Daily Slop – 11 Sep 24: Mark Bullock breaks down film of offensive scheme and defensive tackling from Week One loss to Tampa Bay

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Examining Kliff Kingsbury’s different packages of plays from Week One

Breaking down the different packages of plays offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury put together for the opening game

Having now seen the All-22, I’m feeling a little more encouraged that there were actually some solid pieces of structure there and that there are some fundamentals to build from going forward. One of the biggest criticisms I had from studying Kingsbury’s offense in Arizona was that he didn’t package things together particularly well. He had a few packages here and there, but for the most part his run game and passing game weren’t married together via the play-action game.

If you look at the best offenses in the league, take Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers as an example, you can clearly see packages of plays that work off each other well. The best example is to see the wide zone run that builds into an run-pass-option (RPO) or a bootleg or a jet sweep or a screen pass or a play-action shot down the field. You frequently see Shanahan showing a similar look with the same personnel, formation and motion, but with three to five different plays that can come from that same look.

This is just one example of a package of plays that Kyle Shanahan sequences together extremely well. You see the same personnel and formation on each play, so to the defense they all look like the same play, but each play is a variation. The first play is the traditional wide zone run. The second is the same wide zone run but with an RPO slant, while the third play looks exactly like the first two, but turns out to be a play-action bootleg.

That’s the type of thing the best offenses in the league do exceptionally well. They don’t just have one play to call a play, they have packages of plays that work well off each other, presenting similar looks to the defense before surprising them with a change. This isn’t something Kingsbury did a great job of in Arizona, but the encouraging part of the game against the Bucs was we saw some packages of plays emerging. I think they were still quite raw and experimental at this stage, as he figures out what he likes, what Daniels likes and most importantly, what works and what doesn’t. But the signs of growth from Kingsbury in this regard were there. So I thought I would take a closer look at some of those packages that I noticed.

Gap scheme package

The first package of plays that stood out to me was in the run game. The Commanders didn’t show off their full run scheme in preseason and I don’t think we really got to see the full extent of it against the Bucs either. But we did see a glimpse of a nice gap scheme package.

The first play of this clip was the first time Kingsbury used the GT Counter scheme. It’s a nice change up to the normal counter scheme we’ve already seen, but on top of that, Kingsbury adds in another wrinkle with the snap going directly to running back Brian Robinson. Left guard Nick Allegretti and left tackle Cornelius Lucas both pull from the left side of the line and create a nice lane on the right side of the line for Robinson to work into.

The next layer of the GT Counter package the Kingsbury ran was quite different. The offense initially lined up in a trips formation to the right with the running back lined up to the left of Jayden Daniels in the shotgun. However, before the snap, Daniels makes a signal and the running back along with all three receivers to the right all shift to the right side, giving the Commanders four eligible receivers on that side of the formation. From here, Kingsbury can threaten the defense with a screen pass to the four receiver side of the field while also threatening them inside with a GT Counter run from the quarterback. It’s an RPO for Daniels, who is likely counting the numbers in the box to decide if he should throw the screen or keep the ball and run himself. On this occasion, he opts to keep the ball himself and runs to the left side behind Sam Cosmi and Andrew Wylie.

The third play of this package is very similar to the previous one, but there are some subtle differences. The Commanders line up with four receivers to the right in a slightly different formation, instead of motioning to that look. The screen that is called as part of the RPO is also slightly different, with a tunnel screen being used this time. But inside, the GT Counter remains the same and with the Bucs not having any second level defenders in the box, it’s an easy decision for Daniels to keep the ball and run himself inside.

There’s a lot more to the GT Counter package that Kingsbury had in Arizona, so expect to see more over the coming weeks. But it’s a good complementary package to have alongside the gap scheme run package we saw earlier. Having these packages of plays is one thing, being able to transition smoothly from one package to another requires a lot of planning and some overlap. We can see that here with the counter scheme building into the GT Counter scheme. But Kingsbury showed more signs of doing that later on too.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Commanders’ key to unlocking Jayden Daniels throwing deep may lie with RBs underneath

Quinn on Monday told local reporters that his tape review “confirmed” his initial assessment of Daniels’ debut, mostly “from the competitor side.” With the passing game, that meant there would “probably be a few throws that he would either like to rip” or stay with the passer progression long enough to see “where the progression may have taken him.”

In other words, more patience in the pocket may have led to taking advantage of opportunities down the field. According to Next Gen Stats, Daniels had the lowest average throw time of the week (2.35 seconds). This approach, or perhaps more honestly, the quarterback’s execution, factored into Daniels rushing 16 times.

One solution involves utilizing running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler together. The pair split snaps, but typically, only one is on the field. As the best playmakers besides McLaurin, Washington may have no choice but to send more targets underneath or find ways to get the backs on the field together.

Washington ran 21 personnel — two running backs, two receivers, and one tight end — three times against the Buccaneers. One instance with the backs on opposite sides of the offensive line led to the Commanders’ longest play from scrimmage, a 32-yard pass to Robinson. He was tackled at the 1-yard line, and Daniels scored on the next play. Quinn said he was “very pleased” with running backs as receivers coming out of the backfield.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Jayden Daniels will shatter before he stars if the Commanders keep this up

Washington’s prized rookie quarterback had 16 carries in his opening game. That should never happen again.

How many times in their careers do you think Cam Newton, Michael Vick, Josh Allen, Russell Wilson, Randall Cunningham, John Elway, Aaron Rodgers and Steve Young — all great quarterbacks who were also thrilling and famously frequent runners — had 16 carries in a game?

Combined. All of them. In their whole professional lives.

One time!

In 1,487 games, including the playoffs.

Is offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury the seer who, late in a 37-13 game, had this rookie run off tackle twice, including a goal-line collision where his helmet was blasted off — for the second time? Do you guys need to cut your margin of mockery that desperately?

What Daniels was both assigned to do, and also allowed to do, on Sunday in Tampa was coaching malfeasance on an franchicide scale. That’s a new technical term for when you try to murder the franchise — like when Mike Shanahan put RGIII back in for the second half of the Seattle playoff game because he was determined to show the NFL.

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Commanders Wire

An encouraging NFL debut for Commanders WR Luke McCaffrey

It was rookie Luke McCaffrey who led the wide receivers with three receptions. Sure, he only finished with 18 yards, but he caught all three targets, including one tough grab near the goal line. There was also the two-point conversion ruled incomplete that the Commanders should’ve challenged.

While McCaffrey didn’t look like the 2023 version of Puka Nacua in Week 1, advanced stats were impressed with his debut. McCaffrey was in exclusive company as it was related to his separation ability vs. Tampa Bay.

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Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)

Commanders defense fails to finish plays

Breaking down the multiple missed opportunities the defense failed to make the most of

The Washington Commanders defense was very disappointing in their opening game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this past Sunday. There were communication problems leading to coverage busts, issues defending the screen game and the Bucs hit on some nice run schemes that negated the Commanders aggressive defensive line at times. But perhaps the most frustrating thing was the inability for the Commanders defenders to finish plays. We saw a number of missed tackles, particularly by defensive lineman when pursuing quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The Commanders actually did a good job throughout most of the game in generating pressure up front and on another day, they would have had multiple sacks. Unfortunately though, on this occasion just about every pass rusher had a missed opportunity to bring down Mayfield, allowing him to extend plays and find a pass.

This was one of the first missed opportunities for the Commanders. Daron Payne aligns on the inside shoulder of the right guard and gets a nice one-on-one matchup as the center slides away from him. Off the snap, Payne works outside initially, creating a bigger gap in the middle to eventually work into. The right guard gets a bit high out of his stance and tries to cut off the potential rush outside, overcommitting to that side. Payne lands both hands on the chest of the guard and then quickly adjusts his path to rush to the inside. He then drops his hands and rips through, bursting through the middle of the offensive line with a clear path to the quarterback. Unfortunately, Payne gets thrown off slightly by a juke from Mayfield, who then manages to sneak away from him and turn what should have been a sack into a positive scramble.

On the very next play, Payne’s linemate Jonathan Allen failed to finish after a good rush.

On third down, the Commanders use wide alignments for all their defensive lineman, with the ends lined up way outside and the two tackles lined up head up on the offensive tackles. This is an aggressive rush alignment that gives each rusher the best angle to the quarterback. Dorance Armstrong has a nice rush off the edge, turning the corner and pressuring Mayfield into stepping up in the pocket. As he steps up, Jonathan Allen works inside and skips past the center sliding his way. With Mayfield being forced to step up towards him, Allen should have a sack here, but like Payne on the previous play, he fails to bring him down despite getting hands on him and Mayfield escapes.

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Commanders.com

‘This team is going to improve significantly’: Quinn gives final takeaways from Week 1

3. The pre- and post-snap communication must improve on both sides of the ball.

Some of this likely stems from there being so many new pieces on the Commanders’ roster, but pre- and post-snap communication was a problem for the offense and defense. The team had to burn one of its timeouts because it didn’t have the right personnel for a specific package, and Benjamin St-Juste talked in the locker room about needing to be more vocal.

No matter the cause, it was clear the Commanders need to find a solution. Quinn and his coaching staff are already trying to work that out.

To fix that Quinn referred back to a conversation he had with Tony Dungy, who prioritized taking things out, not adding, to “make sure you nail this every time.”

Regardless of the strategy they finally land on, Quinn said they will emphasize it more after Sunday’s game.

4. The pass-rush needs to finish.

The Commanders managed to sack Baker Mayfield one time on Sunday, resulting in a nine-yard loss. That doesn’t paint a completely accurate picture of how much they tried to bring him down Sunday afternoon, but it does reflect how much the pass-rush needs to improve at finishing plays.

5. “This team is going to significantly improve moving forward.”

Yes, the Commanders started the season with an ugly performance against a superior opponent, and yes, some of the problems from last season persisted in 2024. That does not mean that this year’s roster is the same as the one that finished 4-13 in 2023. If anything, Sunday’s loss showed how much farther Washington needs to go before being a perennial playoff contender.

Quinn, his staff and the players are determined to get there, no matter how long it takes.

“We’ll give Tampa the credit, but I think this team is going to improve significantly moving forward,” Quinn said.

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Sports Illustrated

Commanders’ Week 1 Loss Shows Need for Aggression

Commanders’ Week 1 loss revealed a lack of explosive plays and aggression.

On Sunday, the Washington offense led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels produced five explosive plays. Three of them runs by the quarterback himself, and two of them in the passing game to short passes to running backs that Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler each turned upfield for big gains.

Three of those plays took place during two touchdown drives while the two others came on drives ending in missed field goals. Unfortunately, the pursuit of explosive plays was not a major theme of the night when the Commanders took on the Buccaneers this past weekend.

According to Zebra Technologies Next Gen Stats, Daniels had the lowest average time to throw (2.35 seconds) along with the fourth-lowest intended air yards (5.2 avg.) of Week 1. Additionally is 1.6 air yards per completion was the lowest of the week and his 8.3 percent aggressiveness rate was also the fourth lowest.

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Podcasts & videos

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Washington Commanders Week 1 Game Review | PFF

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NFC East links

The Athletic (paywall)

Which 0-1 NFL teams should be worried? From Bengals to Giants and 14 others

New York Giants

Result: Lost 28-6 to Minnesota Vikings.

Reaction: Worry.

It’s going to be a long year. Daniel Jones completed just 22 of 42 passes for 186 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Combining Sunday’s outing with last season’s six games, Jones has thrown just two touchdowns and eight interceptions since he signed that $140 million extension. It’ll be interesting to see how much longer Brian Daboll sticks with Jones before giving Drew Lock a shot. If that leash is long, the Giants very well could be looking at a last-place finish.

Washington Commanders

Result: Lost 37-20 to Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Reaction: Worry.

Jayden Daniels showed promise while rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns and passing for 184 yards on 17 of 24 attempts. It’s a little concerning that he missed wide receiver Terry McLaurin on one deep shot and otherwise connected with him just twice for 17 yards. Some of that, though, has to do with Kliff Kingsbury’s play selection.

More concerning is that Washington’s defense now has new leaders in head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., yet exhibited many familiar struggles. The defense failed to get stops on third down and had just one sack and no takeaways while also playing poorly in pass coverage. Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield was in midseason form, passing for 289 yards and four touchdowns.

Rebuilding is a process, especially when the foundation is as shaky as Washington’s has been in the last two decades-plus. Any hopes for a quick turnaround feel farfetched.

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Bleeding Green Nation

Eagles lose 2024 draft pick to practice squad poaching

Bad news for the Birds, good news for the player.

The Philadelphia Eagles are losing rookie center Dylan McMahon to a practice squad poaching.

The Los Angeles Rams, who are dealing with multiple offensive line injuries, decided to sign McMahon to their active roster.

It’s a good opportunity for McMahon, who now gets a guaranteed three-week salary in addition to a better path to playing time.

It’s an unfortunate development for the Eagles, who are losing the player they selected with a sixth-round pick (No. 190 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft.

McMahon seemed to show promise in the summer but apparently not enough to justify a spot on the Eagles’ roster, which came as a surprise to many. It was a relief when he was able to clear waivers and make it back to the Eagles’ practice squad.

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Big Blue View

‘Things I think’: Giants’ season already feels like it’s on the brink of disaster

A few things need to change, and fast!

All is not lost for the 0-1 New York Giants after one week of the 2024 season. I do not, though, think it is an overreaction to feel that the Giants’ season is already on the verge of going horribly sideways.

Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Minnesota Vikings was ugly in soooo many ways.

What has to change?

Jones has to be better

Everything starts here. Daboll has already announced that Jones will start in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders. We knew questions about Jones’ status as QB1 would come eventually if the Giants fell out of playoff contention. The injury guarantee for 2025 in his contract made certain of that.

It is stunning, though, that the question came up after one game. And that it was a legitimate one.

Can Jones be better? No one expects him to morph into Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. He needs to play competent football, though, to give the Giants a chance. Jones has never been prolific, but he has been competent — and sometimes better than that.

Daboll has to be better

The head coach earned the gig he has by earning a reputation as an excellent play caller and excellent offensive scheme designer. I supported, and still support, Daboll’s taking over play-calling this season. Running an offense is his forte. So, why shouldn’t he lean into that?

Thing is, what we saw Sunday was not encouraging.

Daboll was outmaneuvered by Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores. The Giants ran 24 of 68 plays (41.7%) with multiple tight ends on the field, anticipating a heavy does of the blitz packages the Vikings are known for. Yet, Flores blitzed on 24.5% of the time when the Giants passed the ball.

The pass rush has to be better

Specifically, Thibodeaux needs to better.

Dexter Lawrence was his typically dominant self. He had a 92.6 overall PFF grade, a sack, and five hurries.

Brian Burns wasn’t great. His pass rush productivity score 2.8% was 77th among edge defenders graded by PFF. At least, though, he contributed four tackles, three for STOPS.

Thibodeaux’s contribution to the stat sheet? One hurry and a 15-yard face mask penalty on third-and-16 that gifted Minnesota a first down and eventually led to a touchdown.

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NFL.com

A look at dynamic kickoff after Week 1: One-third of kickoffs returned, up from 20.5 percent in 2023

Of the 171 dynamic kickoffs, 111 went for touchbacks (64.9%), with 57 returns (33.3%) and three landing out of bounds or short of the landing zone (1.8%), per NFL Research.

In 2023, Week 1 saw just 20.5% of kickoffs returned, with a historic low of 21.8% returned over the the entire campaign. The low rate of returns in recent seasons led the NFL to completely revamp what it called a “dead, ceremonial play,” while also making it safer.

In the opening week of 2024, the 57 kickoff returns included one touchdown from the Cardinals’ DeeJay Dallas and a muffed return/lost fumble from the Bears’ Velus Jones.

The average starting field position for all drives after receiving a dynamic kickoff was the receiving team’s own 29.4-yard line. The average starting field position for all drives after a kickoff return was the receiving team’s own 28.0-yard line. (Note: Starting field position averages do not include the kickoff return TD by Arizona since there was no offensive drive after that return.)

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