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Three weeks ago, the Commanders were 7-2 and were considered one of the best offenses in the NFL.

Three consecutive losses later, the offense is not the only thing struggling; however, fans and local media often want to discuss the offense in general and, in this case, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in particular.

So it wasn’t all that surprising when Dan Quinn was asked Monday about Kingsbury and his offenses regressing in the second half of the year. What was surprising was that Quinn was even asked if he had given it thought to before hiring Kingsbury.

“Sure, I probably don’t give it as much, and here’s why,” Quinn said. “You’re talking about a different program with different people and different players. And so, I think going into it, and you’re putting in a system together, you want to make sure that you’re featuring the players and the things that they do best and all of that. And so I think Kliff’s done a good job of that, although they’re peaks and valleys and any season that’s going to go. I don’t have a sense of what somebody did you know well before, because the system that was in place there is not the same exact carbon copy as the one here.”

I don’t have much doubt that there will be those who interpret Quinn’s reply as a knee-jerk cop-out, avoiding the subject.

However, there is truth in what Quinn is saying: There is turnover most years on most rosters in the NFL.

Consider Kingsbury, who was the Arizona Cardinals head coach during the 2019-2022 seasons. His first season saw Larry Fitzgerald as his leading receiver, but Fitzgerald retired following the 2020 season. DeAndre Hopkins became the Cardinals’ leading receiver in 2021, but Christian Kirk took over that role in Kingsbury’s last season in Arizona.

Kenyan Drake led the Cardinals in rushing in 2019 and 2020, and James Conner has taken over that rule in recent seasons.

Kyler Murray replaced Josh Rosen from 2018, who had replaced Carson Palmer as the Cardinals’ signal caller.

Whether Kingsbury’s offenses have taken this huge dive downward regressing in the second half would require a deeper dive in research.

The Commanders’ offense first slowed down during the Bears game. Washington could only generate 12 points throughout the game until the ‘Hail Mary’ provided six points on the game’s final play.

But the defense may be just as big a story as the offense. In the last four games, the defense has given up 22 points (Giants), 28 (Steelers), 26 (Eagles), and 34 (Cowboys).

But are we even sure about those numbers? On Sunday, Dallas returned two kickoffs for touchdowns. How is that the defense’s fault?

Of course, many years ago, it was proven that the best defense is a good offense, and the best offense is a good defense.

So, it will take a deeper dive to uncover some real data on the Kingsbury offenses’ continually declining and regressing performance in the second half of seasons.

Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury met with the media on Thursday to discuss Washington’s offense and the upcoming game against the Dallas Cowboys.

LIVE: OC Kliff Kingsbury speaks to the media before practice https://t.co/nlbEC3wLee

— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) November 21, 2024

On what has prevented the offense from executing and on how to improve:

“In what regard?

Obviously, the Thursday night game was not our best, but when you just overall execution, you say? Yeah, I think there’s a lot of things played [into that]. Two really good defenses first off, and then, just having the ability to be on the practice field to continue to get reps together and build.

I think this is the first week we’ve been able to do that consistently as a unit, put in a full week. And so hopefully that pays off, but [we] still had a chance in the fourth quarter — our guys battled even when weren’t playing our best, which I appreciated. But, just nailing the details, calling better plays. I mean, overall, collectively as an offense we can be better and I think a week of real practice will help that.”

On anything specific or different that he is focusing on with QB Jayden Daniels this week:

“Yeah, I think you just give back to the basics, the fundamentals, and really hone in on those. I think anytime you have a couple games that aren’t to maybe the level we all want to be at, you narrow the focus and it’s like, ‘Hey, let’s nail the footwork, let’s nail the reads, progressions, the base stuff and start there’. And, he’s the guy who, when he is working at it, he works really hard, he’s very focused and so this week has been good to see him back out there going full speed and getting the reps that I think will help us play at a higher level.”

On his reaction to an opposing defense exposing offensive tendencies, specifically with WR Terry McLaurin, and on if he changes the offense as a result:

“Oh, okay. Yeah, I can’t tell you that...because then teams may use it against me, especially this week, but yeah, definitely gotta get him the ball more.

On what he would take from his coaching experience here to any next opportunity in the league:

’Yeah, I think I definitely have a new perspective and being around [Head Coach] DQ [Dan Quinn] and just the way he carries himself, the consistency in his approach, his attitude, the way he treats players. He puts the players first in everything he does. You come in on Monday, win, lose or draw and it’s the same guy.

And I think that being from my seat, being able to step back and see it from the 10,000 foot overview after being in that seat for 10 straight years has really helped me kinda see what I would want to be and who I’d want to be if I ever chose to do that again.”

On what having all the running backs enables him to do offensively:

‘Yeah, I think [Brian Robinson] and Austin [Ekeler] are a great combo, and obviously when Jeremy [McNichoI] has had his opportunities, he’s done really well. And then [Chris Rodriguez] did a nice job when he got his number called. So those guys feed off each other, they push each other really well.

Being able to have Austin, some of that pass game stuff, what he does after catch has been really impressive — then B-Rob for the tough yards in between the tackles — he’s a physical runner, so it definitely helps our attack be more balanced when we have all those guys healthy and going full speed.”

On what the offensive line’s health means for this week’s game:

‘Yeah, Dallas is a challenge, there’s no doubt. They’ve been a team that’s played at a high level for a long time. I know their struggles because of injuries, things of that nature recently. But, anytime we can get that O-line feeling healthy and have the depth we’ve had and have six and seven guys that we know we can rotate through and play at a high level, it definitely helps our confidence as a unit.”

On how he avoids burnout in the industry after being a head coach at a relatively young age:

“I always just brought it back to the players, but definitely, especially going to your alma mater, and you’re 33 and it’s a small college town and not a lot of things to do, not a lot of ways to have stress release, so I just focused on the players. I always found that anytime it feels like it’s getting hard or it’s tough, you just bring it back to them and that has always centered me.

Same deal being here. If we had a tough day or whatever, it’s sometimes Monday and Tuesday when the players aren’t around as much, it’s tough. And then you get them here and you feel, all right, here we go. It feels right.

So I think if you make it about players and process and you can always come back to those things, then you have an ability to never get too high or too low.”

On if the lack of practice or strong opposing defenses impacted the pass game the most in the last two games:

”Kind of, yeah. I think you just take it for what it is on both accounts. The passing game has gotta be precise and you gotta be out there going full speed with your receivers to nail it. And then you’re playing against two good defenses that make it a challenge, even if you are full speed, even if you’re on point with everything.

So I think you take both into account and you just focus on what you feel you can do to get better. You don’t buy into one or the other too much and say, ‘Oh, it was this scheme’, or ‘It was just that we didn’t practice’. You say, how do we get better when we do get the chance to practice?”

On if he had to change any calls due to Daniels’ rib:

‘I’m not gonna divulge what we did while he was, I would say more banged up, but hopefully we play better this week. I’ll just say that [laugh].”

On accounting for Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons:

”Micah’s a game wrecker. He’s one of those,

I thought [Eagles DT] Jalen Carter had a tremendous game against us. He was awesome and put us behind the chains several times and Micah is the guy who can do the same thing. If you don’t have a plan for him every snap, it takes one snap for him to take the ball away and all of a sudden, it can be a long day.

So he’s the guy you gotta have a plan for. He is dynamic, plays hard, and, yeah, he’s one of the handful guys in the league that can really change a game by himself.”

On if the last two games shakes Daniels’ confidence:

“No, he’s pretty much who he is. I mean, he’s competitive as all get out, and like I said, for him to put us in that position in the fourth quarter in both games to even have a chance to win, I thought was really impressive. And he’s very tough and very competitive and I know he earned a lot of respect from his teammates just by battling the last few weeks.”

On what he knew coming and what he has learned now about C Tyler Biadasz:

“I didn’t [know him before], but we were thrilled to get him. He comes from Dallas where I know he was really well coached and his college program there, Wisconsin was really well coached and he’s had success everywhere he’s been. And I think that that’s the thing that jumped out to me. They won a bunch of games when he was at Wisconsin, won a bunch when he was at Dallas. And so he’s used to winning. He expects to win and he brought that attest to with him here.”

More From Hogs Haven

Shane Waldron became a casualty of the Chicago Bears’ poor run of form, with the team unable to generate points or get the best out of star rookie Caleb Williams. On the other side of the country, the Commanders are thriving, and rookie Jayden Daniels is playing like an MVP candidate under offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.

Dan Quinn’s decision to hire the former Cardinals head coach is clearly paying off — something that now comes back to haunt Bears head coach Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles. They had the opportunity to hire Kliff but failed to do so.

The Athletic’s NFL Insider, Kevin Fishbain, called this missed opportunity a grave error. Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show, Fishbain acknowledged that many factors go into the hiring process, and there could be several reasons why they chose to hire Shane Waldron. But the decision was simply wrong, the insider argued.

“It’s a good question, and the list doesn’t even start with Kingsbury. They talked to Zack Robinson. I mean, there are so many things everybody can relitigate about the search process. They blew it. Simple as that, they blew it.”

Fishbain also highlighted that by hiring Waldron, the Bears sucked into the trend of hiring coaches who have previously worked with the likes of Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan. That’s the kind of offense Eberflus was aiming to build with Waldron.

The Bears’ loss, however, turned into Washington’s gain, as they’ve worked wonders with Daniels and that offense.

Kliff Kingsbury is working his magic with the Commander’s offense

Kingsbury could have been on the sidelines of Soldier Field, but he is now calling plays for the Commanders, and perfectly. The team is 7-3 and currently boasts the 4th best offense in the league. They average 377 yards and 30 points per game.

While he doesn’t have the best record as a head coach, in college or the NFL, he has run a highly efficient unit as an offensive mind. He was also Patrick Mahomes’ head coach at Texas Tech.

Kingsbury has created a QB-friendly offense for Jayden Daniels. He hasn’t overloaded the rookie with information, unlike offenses run by Shanahan or McVay. He’s using many run-pass options to generate favorable looks for the offense rather than focusing on defense.

By using RPOs, though, he is achieving the same results as McVay’s or Shanahan’s offense. The OC is executing it in a way that makes it easy for a rookie like Daniels to process the information quickly. Without being overloaded with excess information, the LSU alum can simply count defenders and distinguish between good and bad reads.

Daniels’s running ability has allowed Kingsbury to call more run plays and more read-run options, especially in short-yardage situations. He hasn’t been tasked to overthrow the ball down the field like Caleb. The Commanders are fourth in the NFL in run game, averaging 153 yards. A great ground game opens up space down the field for big explosive plays, which the rookie makes when he needs to.

Dan Quinn believes there is more to come from Kliff and that offense. It’s exciting times in Washington, the team that has struggled for nearly three decades.

Post Edited By:Samnur Reza

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LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- While the NFL world kept close watch on Caleb Williams' final season at USC in 2023, Kliff Kingsbury was living it alongside the eventual No. 1 overall pick.

After four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, which included coaching quarterback Kyler Murray through his Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign in 2019, Kingsbury spent last season back in college football as a senior offensive analyst for the Trojans.

He wasn't picking out plays for Williams or communicating with him on the sideline. Kingsbury's job had one overarching emphasis: get Williams ready for the NFL.

"[Trojans coach] Lincoln [Riley] allowed me to be the good cop, and [offer] any knowledge, anything I could share, particularly with [Williams]," Kingsbury said. "We all knew where he was going, and it was kind of a foregone conclusion that he'd be the first pick for a long time.

"So really, [I tried to be] a resource in any way that I could be, helping him try to mentally prepare for the things that were ahead."

Williams was drafted by the Chicago Bears and Kingsbury made his return to the NFL as the offensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders. On Sunday when the two face off from opposing sidelines during the Bears' Week 8 matchup at Washington (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox), Kingsbury will get to watch the player he helped prepare for these moments. The one who did things that "reminded me of the guy I had at Texas Tech," in reference to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

"In this league and pretty much any league, if you don't have one of those top, top guys, I mean ... good luck," Kingsbury said.

Williams is one in a long list of talented quarterbacks coached by Kingsbury. Their day-to-day interactions at USC endeared the quarterback to the person he views as a "players coach" and allowed him to get a jump start on preparing for his transition to the NFL.

"Tremendous person, competitor, freaky talent," Kingsbury said. "Watching the stuff he would do in practice and in the games, his ability, his feel, really, really special.

"He's going to be one of the top guys in the league for a lot of years, so that was cool to get to spend time with him last year."

Williams said their conversations helped him prepare for moments like Sunday.

"I know there's a bunch of rules in college," Williams said. "There were certain things he couldn't do, certain things he could do, but talking about football, talking about experiences that he's had as a head coach, offensive coordinator, things like that at the pro level is what I got from him.

"So many times talking about it, asking questions so he could give me great feedback on this next level that I knew that I was probably heading to at that time. That was big for me being able to listen to him and obviously build a relationship with him knowing the QBs he's been around and similarities in some of the offenses that I've been in. It was great to have those moments with him. I think it's helped me for these moments now."

There was a chance this offseason that the two would end up together in the NFL. Kingsbury was one of nine candidates that the Bears interviewed for their offensive coordinator job before hiring Shane Waldron.

Kingsbury declined to comment this week on the process of interviewing with Chicago. According to Bears coach Matt Eberflus, the Bears didn't ask "too many" questions about Williams to Kingsbury, who gave positive reviews of the quarterback like the other candidates who interviewed.

Ultimately, Kingsbury went on to Washington where he would be paired with Jayden Daniels, who was taken No. 2 overall after the Bears drafted Williams. Through seven weeks, the offense that Kingsbury has built for his rookie quarterback is tied for first in points (31.3) and fourth in yards (384.1).

"I've always respected him, going against him over the years, and respect his offense and the way he finds space on the field, the way he's committed to the run game," Eberflus said. "But again, it was a pleasure to meet him personally, had a great visit for a good amount of time during that interview. And it was very informative to both parties."

ESPN Commanders reporter John Keim contributed to this story.