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The Washington Commanders have a flaw that’s proving fatal for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and a sputtering offense. Daniels was taking the NFL by storm earlier ins the season as the leader of an explosive offense, but defenses have zeroed in on a fundamental weakness. Something the Dallas Cowboys attacked over and over during a 34-26 win in Week 12.
Specifically, the Cowboys and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer identified a suspect tendency in how the Commanders protect Daniels in passing situations. As Nick Akridge of Pro Football Focus noted, the “Cowboys knew exactly how to attack the Commanders OLine. For weeks Washington’s response to pressure was chip the edge rushers. Cowboys countered that by moving (All-Pro pass-rusher Micah) Parsons to the interior to prevent those chips on him then held those routes up and blitz the inside gaps.”
Zimmer’s schemes not only led to Daniels taking at least three sacks for the third game running. They also exposed how predictable the Commanders’ blocking patterns have become on offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s watch.
Commanders, Kliff Kingsbury Becoming Predictable
Akridge wasn’t the only one who noticed the Cowboys had an answer of what the Commanders like to do up front. Commanders analyst Mark Bullock also pointed out how Kingsbury routinely fell back on the same personnel groupings and blocking schemes in key moments.
Bullock described how “Any time they (the Commanders) got to 3rd down, it was empty formation, chipping the edges and Parsons would just move inside and blow stuff up.”
Choosing not to chip Micah Parsons whenever the edge-rusher lined up inside proved a major mistake by Kingsbury. It led to plays like this, one of Parsons’ two sacks, highlighted by Nate Tice of Yahoo! Sports.
Parsons consistently wrecked the pocket because the Commanders didn’t have an adjustment for when he lined up inside. A lack of answers is becoming a troubling pattern as defenses have caught up with Kingsbury’s offense.
Opponents have closed the gap by relying on one simple concept.
Jayden Daniels Beset by the Blitz vs. Cowboys
The secret is out. Defenses know how to wreck Daniels. Simply by blitzing over and over again. It’s become easier against an O-line overplaying on the edges.
Numbers clearly quantify what overloaded pressure has meant for Daniels’ performances. As ESPN’s John Keim detailed, “In the first 7 games, Wash completed 43-60 passes vs. 5+ man pressures with 4 TD, 0 INT; 7 sacks. In the last 5 games vs. those looks, they’re 24-52 with 2 td, 1 INT, 7 sacks. Sunday, Wash did its usual chipping the DEs, had RBs to pick up blitz. At times, Dallas fooled w/games.”
There it is again. The Commanders overcompensating against outside pass-rushers at the expense of reacting to the growing heat through the middle.
Kingsbury does have good reason for making the edges a focus. He inherited a line that gave up 65 sacks a year ago and remains weak at both tackle spots.
Veteran Andrew Wylie and rookie Brandon Coleman have endured some tough times as bookends in front of Daniels. The team spent free agency dollars to fortify the interior with guard Nick Allegretti and center Tyler Biadasz, but this is more of a system problem.
One Kingsbury and line coach Bobby Johnson must solve soon. Or they risk leaving Daniels subject to more punishment.
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