How Will Commanders' Bieniemy Attack Bills' Defense?

The Washington Commanders' offense, led by coordinator Eric Bieniemy will be another test for a Buffalo Bills defense coming off a dominant performance.

The Washington Commanders have exceeded expectations so far this season, finding themselves undefeated entering their Week 3 matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

It’s fairly easy to pick holes in Washington’s hot start. The Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos were not projected to compete in 2023. Quarterback Sam Howell is taking far too many sacks. Both wins were by a single-possession margin. They almost blew last week’s win!

However, offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has excelled in his first few weeks as the Commanders’ play caller, and the offense has some legitimate talent. Through two weeks, running back Brian Robinson has seemingly improved as a pass catcher, adding to an offense with two legitimate targets in receivers Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. Howell is playing good football and, regardless of the scores from the past two weeks, Washington is not to be considered a pushover.

Fans can expect Bieniemy to roll with what’s working in the early season: the screen game. The Commanders’ screens haven’t been called too frequently, but they’re performing exceptionally well. Howell’s 118.8 passer rating on five screen passes this year is the best in football.

“We put so much time into it,” Howell said on Wednesday. “There’s a big emphasis on that. When we install the screens, it’s very detailed.”

Bieniemy has done a good job of putting linebackers into conflict on these plays. Against aggressive defenses, these targets, largely headed in Robinson’s direction, create opportunities for big plays. When defenses are expecting the ball to come his way, Washington can throw a changeup and run a tight end screen from a similar look.

Moreover, Buffalo’s linebackers have played well this year. Veteran linebacker Matt Milano is playing like one of the best off-ball ‘backers in the sport through two weeks, dutifully playing the run and intercepting a pass in each game he’s played.

New starter Terrel Bernard, although promising, lacks Milano’s polish. He’s coming along, especially against the run, but is yet to prove himself as a quality coverage linebacker.

Considering the bad weather expected to hamper Sunday’s affair at FedEx Field, finding explosives without airing it out will be a goal for both sides. With the most lethal screen game in football and a potentially vulnerable Buffalo defense, the Commanders should be able to play to their offense’s strengths in Week 3.