Getty Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs, might know what’s wrong with the Chiefs offense, as he was once part of the team and is aware of the true impact of some of the team’s recent departures.
That’s why it’s worth noting that Hill thinks the defending Super Bowl champions miss former offensive coordinator, Eric Bieniemy.
“A lot of people probably won’t say it, Kansas City has a lot of great players on that team, but EB has a certain standard,” Hill said on his It Needed to Be Said podcast with co-host Julius Collins on December 4. “He’ll never let you get comfortable, no matter how great you think you are. … I miss the way he used to push me.”
In a season in which the Chiefs offense leads the NFL in drops with 30, per Sporting News, and offensive holding penalties (18), Hill might not be far off in his belief that Bieniemy is missed in Kansas City. The former Chiefs OC is known for his accountability and tough-love approach to coaching, which could be why drops weren’t an issue for the team in 2022 like they are in 2023.
There are plenty of other factors playing into the offensive woes for the Chiefs this season. But the absence of Bieniemy on the coaching staff could certainly be one of them.
Eric Bieniemy’s First Season as Commanders’ OC
Last offseason, Bieniemy’s contract with the Chiefs expired and he opted to join the Washington Commanders as their offensive coordinator/assistant head coach under head coach Ron Rivera.
This season, the Commanders’ offense ranks 23rd in DVOA (-8.3%), per FTN, are tied for 11th in total touchdowns (30), and 16th in total yards per game (336.2), according to ESPN. One of the biggest issues surrounding the offense is protection; the Commanders have surrendered the second-most sacks in the NFL (58). It’s impressive that they’ve only given up that many thus far, as the team was averaging 5.7 sacks allowed per game through the first seven weeks of the regular season.
But the best way to gauge Bieniemy’s performance as OC is the play of second-year quarterback, Sam Howell, who became Washington’s full-time starting quarterback this season.
In 13 games played, Howell has completed 65.8% of his passes for 3,488 yards — 6.8 yards per completion — 18 touchdowns, and has also thrown 14 interceptions. He is the 26th-ranked quarterback back by PFF this season (65.9).
There was a stretch earlier in the season, specifically Weeks 8-10, in which Howell had helped mend the offense’s sack and had seemingly become the QB of the future for the Commanders (8 touchdowns, 2 interceptions during that span). But the last three weeks have been brutal for Howell and Washington, as the team is on a three-game losing streak at the hands of the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Miami Dolphins, and Howell threw 1 touchdown and 5 interceptions during that stretch.
There are still five games remaining in the season for the Commanders to finish strong and for Bieniemy to boost his stock as an offensive play-caller. But at this point, Bieniemy has shown a bit of promise but nothing that guarantees he can help guide Washington’s offense in the right direction after 2023.
Bears Interested in Bieniemy as HC: Report
According to Josina Anderson of CBS Sports on December 5, the Chicago Bears are expected to have interest in Bieniemy, among others, “with general knowledge that current HC Matt Eberflus is under evaluation with the team at 4-8.”
I’m told the Chicago #Bears are expected to have interest in #Commanders assistant head coach/ offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, among others, with general knowledge that current HC Matt Eberflus is under evaluation with the team at 4-8, per source.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles was part of Kansas City’s front office when Bieniemy was on the Chiefs’ coaching staff. So, it’s not surprising that Poles might want to hire a coach he’s very familiar with to lead the rebuild in Chicago.
Only time will tell if Bieniemy will finally land a head coaching job in the NFL.