How the Commanders are Confusing Defenses with their Simplicity

On the surface it doesn't look like the Washington Commanders are doing things differently than any other team, but its how they're doing it that makes all the difference.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Ashburn, VA. -- The Washington Commanders got a big win in Week 4 over the Arizona Cardinals and have shifted their eyes to Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns.

While the opponent is changing, the Commanders scheme appears to stay the same in one specific way - that people don't seem to see the magic behind what is happening on the field.

Some call it simplistic, some call it a 'college offense', but every opponent has called it effective after seeing Washington in person. Even in Week 1, against a playoff defense, the Commanders put up 20 points and had the opportunity to score nearly 30 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals in the second half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

So how is an offense that is being called simple so effective? And how is it scoring 30 points per game? In a lot of ways, that question is easy to answer, and at the same time presents defenses with a puzzle that is incredibly difficult to solve. And it's all about tempo over complexity.

"I think that's the hardest part, because also changing personnel groups within that," Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said about his offense's tempo on Wednesday. "So from three wide receivers to two to one to four and back in and out, that and then out of the huddle breaking some. So just the different variations of that tempo. It's hard to practice because sometimes we'll go a few plays in a row or change. So that's the difficult part of seeing some formations that will change at the last moment."

In essence, Washington is maximizing the biggest advantage it has over an opponent. Only one side of the ball truly knows what is about to happen on either side of the ball.

Even defense's that aim to force opponents into doing what they want to happen, like the Buccaneers', they don't truly have control over what happens after the snap. They just seek to create the illusion they do.

For the Commanders, stringing simpler plays out of the same personnel groupings in different alignments and doing it fast without huddling or allowing opponents the opportunity to sub, shift - and communicate - has been key.

And, in turn, it's accentuated some of the things rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is most comfortable with. Things he was doing as recently as last season while leading the LSU Tigers offense.

"If you go all the way back, there was reps, what we feature for Jayden, what would we feature for Marcus, and what routes were he most comfortable with coming in? And so we actually had some that were some of his favorite concepts from LSU and we started from there and that was a hundred percent from Kliff to say, 'Hey, what are some ones that coming out of bed, you want this play called and you know it like the back of your hand?'," Quinn said. "And so we started from there and then as you added and you felt more comfortable, that's why the reps are so important. And so from walkthroughs and training camp reps and then you kind of tailor it on both sides of the ball. What's good enough, what's not, what should we hold and wait for later? Some things that we would still be working on now may not be game ready, but there are still concepts that you continue to work, and then also finding the personnel for some of them is really important too."

The key to continuing to beat opponents is staying ahead of innovation. The more a winning team does one thing the more other teams will copy it, replicate it, and also learn how to stop it.

It's impossible to scout and fully prep for strings of plays that appear as random as they have, however. For Washington, continuing to plan and evolve that perceived chaos is the key to extending this early success it has had, leading to a 3-1 record and control of first place in the NFC East Division.

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