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The Commanders offense came out extremely flat against the Eagles in week one. In this segment, The Sports Junkies break down how Washington’s offense can be more efficient in Dallas on Sunday afternoon. How should the Commanders fix their offense ahead of week two?
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00:00how often the team was under center in week one.
00:04I hope his offense becomes more dynamic than his personality.
00:07Man, he is a bore fest.
00:09I call that the day they introduced him.
00:11You guys, to the media, yes, but he gets fired up.
00:15I've seen it.
00:16I'm sure he does, but I'm talking about an impressor in that scenario.
00:19True, true.
00:21If you look at the numbers, the Washington Commanders were under center 26.9%
00:27of their offensive snaps, which is well below the league average.
00:31I believe that was sixth least in the NFL in week one.
00:36Under center run game turned 14 carries into 52 yards.
00:39That was 3.7 yards a pop.
00:42And Jaden dropped back just five times under center.
00:46So there wasn't that much of a play action game.
00:48I do think what Blau said is the most accurate thing is a lot of it depends
00:53on circumstance.
00:54He's going to be flexible.
00:55If you're in third and 10 or third and 15, you're not going to be under center.
01:01If you run on first down and you're in second and five and you run again
01:04and you're third and one, well, then you've got a good chance you're going
01:07to be under center.
01:08So I think it will change week to week.
01:12The one thing to maybe look at is comfort level for Jaden.
01:18So he obviously got in more of a rhythm and got comfortable in the fourth quarter.
01:21And the fourth quarter, because of the game situation, they pretty much abandoned
01:25that under center stuff.
01:26I mean, they did it a few times, but the percentage was lower in the fourth quarter.
01:30And so he was playing better in the shotgun.
01:35It's just where he's comfortable.
01:37Now, this is only one start, but this is a kind of an alarming stat.
01:40At the end of the little blurb about the commanders, it mentions that Blow's unit generated 0.01 EPA
01:48per play, which ranks 19th among Daniel's 25 regular season starts.
01:54Not great.
01:55So look, again, it's the first time, you know, like running this new offense.
01:59So hopefully that's just growing pains.
02:02It was the first week.
02:03Don't work on it.
02:03So you're not going to obsess about one performance, but you've got to start stacking better performances.
02:09Well, yeah, they've got to get better.
02:10Of course.
02:11They've got to play better.
02:11You're not going to play the defense you played in week one.
02:14Exactly.
02:14I think a lot of it was opponent dependent.
02:16You had a lot of factors.
02:18It was week one.
02:18The thing that is kind of concerning is Dallas was so bad in week one on both sides of the
02:22ball.
02:24I mean, rest assured, they're going to be better, if not on both sides, certainly on one of them.
02:28So I don't know.
02:30They don't have the front line, the defensive line that the Eagles have, but they could probably cause the problems.
02:35I think they'll be better defensively, and I think Pickens and Lamb will be better.
02:38So I think you can almost guarantee that.
02:40But I think that Washington will be better offensively.
02:42But in terms of the under center discussion, this is something we started talking about last year.
02:46Because you saw the league start trending towards more under center, and the commanders last season with Kingsbury were steadfast.
02:54They weren't interested in it.
02:56They were a shotgun team.
02:57They very rarely were under center.
02:59I mean, a handful of times all season.
03:01That just wasn't the way that they ran offense.
03:04So they decided to make the move.
03:06Cliff Kingsbury's out.
03:07David Blau's in.
03:08They want to implement more under center.
03:10Is it the right move?
03:12Ultimately, time will tell.
03:14But I think there are probably a lot of people who are not confident about David Blau and the commander's
03:22offense.
03:22If you want to chime in, 1-800-636-1067.
03:26Is your confidence shaking at all?
03:27Because they came out.
03:29And let's be real.
03:31The offense looked lifeless for three quarters.
03:35It didn't look great.
03:35It looked unimaginative.
03:37There was nothing special.
03:38I remember all summer you talked about, can't wait to watch all these motions.
03:42We did have that.
03:43It didn't seem like I saw that much.
03:45I was paying keen attention.
03:47There was definitely more shifting in motion than in the Kings very often.
03:49Virtually.
03:50I mean, I'm not going to say every play, but there was a lot of pre-snap motion.
03:52That doesn't mean the offense is all of a sudden just cured and magically it's fixed.
03:56No, that happened.
03:58The problem is they were chasing their tail.
04:02They got off to a rough start.
04:04And so they were playing from behind the whole game.
04:06So I think that's going to limit a lot of these things, ideally, in a perfect world you're going to
04:10do.
04:11If they get out, they're going to play hopefully a softer opponent defensively.
04:15Although I am scared that they forced four fumbles last week.
04:22The Giants only lost one of them.
04:24But that is scary.
04:26I think it's going to be a little bit softer.
04:28I think they're a little banged up, right, with Hooker and some of these other guys.
04:31I think that Washington will have their way a little more offensively.
04:35We should see more production.
04:37And it was week one.
04:39A little feeling out process for everybody.
04:40And it looked like the first half looked like a team that didn't play any of their starters in the
04:44preseason.
04:45Right.
04:45So it was kind of an extended preseason.
04:47Yeah, knocking some of the rust off.
04:48They weren't the only team that struggled on offense in week one, even though there was a lot of offense
04:52put up.
04:53These guys know this is a huge game, even though it's only week two.
04:55You don't want to go 0-2 in the division to start the year when you've got Seattle coming up
04:59next.
04:59I think things will calm down a little bit.
05:02It'll look a little more normal.
05:03I don't know if we're going to win.
05:04You're being hopeful.
05:06Is there any reason, though, to be confident in David Blau right now?
05:09He hasn't shown you anything, so he's giving you one game.
05:12I mean, I don't know.
05:12I thought that the fourth quarter was pretty good.
05:14I just have confidence that it's going to get better because it was so bad last week.
05:18Yeah, I just think it's...
05:19Due theory.
05:19Kind of, but they also have good players.
05:21Do you think that Diggs is going to drop all those balls?
05:23Do you think Terry's going to fall down, drop all those balls?
05:25I mean, there was quite a few drops.
05:29I don't know.
05:29I think there'll just be a better sink.
05:31Is that Blau's fault?
05:33This is why I feel confident, because in the fourth quarter, the offense looked pretty damn good.
05:37When they needed it, they got it.
05:38So why can't they extend that to the first quarter and first half of the Cowboy game?
05:43Yeah, but it needs to show up in the first quarter.
05:44That has to be, like, I'm sure that Blau and Quinn stressed that to all the players this week.
05:50You can't wait until the second half to unleash it.
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06:10And it's simply, who do you think wins?
06:13Washington against Dallas.
06:14It's a huge game because both of these teams, 0-1, both of these teams lost in the division.
06:21Dallas, of course, losing to the Giants, which was a bit of a surprise.
06:24The Commanders losing to the Eagles.
06:27So whoever loses this game, not only 0-2, you're 0-2 in the division.
06:30Yeah, you're climbing the hill.
06:331-800-636-1067.
06:35I do think this, if they have another lackluster offensive performance, all eyes will be focused on David Blau.
06:44I think so.
06:45I think so.
06:46If we have an offensive dud, that's going to be concerning.
06:51No question about it.
06:52I think you have to look at everybody.
06:55I doubt they'll have a dud.
06:56Like if Jackson Dart can carve up that Dallas defense, and I know it'll be different because Dallas is at
07:01home, not on the road.
07:02They should play at least a little bit better.
07:04But if Jackson Dart can have his way with that defense, I feel like Jaden Daniels should have similar success.
07:11Like if he goes out and throws for 150 yards and struggles, and the running game can't get anything untracked,
07:18then you're going to start pointing fingers at David Blau as far as, is this offense effective?
07:24Is going under center the right thing for Jaden Daniels?
07:28You're going to have a lot of questions.
07:29He barely went under center.
07:31I mean, you know, 20% of the time, you said?
07:3425%, whatever it was, 19 plays out of 70.
07:36But compared to last year, or, you know, the years under Kingsbury, that's a big increase.
07:40They were never under center under Kingsbury.
07:43Some people say, some, it says two for four, some say it was three for five under center.
07:47I don't know, it's kind of confusing.
07:50I mean, that's not a lot of attempts.
07:52I don't have any doubt that he can execute the offense under center.
07:55He can maneuver over the course of the year.
07:57If he realizes that, look, under center, our offense just isn't clicking like it would be if he's, you know,
08:03in a shotgun formation, and we're moving the ball in shotgun, okay.
08:07Maybe they run a little bit more of that.
08:08It seems like, JP, you're kind of coming from the angle that, and I guess it's fair, until proven otherwise,
08:15you have doubts about Blau, until proven otherwise.
08:17Yeah, I think you should.
08:19I just have confidence that it'll be better.
08:21I just have confidence that it'll be better.
08:22I do think that under center, look, I was the one lobbying for it last year.
08:26I remember getting in an argument with Cakes about it, because he made a good point that they weren't under
08:30center during Jaden's rookie year, and they had a fantastic offense.
08:34But I do think for his health, I just pictured a Shanahan-like system where you're running fake handoffs and
08:45booting out wide, and then Jaden will have maybe two receivers at different levels that he could throw to, or
08:52he could run.
08:52But he's on the perimeter more.
08:54They might have to just do some more quick pass stuff sort of early to get everybody involved.
08:58I know they tried that with Terry.
08:59The very first pass, he dropped it.
09:02Then remember, the third pass was the flea flicker, the busted play.
09:08That play was kind of gross.
09:09And then he threw the Hail Mary down the right side to Diami.
09:13I was surprised at that flea flicker so early.
09:17Maybe they should do a little bit more higher percentage stuff early on.
09:211-800-636-1067.
09:23Let's go to our pal Mo in Largo.
09:25Do you have confidence in David Blau and this system where they're trying to be under center, although they were
09:30below average in under center compared to the league?
09:34Good morning, gentlemen.
09:35Thank you for taking my call.
09:36Yeah, what's up, man?
09:38This is exactly what I've been speaking to.
09:41I mean, my confidence is already wavering just based upon his run principles.
09:45I mean, I watch a lot of football, gentlemen, probably more than I should.
09:49You know what I'm saying?
09:50And I see the offensive schemes.
09:52I see how they run the ball.
09:54They come out on first down, run the ball, under center.
09:57Maybe second down, run the ball, under center.
09:59Where sometimes you have big play packages where they have full backs or tight ends that motion into the backfield
10:06for extra blocking and so forth.
10:08I see none of that.
10:09You know what I'm saying?
10:10And this is, you know, and then it was a key play in the game where, you know, I think
10:14it was third and short.
10:15And they're running Rashad right up the middle with no blocking in front of him.
10:18I'm sorry, no back in front of him.
10:20Like, why not use Keiton Allen there?
10:23I mean, that's what he's there for.
10:25You know what I'm saying?
10:26I think they might make some adjustments there.
10:28I think that you will see him in the short yardage.
10:30I know it's early.
10:31I know it's early.
10:32And there's a bit of detail in the routes.
10:36Because I saw a good film breakdown on ESPN the other day, you know, and showing how, you know, the
10:41routes aren't as crisp as they need to be as far as the angles and so forth to gain leverage.
10:47And, you know, the continuity isn't necessarily there between Jayden and his receivers yet.
10:51So, you know, I'm remaining patient.
10:53But as far as the run game is concerned, like, I just, I don't, I don't, my confidence is wavering
11:00in his ability.
11:01Well, just for context, Mo, they were under center 19 times.
11:06They ran the ball 14 of those times.
11:10Now, let me ask you this.
11:11What was the success rate of those runs?
11:14It was less than four yards per carry.
11:16Well, I think early on, yeah, certainly not a lot.
11:19Well, it's not like they got Derrick Henry and freaking Javante Williams back there.
11:23I mean, we're getting by our best running back is the seventh rounder.
11:25Let's think about that.
11:26Yeah, the starting running back is a seventh round pick.
11:28No, but the point is, is the running back who averaged over four yards per carry overall, if you're just
11:35going by Bill's numbers last year, at least under center, according to ESPN's article, they were below average in those
11:43under center runs.
11:44Yeah, they played a great defensive opponent.
11:46Now, look, when you're under center, I think it's a massive factor.
11:49When you're under center, you're more likely to run.
11:51So you're kind of telling the defense, hey, we might run.
11:53That's why the play action usually is so effective.
11:55Yeah, you need that to be effective, to really make it work.
11:57Goes hand in hand.
11:59Right.
11:59So hopefully you see more of that this weekend against Dallas.
12:03Bill Barnwell had a big article about the whole league trending towards under center on ESPN.
12:08By comparison, the Chiefs, who, of course, had Kenneth Walker having a monster game, they were under center 43.3
12:16% of their offensive snaps.
12:18The Eagles were under center 34% of their offensive snaps.
12:23Commanders at 26.9%.
12:24I think if we have a lead, if we're not chasing so much, I think we'll be under center a
12:30lot more.
12:31I think that'll balance itself out a little bit more.
12:33That may be my guess.
12:34Look, you have to have an effective running game, though.
12:37I mean, the Ravens, for example, 34% of their offensive snaps are under center.
12:42Well, they've got Derrick Henry.
12:43Right.
12:43And Lamar.
12:44That's my point.
12:45And Lamar.
12:46Yeah.
12:46You have to add that in, too.
12:47But, you know, the Commanders countered that with Jaden Daniels.
12:50And I know it's only game two.
12:52I'd lean into Jaden Daniels rushing the ball because Jackson Dart rushed 11 times against this defense pretty effectively.
12:59Also, the Giants, who beat the Cowboys in week one, did you see what their percentage was under center?
13:04I did not.
13:0551.5%.
13:07Yeah.
13:07So that's something they're clearly adopting and working on, too.
13:10Well, again, weren't they ahead most of the game?
13:13They were ahead a lot.
13:16I think it's a little easier when you're ahead.
13:18We were behind.
13:19We were chasing ourselves.
13:20We were in third and longs.
13:22You know?
13:23Our guys were dropping balls.
13:24We were missing guys.
13:26It's also a different approach.
13:27Like they point out, Greg Roman is now part of that coaching staff with Matt Nagy.
13:32Yeah.
13:33They actually ran at least two tight ends and or fullbacks on the field for two-thirds of their place.
13:39Look, they might run a little bit more, too, because they don't want to jig.
13:43You know?
13:43They take it away.
13:45But with him being out, I'm assuming he's going to be out.
13:47They also have Cam Scatt.
13:48I mean, Cam Scatt, he's tough to bring down.
13:51He's physical.
13:52Oh, yeah.
13:52He's a stud.
13:53For sure.
13:55Giants did a great job running the ball.
13:56I like Bill.
13:57Bill's better than I thought.
13:59Like, I've always liked him okay.
14:00He's playing better than the seven.
14:02He's better than I thought.
14:03I mean, what a great value pick by Adam Peters.
14:05But he's not someone you can lean on like some of these other teams can.
14:08No.
14:08He's not a superstar, but he's very solid.
14:11You've got to really rely on J.D. and those other receivers.
14:16Yeah.
14:17I just think you've got to get some more sure stuff.
14:19Let's not get behind the eight ball early.
14:21Let's sustain a few drives.
14:23I think all this stuff will even itself out.
14:26I mean, Dallas is good.
14:28And they've got some good guys in the interior, too, of their defense, too.
14:31But they're not as dominant defensively anywhere close as Philly.
14:36So we should be better offensively.
14:39I'll be surprised.
14:40If we come in here and have another dud, I'll say, you know what?
14:42You guys are right.
14:42We have a problem.
14:43We have an offensive problem.
14:45But I'll be surprised if that's the case.
14:49One thing Barnwell points out is the Commanders jump from running zone concepts 37% of the time, this on
14:55offense, during their impressive 2024 season, to 59% in week one this year.
15:02So, look, they're changing the style of their offense.
15:05And ultimately, we're going to see if it's fruitful.
15:08It does, I think, get you a little nervous that in week one it took so long for them to
15:12get going.
15:15They played a very good team.
15:17Hats off.
15:18They play a better team.
15:20And we still could have stolen it, in my opinion.
15:24Still could have stolen that game.
15:26So, I don't know.
15:27It'll be interesting to see how they come out of the first quarter.
15:28If we go out there and have an offensive dud, which I don't expect, I'll be disappointed and I'll be
15:34surprised.
15:34And I'll say, man, maybe we're on to something.
15:37Yeah, I mean, if they're down 17-6 at the half or, you know, 17-9 at the half.
15:40Yeah, we're just like three and out, three and out, not getting anything going.
15:44They're stuffing us.
15:45We're in third and long.
15:46Just can't connect on anything.
15:47Yeah, if the offense looks like it's stuck in the mud for the first half, it's just ugly to watch.
15:52Didn't you feel like Jaden got going a little bit better once he had a couple runs?
15:55Like, later on, he was a little more loose.
15:57For sure.
15:58He took a little bit more under his own.
16:00But I do think a point of emphasis this year is to not have him do it quite as much.
16:04And I think that's the correct approach.
16:06Because I want him available for as many games as possible.
16:09Blau answered the question in his presser yesterday, kind of about that.
16:12And he said, he goes, yeah, you could say that he got going once he got the runs going.
16:16He goes, however, there have been games.
16:18And he pointed to the Cincinnati Bengals game from a couple years ago.
16:21Where he completed 18 in a row.
16:22Right, where he just came out of the gates just not running, just passing.
16:25Boom, boom, boom, boom.
16:27Right.
16:27We just got off to a rough start against a very, very good team.
16:31I think it's kind of as simple as that.
16:34And you can't do that.
16:36Can't put yourself in a hole against a really good team in their house.
16:39I think it's one of the best defenses in football.
16:41John Paul Flame.
16:42Again, if you want to vote on our poll of the day, who's going to win on Sunday?
16:45Vote at Junk's Radio.
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16:51We're the Junkies.
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16:53All right.
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