends, backs and sometimes receivers help out by cutting ends. Receivers help by blocking runs, too. But it still starts with the line.
“We know they weren’t the most excited to start the season,” Kingsbury said. “But they really take pride in their approach as a unit and their physicality, finishing, toughness and their communication is great.”
Kingsbury said they’ll make plays in a game that they probably can only make in practice.
“It’s as good as I’ve been around in that regard as far as picking things up and solving problems on the field and in the game,” he said.
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cleverness
Washington can hurt teams with its running game — the leaders rushed for over 200 yards in wins over the New York Giants and Cardinals.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr. rushed for 101 yards against the Cardinals. In four games, he has rushed 66 times for 307 yards and has carried the ball 16 or more times in each of the last three games. He has only carried 16 or more per game four times throughout 2023.
But Daniels’ legs help the leaders, too: He scrambled 22 times for 163 yards. They can run power plays with Robinson and pull linemen. They can run zone plays and run the quarterback – whether outside of a zone read or just making a sweep.
“It’s the run and the play, it’s a combination,” Quinn said of why the offense works so well. “Then the combination of Jayden outside the pocket and his legs led to some first downs. That’s what makes it tough.”
McLaurin leads the team with 19 catches for 191 yards — 152 of which have occurred in the past two games.
They also have players like Olamide Zaccheaus who played five snaps and was not targeted in Monday night’s game, but caught six passes for 85 yards at Arizona. He is second among receivers with 10 catches this season. Veterans Ertz (15 catches, 150 yards) and Ekeler (nine catches, 121 yards) also helped.
Brown, who signed on Aug. 28, has caught nine passes for 111 yards in the past three games combined.
“That’s the great thing about being in an offense like this, everyone can make a play,” Zakka said.
