Commanders Coach Kliff Kingsbury 'Not Good Enough to Seriously Scare Defenses'?

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury struggles where it matters most according to one analyst.

When the Washington Commanders hired Kliff Kingsbury to be their offensive coordinator it was met with mixed reactions. 

Some were excited to see his brand of offense ignite an otherwise boring 2023 Commanders offense while others pointed to his several shortcomings prior to arriving here as reason to expect the same to show up when it mattered most. 

Of course, Kingsbury is no stranger to outsiders questioning his ability to climb the football ladder while having what many consider minimal or insignificant success at his various stops along the way to Washington. 

The former Arizona Cardinals head coach and now USC Trojans assistant coach Kliff Kingsbury talks to quarterback Caleb Williams (13) during the pregame warmup before playing the Arizona State Sun Devils at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe on Sept. 23, 2023 :: © Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Among them is Derrick Klassen of 33rd Team who recently ranked Kingsbury 26th among the 32 offensive play-callers in the NFL today.

"Designing plays is not Kliff Kingsbury's problem. The man knows how to get numbers in the run game or scheme open a deep crosser with the best of 'em. Kingsbury's got every variation of every quick game concept on a Rolodex," Klassen writes. "The problem has always been sequencing and tying the offense together...He understands how to beat coverages and run looks in a vacuum, but not how to paint a clear, cohesive picture with his play calls. That's good enough to get by, but not enough to seriously scare defenses."

During his time with the Arizona Cardinals - his previous NFL stop before this one - Kingsbury's reputation as an Air Raid coordinator preceded him, but his on-field product turned out to be much more balanced when possible.

Three times in four seasons his Cardinals offense ranked top 10 in the league in rushing with running back John Conner leading the way.

With running back Brian Robinson Jr. on his new roster Kingsbury says he plans on bringing a balanced offense to Washington, not the Air Raid approach some incorrectly assume is his only known method for running his squad. 

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If he can achieve that balance then whatever quarterback he has taking snaps in 2024 will have a fighting chance to take advantage of weapons like receiver Terry McLaurin and helping the team achieve the potential so many have seen over the past few seasons.

And in the process, Kingsbury can ensure his ranking next offseason is much higher.