Daily Slop – 24 Aug 24: Mark Bullock evaluates and explains Kliff Kingsbury’s offense in detailed film study

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Examining common criticisms of Kliff Kingsbury’s offense

Breaking down some of the common criticism of Kingsbury’s offense and why he continues to do things his way

There has been some talk and criticism doing the rounds this week with regards to Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. There are a lot of talking points people bring up with Kingsbury’s offense since his days with the Cardinals, some valid, some not so much. With some of those points coming back into the discourse this week, I thought I’d take a closer look at them and break down why Kingsbury continues to do things that many people are often critical about.

Hartitz points out plenty of factual and valid critiques of Kingsbury’s offensive system. So let’s go through his list and try to find out why Kingsbury does what he does.

Stationary Alignments

The first critique of Kingsbury’s offense is stationary alignments and formations. Hartitz uses a great example with Terry McLaurin. Per Hartitz, McLaurin has lined up as the offense’s left outside WR on 28 of his 29 snaps in preseason so far. Generally teams like to take their best receiver and move him around to try and generate the best possible matchups for him, but clearly Kingsbury prefers his receiver to line up in a similar spot more often than not.

As Hartitz points out, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. DeAndre Hopkins was deployed in a similar way under Kingsbury in Arizona and put up 115 catches for 1407 yards and six touchdowns in his only full season under Kingsbury.

Kingsbury’s system is pretty unique in this regard. Most offenses in the NFL have a defined role for the X receiver (typically a bigger body guy that can win isolated one-on-one matchups, think DeAndre Hopkins) and the Z receiver (maybe someone a bit quicker and more of a vertical threat, think DeSean Jackson). Each formation and play could move those receivers around the field pretty drastically. Instead, Kingsbury prefers to keep his two outside receivers on the same side. Terry McLaurin gave a good explanation for this earlier in the offseason.

”The unique part about our offense is I don’t think necessarily you play the X or the Z because depending on the formation or the hash, you can be the opposite. You can be the X but then [the formation is] to the field, now you’re the Z.” McLaurin explained “If I’m on the left hash, technically I’m the X, I’m in the boundary but if we’re on the right hash, I’m still on the left side. I’m really the Z in the concept because I’m to the field, I’m to the strength of the tight end.”

So what does this look like on the field exactly?

This is a great example of what you would typically expect from an X receiver in a typical NFL offense. The Commanders line up in a three by one formation with three receivers to the right and one single receiver, the X, isolated to the left. McLaurin is the X receiver in this case because the Commanders trust him to win one-on-one on the back side of a concept.

You might have heard of field and boundary cornerbacks, but for those that don’t know, the side of the field that the ball is lined up on is known as ‘the boundary’. This is because there is less space and the ball is closer to the boundary or the sideline. The other side of the field is known as ‘the field’ because there is more field to work with. So on this occasion, because the ball is on the left hash, McLaurin becomes the X or boundary receiver. So what happens if the ball is on the right hash?

This is a play from the same game. It’s the same personnel group on the field and a very similar three by one formation, but this time the ball is placed on the right hashmark. As a result, there is more space to the left side, so the tight end and slot receiver align on that side of the field. McLaurin stays on the left side of the field, but instead of being the X receiver, he effectively becomes the Z receiver in the concept that they are running because he’s on the field side rather than the boundary side.

Now, you could argue that you would always want McLaurin to be the boundary receiver isolated on the back side of a formation to give him as many one-on-one matchups as possible. I don’t necessarily disagree with that opinion; that is the way most NFL offenses work after all. But there are advantages to this style too. Kingsbury’s offense is all about tempo (I’ll dive into the tempo stuff in more detail later on), so having the two outside receivers being able to stay on the same side allows them to get lined up quicker without having to huddle and move everyone around. Instead, the only people really moving are the tight end and slot receiver, who are both closer to the formation anyway.

[A]s the X receiver on the back side of a formation, like we saw in the first clip, [McLaurin’s] route tree is often quite limited. Opposing defensive backs can study splits and alignments and start to get tendencies for what routes he might run in certain situations. But in this system, the X receiver can become the Z receiver depending on the position of the ball. So suddenly, that opens up an entire new route tree for opposing corners to try and deal with.

No Motioning

Another big criticism of Kingsbury’s offenses is the lack of pre-snap motion. Per Hartitz, the Commanders currently rank 32nd in shift/motion rate, using a shift or motion on just 10.6% of their snaps in preseason games so far.

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Commanders.com

Five questions for Commanders ahead of preseason finale vs. Patriots

3. How much time, if any, will Brandon Coleman play?

There’s a difference between “need” and “want,” as Quinn put it when asked about the possibility of Brandon Coleman playing against the Patriots. They most certainly want to see him go against a pass-rusher made of players other than what he’s seen in practice, but they also like what he’s shown so far that there’s not a pressing need to rush him onto the field.

Coleman, who appeared to be in the lead for the starting left tackle job, has not practiced in team drills since suffering a shoulder injury before the preseason opener against the Jets. Quinn hasn’t seemed overly concerned about Coleman’s long-term health, but the team kept him out of practice entirely until the joint practice with the Dolphins, when he was in pads but worked mostly off to the side.

Since then, Coleman has been on a ramp up routine. He still hasn’t participated in team drills but has been seen in individual drills.

Signs are pointing to Coleman not playing in the preseason finale. All experience is good experience, though, and even getting a series on the field could help Coleman as he gets ready for the regular season. What the team will need to answer is how much that experience is worth for the third-round pick. If the answer is not that much, then it may be more beneficial to let him sit for now.

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ESPN

How every 2024 NFL draft pick performed in the preseason

Washington Commanders

Round 1 (No. 2): Jayden Daniels, QB. It’s hard to overstate how much Daniels has impressed his new teammates, thanks to both his on-field play and his off-field work ethic. They’ve lauded his ball placement, accuracy and decision-making. Daniels has completed 12 of 15 passes for 122 yards and rushed for one score in his two preseason games. Daniels was named the starter officially on Aug. 19. “I’ve played with a lot of first-time quarterbacks,” Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin said, “and he plays like this is not going to be his first time playing in this league.”

Round 2 (No. 36): Johnny Newton, DT. He has missed most of camp as he recovers from surgery on his left foot and deals with a soft-tissue injury. While the Commanders remain excited about him, they have no idea what he’ll do because of his time out. It’s uncertain when he’ll resume full-team work.

Round 2 (No. 50): Mike Sainristil, CB. If Daniels is the one who excites the organization the most, Sainristil would be the next rookie on the list. He’ll start as the nickel corner; the Commanders love his instincts and overall game. He’ll be a defensive leader in short order.

Round 2 (No. 53): Ben Sinnott, TE. He will be one of their top three tight ends. Sinnott’s versatility is noticeable; he has been used as a tight end and as a fullback. Sinnott has not wowed with an ability to create separation, but he does excel at running after the catch — a trait he showed in college.

Round 3 (No. 67): Brandon Coleman, OL. He was starting at left tackle but has been sidelined since Aug. 6 with a left shoulder/pectoral issue. It cost him valuable work in two joint practices and games. Washington liked his play to that point, but after losing at least two weeks, it’s uncertain when he’ll resume first-team work.

Round 3 (No. 100): Luke McCaffrey, WR. He has not emerged as an obvious top-four wideout to open the season. But he showed the ability to play physical — and even helped as a gunner in the second preseason game — and can help on underneath routes as he develops. He has played receiver for only two seasons.

Round 5 (No. 139): Jordan Magee, LB. He was off to a strong start as a key backup/special-teamer before a knee injury in the preseason opener sidelined him.

Round 5 (No. 161): Dominique Hampton, S/LB. He hasn’t stood out yet at safety and was also used at linebacker in the second preseason game, so allowing him to develop on the practice squad could be a good option.

Round 7 (No. 222): Javontae Jean-Baptiste, Edge. His length alone makes him a worthy candidate to develop. His path to a roster spot is difficult but possible. — John Keim

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Riggo’s Rag

Could Luke McCaffrey end up starting for the Commanders now that Jahan Dotson is gone?

What we know for sure about the Commanders wide receiver room is that Terry McLaurin is WR1 and that’s not up for debate. The other starting options on OurLad’s depth chart are Dyami Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus. McCaffrey is listed as the backup behind Brown.

Before getting drafted by Washington, McCaffrey spent the first two years of his collegiate career playing quarterback for Nebraska. He transferred to Rice for the 2021 season and played quarterback for one year before making the switch to wide receiver for his final two years of college eligibility.

McCaffrey had nearly 1,000 yards receiving and 13 touchdowns during his final season at Rice and proved that he could be a compelling weapon at the professional level. The Commanders agreed, spending a third-round pick on him, and now might give him a chance to start with the team as a rookie.

In all liklihood, McCaffrey doesn’t start for the team right out of the gates but he has one more presason game to prove what he can do to the coaching staff. Let’s hope he can become a dependable weapon for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

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Washington Post (paywall)

Dealing Jahan Dotson was a risk Adam Peters wasn’t afraid to take

The general manager has remade the Commanders, and trading a recent first-round pick within the division is his boldest move yet.

The deal is extra risky for Peters because it’s his second trade with the division-rival Eagles in the past four months. During the draft, he moved down from pick No. 40, which became Iowa cornerback Cooper DeJean, for a package including picks that became cornerback Mike Sainristil and tight end Ben Sinnott.

While Sainristil and Sinnott are promising players, there are obvious ways these trades could go wrong for Peters.

Just imagine: Washington is in a tight game with big stakes when Dotson scores a critical touchdown or DeJean snags a game-changing interception.

Maybe that happens in Week 11, when the Commanders and Eagles face each other for the first time on “Thursday Night Football,” or in Week 15, when there are postseason implications. Or maybe it’s one of the four games they will play in 2025 and 2026, when the Commanders hope they’re ascending toward playoff contention.

Maybe it’s never and Peters comes out looking gutsy and savvy.

But if those plays ever happen, if they cost the team a game, Peters will face criticism. Wale, the rapper and Commanders superfan, wrote on social media after the trade: “Jahan to the [rivals] … im gonna throw Up.” Comments by Commanders fans on social media posts announcing the trade were racked with anxiety.

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Commanders.com

Practice notebook | Quinn prepares for difficult conversations on roster cut day

There are still “quite a few” but “less than 10” roster spots on the back end of the roster still up for grabs, Quinn said. Part of why he loves the final week of training camp and the final preseason game is that several players are still competing for those jobs. Quarterback Jayden Daniels and likely most of the Commanders’ starters will not play Sunday, meaning that those players will get plenty of snaps to prove themselves.

Quinn wants to let the competition play itself out naturally, but he has tried to give his players the best advice possible for them to success. For starters, he’s told them that he doesn’t want to see them play anxious on Sunday, because that will not lead to them playing their best.

And the players who are still competing for those spots have been given clear instructions on what they must do to stand out.

“We’ve had plenty of those conversations to individual players,” Quinn said. “This is what we would like to see in this game, and we’re gonna give you some calls and…plays to go do that.”

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Riggo’s Rag

Commanders updated 2025 NFL Draft picks after Jahan Dotson trade

The coffers were boosted after removing Dotson from the equation. Here’s a look at the Commanders’ picks during the 2025 NFL Draft after parting ways with the former Penn State standout.

Commanders 2025 NFL Draft picks after Jahan Dotson trade

• Round No. 1
• Round No. 2
• Round No. 3
• Round No. 3 (via Philadelphia-Miami)
• Round No. 4
• Round No. 6
• Round No. 7 (via Philadelphia-Atlanta)
• Round No. 7 (via Philadelphia)

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Podcasts & videos

CBS Sports

The NFL’s new ‘Dynamic Kickoff’ rule explained

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Jayden Daniels the starting QB + Doug Williams the LEGEND | Next Man Up | Washington Commanders

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Locked on Commanders – Final Thoughts on Washington Commanders’ Training Camp: Standouts and Letdowns

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Jayden Daniels – Preseason Game #2 | Kurt Warner Breaks Down the Commanders Game Tape

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Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Last day in pads for camp

The Washington Commanders continued their preparations for the preseason finale against the New England Patriots. Check out the top photos from the afternoon.

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NFC East links

Big Blue View

6 roster bubble cornerbacks the Giants could target

The Giants need help at cornerback; Can they find it on the waiver wire?

The New York Giants are expected to be active on the waiver wire once 53-man rosters are set on Tuesday, particularly at cornerback. Here are some players currently on the roster bubble who could be on interest.

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NFL league links

Articles

Deadspin

Browns sign K Lucas Havrisik

The Cleveland Browns signed Lucas Havrisik on Friday, one day after trading fellow kicker Cade York to the Washington Commanders for a conditional seventh-round pick.

Havrisik’s time in Cleveland may not be long as the Browns also employ kicker Dustin Hopkins, who is dealing with a minor undisclosed injury.

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