2025 Washington Commanders- All Things Offense

By the way, "20 carries in a game" is just a quantitative measure. The main point is, we don't go with the hot hand. I get with that philosophy if it's working for you and you are winning games. I don't get it under our circumstances - lots of injuries, so we should have limited things that work. When something is working, it would be more sensible to lean into that.

We haven't done that consistently this year at all, especially with the running game. This is just observable, in particular with CRod's usage. They leaned on him more finally this week, but again there was some strange substituting at times, when it looked like he was getting going.

It's all good, a lot of it is opinion - for me personally, Kliff has shown some disturbing tendencies in his playcalling. The easy one is Dallas; they have not had a strong defense at all this year. If you watched that game, you would see that their defense controlled our offense very effectively in that game. Those types of games are bad signs. You are right, it's tough to evaluate with all of the injuries, absolutely true, but there are games this year where we weren't as injured, and there are other games where within the game, there are some really head-scratching decisions being made situationally.

There are also, maybe most disturbingly, quotes from HC and OC that show some disconnect in philosophy.
 
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Boone said:
Isn't there a very simple explanation for why Kingsbury is not calling a lot of running plays? We have fallen behind, often by a lot, early in nearly every game this season. Fans will say 'you can't abandon the rushing attack' but the truth is, 99% of the time, OC's are going to go pass heavy when they fall significantly behind for every logical reason in the world. If you need 2, 3, or 4 scores just to catch up, you can't afford to have the clock continue to run.

I also think, to be fair, it's worth noting that Washington was tied for 5th for the most rushing attempts in 2024. That would be evidence that it's not that Kingsbury doesn't want to run more, or doesn't value the rushing attack, but that something has been different in 2025. That something, in my opinion, is that we have been playing from significantly behind nearly all season long. I am pretty sure Kingsbury has stated this directly several times as the primary factor.
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I’d add to that:
At least of a few weeks ago, I wanna say a chart was posted about Daniels dealing with a top two drop rate. That, plus the change in how teams are playing us Riggo mentioned (which has presumably affected the effectiveness of qb scrambles), have stalled a bunch of drives. I also have to wonder if the outlandish number of offensive personnel groupings has lead to an uptick in penalties/stalled drives.

Now, with all of that said, I’m still not sold on Kliff in relation to the ground game. Last year, Daniels scrambled a ton, so that skews rushing attempt data. Don’t love the super heavy reliance on the RO. He’s had games where he inexplicably doesn’t really commit to the run, especially when it’s working better than the passing game (the GB game comes to mind). Obviously, Kliff’s comment about DQ pointing out the need to stick with the ground is concerning as well. Of course, that also shows a willingness to listen, learn, and adapt, so there’s a bright side to that factor.

Worth pointing out that Kliff hasn’t had a good wr group, oline (they seem to be getting there though) or running back, a dynamic TE, a defense he can trust, and he’s dealt with a young qb and a lot of games played by a backup qb. Hard to argue too much against the overall results given all of those issues.
 
SkinsNumberOne said:
I'm not moving any goalposts. I keep saying the same things.

Do you want me to point out where you say things that are just untrue? You made it sound like there are like 4 RBs who get 20 carries in a game.

Some things, when you get it wrong by that much -- come on, man. Either you're not paying attention, or.. well, I don't even know. How can you say that?

It's not some hellish search through so many box scores to find 20s. Look at Rico Dowdle on Carolina. Pretty sure you'll find a few there. I guess you are going to put him up now with Henry as elite?

Now find the Commanders RB who got 20 carries this year. Oh I forgot, everyone rotates except the elite RBs, like Rico Dowdle.
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Try reading. I said we didn't have one.

And Rico Dowdle had a 3 games. The leader in carries, Christian McCaffery has 193 carries in 11 games. He has cracked 20 carries four times. The best back in the league, Jonathan Taylor, has carried the ball more than 20 times three times as well. Bijan Robinson, once, Jahmyr Gibbs once, Barkley 3 times, Ashton Jeanty, twice.

McCaffery is averaging 17.5 car/gm. Taylor is leading the league in carries per game at 18.9--and he's the best back in the league.

There's real data.
 
Riggo44 said:
Try reading. I said we didn't have one.

And Rico Dowdle had a 3 games. The leader in carries, Christian McCaffery has 193 carries in 11 games. He has cracked 20 carries four times. The best back in the league, Jonathan Taylor, has carried the ball more than 20 times three times as well. Bijan Robinson, once, Jahmyr Gibbs once, Barkley 3 times, Ashton Jeanty, twice.

McCaffery is averaging 17.5 car/gm. Taylor is leading the league in carries per game at 18.9--and he's the best back in the league.

There's real data.
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"Try reading" when you claim I moved goalposts? OK.
Right, so your data agrees with what I was saying, and have been saying - consistently. When did I say anyone averages 20 carries / game? So, just so you understand, what you are doing now? That is called "moving the goalposts."

Simple terms:
- Other teams, without elite RBs, do run 20 carries in a game at times (I guess I have to be super specific here?). Situational. Depends on available personnel. Bryce Young is your starter? Your OL? Your WRs? Rico Dowdle? Defense we are playing against? OK, let's run Rico Dowdle a lot today. Oh, it's working? Let's keep that up.
- Kliff? It's not happening. From what we've seen.

There have been situations this year where going with the hot hand made a lot of sense to me, to broadcast announcers, to a lot of people. Kliff didn't do it. I'm not making something up, it's just what's happened.
 
Anyone remember when the Eagles played the Commanders (were we the Redskins at the time? I can't honestly remember) and the Eagles were undefeated?
www.espn.com

How the Commanders ended the Eagles' quest for perfection

What ruined the Eagles' pursuit of a perfect season? A combo of turnovers, masterful ball control from Washington and efficient play for Taylor Heinicke.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

"We can run the ball; we have to make certain we stay with it," Washington coach Ron Rivera said. "The biggest thing we have to do is understand where we are, who we are and what we can be."-- John Keim
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If some of these quotes sound a little similar to some things we've heard these past few weeks? It's because they are.

In recent weeks, Kliff has been asked about our rushing attempts being low for the season. He said he likes our rushing efficiency, meaning, if we run, we get a high average. He likes that.

Dan was asked a question about our running game too. His response? We have to run and continue to run, even when we're getting only 1 or 2 yard gains. It means the defense creeps up more, it means that you shift the way players look into the backfield.

Those two answers are very different to each other, kind of similar (in some ways) to what we saw with Rivera and Turner at times. With Rivera and Turner, I'm sure we all remember; Turner pretty quickly returned to leaning towards passing again, and we returned to losing.
 
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SkinsNumberOne said:
Do you want me to point out where you say things that are just untrue? You made it sound like there are like 4 RBs who get 20 carries in a game.
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I just went through and demonstrated how few 20 carries a game is for running backs this day and age, including Jonathan Taylor. I am not sure what else you want to point out.
 
Riggo44 said:
I just went through and demonstrated how few 20 carries a game is for running backs this day and age, including Jonathan Taylor. I am not sure what else you want to point out.
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I don't know if you misunderstood me or what, but I thought I was being clear. At this point, I think you are willfully misunderstanding though.

Kliff has not had a running back carry 20 times in a game for us, because he doesn't let the hot hand play. He rotates. That is not some overly common thing in the NFL. It isn't a treatment only elite running backs get.

So, when you show many other running backs have gotten 20 carries in a game this year, my point is proven. However, as I mentioned in another post, I agree that saying "20 carries" isn't necessarily meaningful. Kliff just doesn't situationally stick to the hot hand; that is the main issue. Where it *can* come out in easily digestible quantitative terms is things like this, though. However, if you pay attention, it's pretty obvious.

If you're going to continue just saying something different and try to *actually change the conversation* - that's fine. We can stop talking. It brings no value to anyone to talk past each other.

*Vilma isn't the only one. It's only the most recent. Regardless, though - you can continue to try to add noise, but the point is proven, and it's fairly obvious anyway. It's not much of a point, it's weird to have so many posts on it.
 
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Posting this for anyone interested in how regular season practices play out and how reps are split (or not), etc. There’s not a ton of live work during the season and this post illustrates that. Makes our chillaxed offseason practices pretty questionable since that’s when most of the work and development is reasonably happening imo.

Think the original context of this tweet is probably as a response to some annoying posts involving Shadeur Sanders’ lack of practice reps, but I think it’s still interesting hearing directly from a longtime backup QB who bounced around the league until his 40’s.

 
Our oline should be set for a couple years. Just continue to bolster the depth there.
 
I don’t see Kingsbury going to UF. He has been open in the past about not liking all that a HC gig entails, especially the recruiting responsibilities at the college level. Those responsibilities have become even more difficult now with the explosion in importance of the transfer portal.

The significant influence of the Bull Gators mafia has to be an overall negative as well, unless he desires one those contracts worth tens of millions that rich donors are happy to pony up for and just as happy to pay their way out of on a whim.

Kliff strikes me as very content with the responsibilities and demands of his current position.
 
Yep just saying I’d expect it to really ramp up again now that sunbelt Billy is gone.
 
BayouBrave86 said:
Yep just saying I’d expect it to really ramp up again now that sunbelt Billy is gone.
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‘The rumors continue to heat up, and on Friday, Pro Football Focus' Max Chadwick predicted that Florida will hire current Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch as Napier's replacement.’

"Fisch a Florida alum who spent two years as a graduate assistant there under Steve Spurrier after he graduated," Chadwick wrote. "Fisch has done a solid job over the last three seasons at Arizona and now with the Huskies, compiling a 22-13 record since 2023. He’s not the splashiest hire that the Gators could make, but he has familiarity with the program and could provide some much-needed stability in Gainesville."
 
Chris said:
I don’t see Kingsbury going to UF. He has been open in the past about not liking all that a HC gig entails, especially the recruiting responsibilities at the college level. Those responsibilities have become even more difficult now with the explosion in importance of the transfer portal.

The significant influence of the Bull Gators mafia has to be an overall negative as well, unless he desires one those contracts worth tens of millions that rich donors are happy to pony up for and just as happy to pay their way out of on a whim.

Kliff strikes me as very content with the responsibilities and demands of his current position.
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Very possibly true.

The other side of the coin is that a lot of these college programs, due to the complexity of all the NIL and transfer portal stuff, are setting up full NFL-style FO’s to handle a lot of that. And they give guaranteed contracts with massive buyouts if the coach sucks. So Kliff may be enticed regardless if he can be convinced that he won’t have to spend his entire life on the recruitment aspect other than being the face of it, given all the resources some of these schools are pouring into the recruitment operations side of things
 
Conn said:
Very possibly true.

The other side of the coin is that a lot of these college programs, due to the complexity of all the NIL and transfer portal stuff, are setting up full NFL-style FO’s to handle a lot of that. And they give guaranteed contracts with massive buyouts if the coach sucks. So Kliff may be enticed regardless if he can be convinced that he won’t have to spend his entire life on the recruitment aspect other than being the face of it, given all the resources some of these schools are pouring into the recruitment operations side of things
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I don’t discount at all that there are systems in place to manage the NIL landscape, but at the end of the day valued transfers want to know that they will be the new coach’s ‘guy’ and to be romanced by him.

No player signed with Alabama (as an example) because of their FO-type organization, they signed because of Saban. I just personally doubt that Kingsbury has much of an appetite for playing the role of car salesman with young 20 year olds.
 
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