2025 Washington Commanders- All Things Offense

[lovemaskins]

 

[Conn]

McCaffrey has now made some sort of big play in 4 straight games, but still only has 7 total catches. They’ve just mostly all been memorable. Now the staff needs to have him out-snapping and out-targeting the Chris Moore types, to see if the breakout is real or if he’s just flashing. No excuse for him to be averaging less than two targets per game if he’s actually developing into a playmaker, unless it’s a fluke. Like JCM, they’ve gotta keep loading him up with snaps and work now to nurture his development. Especially with the McLaurin/Brown lingering injuries, a lot could be riding on this

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

McCaffrey has now made some sort of big play in 4 straight games, but still only has 7 total catches. They’ve just mostly all been memorable. Now the staff needs to have him out-snapping and out-targeting the Chris Moore types, to see if the breakout is real or if he’s just flashing. No excuse for him to be averaging less than two targets per game if he’s actually developing into a playmaker, unless it’s a fluke. Like JCM, they’ve gotta keep loading him up with snaps and work now to nurture his development. Especially with the McLaurin/Brown lingering injuries, a lot could be riding on this

I agree, they need to get him more than one catch a game.

I think it's coming. Depending on how long McLaurin is out, it could be coming sooner than later.

One other thing to keep in mind: On drives where he is back for a kick return, what I've noticed (and I could be wrong because I haven't spent time analyzing this, just an observation while watching the games), but he will not be on offense for the first set of plays. Whether he returns the kick or not. It's like the 3rd or 4th play of the drive before he gets back out there.

That's probably a function of the fact they've removed the TV time out after kickoffs (thank god, the Score, TV Time out, kick-off, TV Time out was a brutal waste of like 7-10 minutes of nothing happening. Especially if you were at the stadium and it was cold, but I digress) and they want to make sure they don't over load him.

With McLaurin out, they've taken kickoffs away from Deebo.

I would like to see him get more catches and targets.

 

[Conn]

Too bad Bourne was seemingly just using us as leverage to get a slightly better deal from SF, because if we’d been willing to overpay him a bit (or if he actually wanted to leave SF, who knows) he’d add a lot here. He’s a legit outside WR and can block, and he’s putting up numbers for Shanny

 

[Conn]

I think many of us agree with this. Kliff’s obsession with pistol and shotgun makes sense with a mobile QB much of the time, Daniels can see the lanes in the D and react. It makes sense. JCM also has a lot of experience running from the same formations.

But sometimes, like the poet Marshawn Lynch said, you just gotta “run through a muhfucka’s face”.

 

[DWinzit]

I think many of us agree with this. Kliff’s obsession with pistol and shotgun makes sense with a mobile QB much of the time, Daniels can see the lanes in the D and react. It makes sense. JCM also has a lot of experience running from the same formations.

But sometimes, like the poet Marshawn Lynch said, you just gotta “run through a muhfucka’s face”.

Agreed, that is actually the strength of this team like it or not so for fuck sake, use it!

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

Agreed, that is actually the strength of this team like it or not so for fuck sake, use it!

The problem is: he does not (like it). I am not saying anything that should be considered some big argument or even some big indictment. Some OCs (many in today's NFL) are enamored with the pass. Where it gets really unfortunate is when they look at specific situations and decide pass where other indications (personnel on your side, personnel on their side, formation, field position, down/distance, clock situation, tendencies) may point you to run.

 

[Conn]

Explains how it was so wide open, great call

 

[Conn]

Big flash here from Lane, encouraging to see

 

[NoCalSkins]

With Lane & McCaffrey it is encouraging to see the flashes, and it makes me wonder if they aren't more involved on a consistent basis due to other factors like mastering the offense, increasing the route trees, working on making cuts to get open more consistently. It's a shame that Terry has been injured, Brown is out, & Deebo is hobbled somewhat because I still say with a healthy group, this WR core is formidable as a match up for any secondary, but when your Top 2 guys are out and the gadget WR is forced to assume a more traditional WR role, it is definitely going to take it's toll.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

I actually thought the playcalling was better in this last game (in terms of timing). I still don't like the variety on rushing attack; part of it is the formation, I really like under-center plays for variety. It's head-scratching. There's more to it though. The announcers called out the Bears for sweeping and recognizing there was a lot of push in the middle by the Commanders' D at one point. It just doesn't seem in the rushing game we try as hard to recognize issues and respond, but the passing game gets that TLC pretty consistently.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I think many of us agree with this. Kliff’s obsession with pistol and shotgun makes sense with a mobile QB much of the time, Daniels can see the lanes in the D and react. It makes sense. JCM also has a lot of experience running from the same formations.

But sometimes, like the poet Marshawn Lynch said, you just gotta “run through a muhfucka’s face”.

I disagree with this because you can do all the things you want to do from a power running perspective from the pistol. Daniels is most comfortable in the pistol. You don't want to put your QB in a position where he is less comfortable.

My read, based on just picking things up here and there, is that Kliff is doing what Daniels is comfortable with.

And here's the other thing, fumble aside, we were an elite rushing offense up until last week. What we're doing is working. It think the "under center" vs. "pistol/shotgun" discussion this week is an overaction. It would be different if the offense wasn't working. But it is. Both running and passing.

I think you will see more under center stuff as Daniels develops, but at the moment, he's more comfortable in pistol or shotgun. Also, it's harder to present the QB as a running threat when under-center.

My $.02.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I actually thought the playcalling was better in this last game (in terms of timing). I still don't like the variety on rushing attack; part of it is the formation, I really like under-center plays for variety. It's head-scratching. There's more to it though. The announcers called out the Bears for sweeping and recognizing there was a lot of push in the middle by the Commanders' D at one point. It just doesn't seem in the rushing game we try as hard to recognize issues and respond, but the passing game gets that TLC pretty consistently.

I don't know if I agree with that either. Maybe not so much in the bears game, I didn't really notice, but in the other games, we do a ton of different things in the run game, with zone, power, counter action, different types of counter action. Our run game is really diverse. It's why it's been really successful most of the year. I think they scheme up a heck of a good run game in general.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I agree, they need to get him more than one catch a game.

I think it's coming. Depending on how long McLaurin is out, it could be coming sooner than later.

One other thing to keep in mind: On drives where he is back for a kick return, what I've noticed (and I could be wrong because I haven't spent time analyzing this, just an observation while watching the games), but he will not be on offense for the first set of plays. Whether he returns the kick or not. It's like the 3rd or 4th play of the drive before he gets back out there.

That's probably a function of the fact they've removed the TV time out after kickoffs (thank god, the Score, TV Time out, kick-off, TV Time out was a brutal waste of like 7-10 minutes of nothing happening. Especially if you were at the stadium and it was cold, but I digress) and they want to make sure they don't over load him.

With McLaurin out, they've taken kickoffs away from Deebo.

I would like to see him get more catches and targets.

You have to be able to get open to get the ball thrown to you.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Big flash here from Lane, encouraging to see

Lane has the ability to do so many things.

I have been BEGGING the Commanders to run what I think is my favorite play I've ever seen for years, and I think Lane would be maybe the perfect person for it.

Unsurprisingly for people who know my posting history, my favorite play comes from the mid-2000's Colts.

If they could ever get Harrison singled up on a CB, one of their favorite things to do was run a slant and go. And Peyton would pump the slant right when Harrison would make his cut to the slant. Almost invariably, the CB would close on the slant, Harrison would put his foot in the ground, swim to the outside, and go up the sideline, and Peyton would throw a fade. The timing Peyton and Harrison had on the pump/slant was incredible. And the ball got out on the fade so fast after the pump, there was almost no time to recover.

The best thing is, because they did it enough, CBs would then start not biting on the slant, and then the slant was open all day for 7-10 yards with easy pickings. It was one of the most simple concepts, one receiver read, and it was at times unstoppable. What I don't know is how they determined when they were going to fake the slant and when they were going to throw it. It was like a Jedi mind meld or something between the two of them.

Now, did it help you had 2 HOF players executing it? Yes, yes sir it did.

But the concept is sound and simple. I think Lane has the speed and acceleration to pull it off, and Daniels has the touch to throw the fade and the velocity to throw the slant.

I haven't seen any other team try to do it the way they did it, and I have no idea why. Except maybe you need a really good QB and WR to pull it off? But there are plenty of those.... There's no reason why Burrow/Chase couldn't wear this concept out, for example.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

You have to be able to get open to get the ball thrown to you.

Yeah, but he still has limited snaps. He only played 25 offensive snaps against the Bears, or 38%. I do wonder if some of that is due to the fact he is the primary kick returner and plays on special teams as well.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

Yeah, but he still has limited snaps. He only played 25 offensive snaps against the Bears, or 38%. I do wonder if some of that is due to the fact he is the primary kick returner and plays on special teams as well.

I think like with any other player there is a reason for the limited snaps and I don't believe it's due to returning a few kickoffs.

I don't subscribe to PFF and didn't really watch him. How did Conerly grade out on Monday Night?

 

[Conn]

This seems to match the eye test all around. Cross-posting in the offense & defense threads since it encompasses it all

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

I don't know if I agree with that either. Maybe not so much in the bears game, I didn't really notice, but in the other games, we do a ton of different things in the run game, with zone, power, counter action, different types of counter action. Our run game is really diverse. It's why it's been really successful most of the year. I think they scheme up a heck of a good run game in general.

They have done a lot although I think the variety was down in the Bears game (just on feel). In the 6 games this season, there are still 2 that they should have run more in my opinion. That to me is not a great percentage. They had a lot of success in the other three games for sure, half of the season.

One thing they never do, I think (or almost never?), is sweep. It seemed like that may have slowed down the ability of those ends to just come straight to the middle all of the time. There are certain subtle advantages you get from specific plays in you arsenal. It is similar to how Kliff was so giddy when he faked the WR screen, knowing the safety was cheating on that play. OK, the ends are cheating on the fact that we never sweep. And guess what? We continue to never sweep. That's maybe not the best example, but it's the kind of attention the run game doesn't seem to get, that the pass game does.

 

[BayouBrave86]

I like a lot from what I’m seeing from this offense especially with the emergence of Luke and Lane. Going to be literally 4 deep at WR soon. And Conerly has been thrown to the wolves and will be all the better for it next season. Get Cosmi back and I really like the oline and our RB by committee approach. Would like to get a true burner back there for next season and a stud at TE to replace Ertz, but the offense has a chance to be really, really good when all cylinders are firing.