2025 Washington Commanders- All Things Offense

[ExoDus84]

Not that I disagree with the sentiment with Connerly, but who exactly is "master (block) spinner?" Is this person an analyst, or just a rando on the internet?

 

[Conn]

Not that I disagree with the sentiment with Connerly, but who exactly is "master (block) spinner?" Is this person an analyst, or just a rando on the internet?

Just a local fan with a football background who talks a lot of ball, looks like. Same as anyone here making observations, really

 

[BayouBrave86]

Also that Burks catch could be that catalyst that turns him into a viable WR option for years to come. Supreme confidence builder. He just needs to stay healthy. But we might’ve picked up a legit #2, at worst 3rd option off the waiver wire.

 

[method man]

Saw somewhere a prediction he would get 12 million a year. But agree with the point about him adding to this offense.

My position is that elite RBs are greatly undervalued in today’s NFL. Give me Breece at $12M a year vs Samuel at $18M a year. A home run hitter like him who is awesome in the passing game would be a major unlock for this offense.

 

[method man]

Also that Burks catch could be that catalyst that turns him into a viable WR option for years to come. Supreme confidence builder. He just needs to stay healthy. But we might’ve picked up a legit #2, at worst 3rd option off the waiver wire.

You plan for him as your WR4 given his injury history. If you think of him as WR2, you end up in a situation similar to this year if he gets hurt

 

[skinsinparadise]

You plan for him as your WR4 given his injury history. If you think of him as WR2, you end up in a situation similar to this year if he gets hurt

Yeah I see Burks as depth not a starter

You plan for him as your WR4 given his injury history. If you think of him as WR2, you end up in a situation similar to this year if he gets hurt

Am good with Breece as a FA signing

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

If they 'knew what we were doing on that play', why did they leave a WR wide open in the corner of the end zone? The defender made a heads-up play on the ball, but that's the only reason we didn't pull this one out.

If they knew what we were doing on that play then they defended it terribly, McNichols was wide open and the LB getting his hand on the ball was the only reason we didn’t win. They schemed up that pressure of course but if they knew where the ball was going he wouldn’t have been wide open. That was individual excellence winning them the game, not knowing what we were doing. What we called “worked”, the instant pressure was just too much. But they’d have had a safety net if they actually knew

There are various quotes out there today that talk a bit about this. I think the reference to "knowing what we were doing" was probably on seeing the alignment, but yes - the Broncos had a weird measure of confidence after their timeout (according to a few of their quotes).

By the way, I looked at the play before the timeout, and yes, both alignments (O and D) did indeed change. So, as you guys said - heads up play by the defender. I am still scratching my head on the weird confidence across multiple Broncos, there are quite a few people citing how Vance Joseph changed the defense and that is why they won. I would have thought Collinsworth's description was more apt which lines up with what you guys are saying. I tend to think you guy (and Collinsworth) are correct, and our eyes aren't lying. Sometimes I think you can clearly tell when the D can read our plays - this ain't that! Good play by Bonnito.

 

[prodigy]

There are various quotes out there today that talk a bit about this. I think the reference to "knowing what we were doing" was probably on seeing the alignment, but yes - the Broncos had a weird measure of confidence after their timeout (according to a few of their quotes).

By the way, I looked at the play before the timeout, and yes, both alignments (O and D) did indeed change. So, as you guys said - heads up play by the defender. I am still scratching my head on the weird confidence across multiple Broncos, there are quite a few people citing how Vance Joseph changed the defense and that is why they won. I would have thought Collinsworth's description was more apt which lines up with what you guys are saying. I tend to think you guy (and Collinsworth) are correct, and our eyes aren't lying. Sometimes I think you can clearly tell when the D can read our plays - this ain't that! Good play by Bonnito.

meh they can celebrate as much as they want. they went to OT and won by a failed 2 point conversions against a 3-8 team. they should be embarrassed. they are frauds. they got beat by Eric Bienemy and Sam Howell. I hope the chiefs make it to the playoffs and beat them in denver.

 

[method man]

meh they can celebrate as much as they want. they went to OT and won by a failed 2 point conversions against a 3-8 team. they should be embarrassed. they are frauds. they got beat by Eric Bienemy and Sam Howell. I hope the chiefs make it to the playoffs and beat them in denver.

The peak of Sam Howell’s career

 

[DWinzit]

My position is that elite RBs are greatly undervalued in today’s NFL. Give me Breece at $12M a year vs Samuel at $18M a year. A home run hitter like him who is awesome in the passing game would be a major unlock for this offense.

Hall is the type of player that can be on any play or formation and do well with whatever his duties are. That's a bonus for our offense by keeping the opponents D guessing.

Adding him would be like throwing a little more cap space to Ekeler and getting a bigger, healthier and much younger player

 

[DWinzit]

So I keep hearing how well Sinnott is blocking. WTF is going on? Is he just awful at running routes and getting separation? He seems to have fallen off the boards

 

[burgold]

So I keep hearing how well Sinnott is blocking. WTF is going on? Is he just awful at running routes and getting separation? He seems to have fallen off the boards

It's a weird case for sure. I can't remember a pass he's dropped when targeted, but he gets so few opportunites. I imagine it's just the life of the third TE. Ertz is the pass catcher, Bates is in there as a blocker, and Sinnott just hasn't been able to supplant either of those two. I would like the team to rest Ertz more and give Sinnott more snaps going forward. With the season over (playoff hunt wise), we need to learn if he can replace Ertz.

That said, it's got to be about something more than depth chart. After all, they targeted Yankoff last week so Sinnott must be doing something wrong in addition to being low on depth chart and the fourth or fifth read when he's out there.

 

[DWinzit]

It's a weird case for sure. I can't remember a pass he's dropped when targeted, but he gets so few opportunites. I imagine it's just the life of the third TE. Ertz is the pass catcher, Bates is in there as a blocker, and Sinnott just hasn't been able to supplant either of those two. I would like the team to rest Ertz more and give Sinnott more snaps going forward. With the season over (playoff hunt wise), we need to learn if he can replace Ertz.

That said, it's got to be about something more than depth chart. After all, they targeted Yankoff last week so Sinnott must be doing something wrong in addition to being low on depth chart and the fourth or fifth read when he's out there.

Agreed. I have been questioning why they aren't using Sinnott more in he pass or run game more all season. He should need good reps and opportunities so the future. I would love to see him with he ball in his hands in the defensive backfield. It does feel like Kliff likes Yankoffs potenial over Sinnotts

 

[Bulldog]

Sinnott to me is a bust. Coming down the stretch in Year 2 he has 3 catches for 33 yards.

That's pathetic. We have had pure blocking tight ends in Don Warren and Ron Middleton in the past that finished the year with more impact in the passing game.

You don't take blocking tight ends in the middle of Round 2.

This was a clear miss by Peters and Co, at least in terms of relative value.

Sinnott was slated by most to be a #4 or #5 pick and if he had been taken in Round 5 I think getting a guy who can be an effective blocker as a ceiling would be that much more acceptable.

Round 2 is about getting guys that are likely NFL starters and impact players. Not perhaps right away, but certainly showing flashes that rookie year and getting involved in Year 2 to help the team win games.

Most weeks you wouldn't even know he is on the roster. There is little news about him because he is doing little.

 

[skinsinparadise]

The performance of the Washington Commanders offensive line stood out in the overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night. The Broncos boast one of the best defenses in the NFL with a very strong defensive line. They lead the league in sacks as a team and are the only team with three pass rushers to have six or more sacks. Edge rusher Nik Bonitto leads the team with 10.5 sacks but he’s closely followed by fellow edge rusher Jonathan Cooper on 7.5 and defensive tackle Zach Allen on six. Collectively, it’s a very tough unit to handle and one that provided the Commanders with a significant test.

But the Commanders have invested a lot in their offensive line since Adam Peters took over as general manager. He signed center Tyler Biadasz in free agency in 2024, extended right guard Sam Cosmi before the 2024 season, traded for left tackle Laremy Tunsil in the 2025 offseason and spent the team’s 2025 first round pick on right tackle Josh Conerly Jr. It’s a unit with a lot of potential and clearly a group that Peters wants to build the foundation of his team on. Against a strong Broncos unit, we saw that vision come to life as the offensive line dealt with the Broncos pass rush better than any team in the league has so far this season.

as the game progressed, the Commanders used more and more drop back passing and the offensive line did a terrific job.

The whole unit does well on this play but I was particularly impressed with the interior trio of guards Chris Paul and Sam Cosmi, as well as center Tyler Biadasz. The Commanders run a loose play-action pass and the Broncos rush five. At the snap, you see the Commanders offensive line fan out aggressively. Laremy Tunsil at left tackle gets out quickly to Nik Bonitto, who hesitates slightly due to the play-action fake. That slight hesitation is all Tunsil needs to get in position quickly and take away Bonitto’s threat. On the right side, tight end John Bates chips edge rusher Jonathan Cooper, but Josh Conerly is right there ready to take over too. But its the interior guys I want to focus on here.

Sam Cosmi at right guard also fans out quickly, using a quick set to help sell the play-action fake, but also quickly get onto defensive tackle John Franklin-Meyers, who is fourth on the Broncos sack charts with 4.5 sacks so far this season. Cosmi gets his hands on him and essentially stonewalls him from that point. At center, Tyler Biadasz gives up some ground against nose tackle D.J. Jones, but fights hard to stay in front and gain control of the block. He forces Jones wider before stopping his momentum completely to stop the rush. But the most impressive block in this play is that of Chris Paul at left guard. Paul takes on Zach Allen, one of the better interior pass rushers in the NFL right now.

Paul also uses a quick set to get his hands on Allen early, but Allen reads the quick set as an opportunity to slant inside and work against Paul’s momentum. However, Paul has incredibly strong hands and as soon as he gets them on the chest of the defender, he gains a lot of leverage. Allen attempts to dart inside, but Paul’s hands are able to prevent him from doing so. Allen then tries to change direction and work back outside, but Paul negates that too. Allen keeps fighting to try and work either side of Paul, but Paul maintains his hand placement on Allen’s chest and uses his strong hands to keep him in front regardless of which way he attempts to rush. The most impressive part is that Paul does that without giving up any ground. By the time the ball is thrown, Mariota has no defender within three yards of him, which is about as perfect as a pocket gets in the NFL.

That interior trio was strong all night, as we’ll see throughout the rest of these clips, but they didn’t just handle one-on-ones well. They also worked as a unit to handle stunts and games that the Broncos threw at them.

This time we see the Broncos use a four-man rush with the two defensive tackles running an interior stunt. Cosmi initially looks to block the defensive tackle lined up over him, but that player stunts inside quickly towards Biadasz. Biadasz takes over that block and shoves the defender wider to the left side, almost becoming the left guard in the process. Meanwhile, Chris Paul at left guard feels his defender follow that stunt inside, so he moves with him and gives him a shove out to the right side of the line, where Cosmi is position to take over. Cosmi and Biadasz take on the stunting lineman while Paul almost becomes the new center. Just like before, Mariota is afforded plenty of time and space in the pocket to find a throw down the field.

The protection wasn’t just strong on the interior though. The tackles on the edge both held up very well too. Tunsil and Conerly had tough matchups in Bonitto and Cooper, but both played extremely well. Tunsil in particular was excellent as he was provided with very little help against Bonitto, while Conerly did receive some help in the form of chips, as we’ve already seen in these few clips. But you would expect to try and help a rookie right tackle against a strong pass rush, and both Conerly and Tunsil played well and deserve praise for their efforts.

I’ve highlighted all three of the Broncos top pass rushers on this second and long play. Bonitto lines up outside Tunsil at left tackle while Cooper works against Conerly at right tackle. Zach Allen lines up outside of Chris Paul at left guard, but stunts inside towards center Tyler Biadasz. Bonitto gets a great jump off the snap, so good that it was almost offsides. A speed rusher like Bonitto getting that type of jump would normally put most left tackles into panic mode, but not Tunsil. Tunsil knows he has great feet and he calmly slides out to Bonitto, matching his athleticism and cutting off the rush. Bonitto attempts to dip and bend around the edge, but Tunsil gets his outside hand on him and prevents him from doing so, negating his rush.
On the other side of the line, Conerly faces Cooper, who initially rushes up the field but then attempts to dart inside. We’ve seen Conerly struggle with some inside rushes this year, especially when he oversets to the edge anticipating a speed rush. He’s not perfect here, but he does a good job reacting to Cooper stunting inside. He quickly redirects his feet and mirrors the move inside, washing Cooper down the line inside towards Sam Cosmi. That actually provides Mariota with a path to the edge, which he takes as he scrambles for a first down.

While that rep was mostly about Tunsil and Conerly, it’s worth also pointing out that Biadasz did a nice job against Allen. Allen stunts inside of Paul, who passes him off to Biadasz. Biadasz does a nice job taking on the powerful defensive lineman and manages to drop anchor to stay in front of him despite the defender getting a head of steam from the stunt. It was another strong rep from the offensive line as a collective, as well as individually.
As a group, the offensive line was strong across the board, but each individual stood out in their respective matchups too. Tunsil was perhaps the most impressive given he was facing one of the top edge rushers in the NFL right now in Bonitto.

 

[method man]

Hall is the type of player that can be on any play or formation and do well with whatever his duties are. That's a bonus for our offense by keeping the opponents D guessing.

Adding him would be like throwing a little more cap space to Ekeler and getting a bigger, healthier and much younger player

Yep. I think about it similar to how SF’s offense just took off once they added McCaffrey given the threat he was as a receiver.

I would be a but surprised if Hall actually hits FA. He doesn’t want to be a Jet but I can see the Jets franchising him

 

[skinsinparadise]

 

[DWinzit]

Yep. I think about it similar to how SF’s offense just took off once they added McCaffrey given the threat he was as a receiver.

I would be a but surprised if Hall actually hits FA. He doesn’t want to be a Jet but I can see the Jets franchising him

Wow, Hall doesn't seem to me like he is franchise tag worthy. I see him as above average and would be a nice fit on our roster. When you mentioned $12 mill a year I thought that might have been a little high but what it might take to guarantee signing him.

 

[skinsinparadise]

Wow, Hall doesn't seem to me like he is franchise tag worthy. I see him as above average and would be a nice fit on our roster. When you mentioned $12 mill a year I thought that might have been a little high but what it might take to guarantee signing him.

Right now am torn between Love, Tate, Downs, Bailey as to the draft. It likely changes over time, deeper watching, combine, etc.

But Love in particular would be a blast. Hall in FA and Tate in the draft would transform this offense IMO. The other dude who is being slept on a little is Kenneth Walker. He's just 25, averaging 4.6 YPC and also has good hands.

 

[DWinzit]

Right now am torn between Love, Tate, Downs, Bailey as to the draft. It likely changes over time, deeper watching, combine, etc.

But Love in particular would be a blast. Hall in FA and Tate in the draft would transform this offense IMO. The other dude who is being slept on a little is Kenneth Walker. He's just 25, averaging 4.6 YPC and also has good hands.

Yes to Walker. In 2022 I recall lots of discussions about Hall and Walker with Cook being a distant 3rd in he talk. I missed a bit on Cook but equally liked Hill and Walker. Figuring we would not draft a RB until later the other discussion was White, Robinson and Pierce.

I don't see Seattle signing him and he hitting FA.