Washington Commanders Offense to Look Different Under OC Kliff Kingsbury

Is it time for an offensive resurgence in Washington D.C.?
Jun 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes a ball during an OTA workout at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes a ball during an OTA workout at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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The Washington Commanders roster reload brought every bit of juice to Washington D.C. Not only because there is a new set of talent on the team, but because there are new coordinators and coaches running the operation, which will have the franchise looking quite different.

Drafting LSU product Jayden Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick and hiring offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury -- along with an entire fresh coaching staff -- will lead to a potential offensive resurgence.

Last season, the Commanders had the No. 24 offense in the league, according to their 312.8 yards per game. Eric Bieniemy's Commanders offense was a pass-first offense, though they didn't do so efficiently.

READ MORE: Commanders Tight End Duo Listed in Fantasy Football Rankings by PFF

Pro Football Focus recently "clustered" offenses together, which left Washington in Cluster 1 -- pass-heavy teams that were fairly efficient in doing so.

"The Commanders led the league in pass rate in 2023 (69.6%) but ranked only 26th in passing grade (60.9)," PFF wrote.

So, the Commanders are coming off a season in which they passed plenty. The Commanders will have a different offensive outlook this season. With Kingsbury taking over the offense, there will be a more "balanced approach."

Not only is Daniels an incredible dual-threat quarterback, but the team has talented wide receivers and two solid running backs -- one of those being newly acquired Austin Ekeler.

Ekeler is a threat in both the run and pass game, and his versatility only adds to the balanced offense, opening up more possibilities.

“We want to be balanced,” Kingsbury said of his offense. “We want to be able to run the football and play-action pass and really do whatever it takes to win.”

With a potential star dual-threat quarterback, there will be plenty of opportunity to simply do whatever it takes to win. They'll be in the shotgun formation plenty, thanks to Kingsbury's air raid roots. Still, it seems the offensive coordinator is open to switching things up and giving the offense new looks, which should leave Commanders fans hopeful.

With Daniels under center and talent in both the backfield and in the wide receiver room, the Commanders' offense could be intriguing to watch and potentially explosive with the amount of versatility all around.


READ MORE: Was Drafting Jayden Daniels Washington Commanders 'Biggest Gamble' Of Offseason?

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

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Kade Kimble
KADE KIMBLE

Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's FanNation in 2022.