Commanders Warned About ‘Unsustainable’ Jayden Daniels Plan

Getting Jayden Daniels up to speed quick enough to dominate the NFL as a rookie was a credit to the Washington Commanders and their coaching staff, but they have been warned about continuing an “unsustainable” plan for their star quarterback.

It’s a plan based on league-high use of the no-huddle offense. As ESPN’s Mina Kimes discussed on The Mina Kimes Show, “the Commanders had 677 snaps of no huddle last year. The next closest team was Philadelphia with 274.”

Kimes asked former Green Bay Packers left tackle Marshall Newhouse if the Commanders “can continue doing this much no huddle?” Newhouse’s response should serve as a warning to Daniels and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury about what comes next after 2024’s Cinderella season.

Newhouse believes “no huddle is Kliff Kingsbury’s way of stressing the defense, getting a certain personnel on the field and limiting what they can do from an attack scheme, but I think it also has limitations.

Those limitations can be attributed to the Commanders having what Newhouse dubbed “Dollar General 49ers. So they’ve got Zach Ertz, Terry McLaurin and Brian Robinson and Deebo Samuel on the field. They can kind of interchange and move all over the place, but eventually, you’re gonna have to get in two-tight end sets, you’re gonna have to run ‘Duo’ somewhere, you’re gonna have to get 3rd-and-1. And teams aren’t just gonna allow you to run just up and down the field. This is not college.”

What Newhouse has outlined is the need for the Commanders to be more physical and still win when defenses have had time to huddle up, prepare and substitute. The answer to that question will be determined by whether or not the Commanders have the personnel to break a huddle, line up in traditional sets and still beat some of the best defenses in football.

Commanders Need Old, But New Again Plan to Avoid Regression

Using the no-huddle as often as they did was a way for the Commanders to make the game easier for Daniels. It kept defenses in unfavorable personnel, heavy run sets in passing situations or nickel formations on run-first downs.

Daniels could make quicker reads against overwhelmed defenses, but those same outmatched opponents are sure to catch up this season. It’s what happens in the NFL, so the Commanders need something different this year.

The same diet of screens, pre-snap motion and a fast pace won’t be enough. Not even with dual-threat runner and receiver Samuel able to ease the burden on Daniels.

What the Commanders need are some throwback designs to help show off their straight-ahead power. Fortunately, Newhouse has already provided a clue about how this can happen.

Jayden Daniels, Commanders Can Slow the Game Down

Newhouse wants to see more two-tight end sets, and the Commanders have personnel to make it happen. They have John Bates, one of the NFL’s unsung heroes as a formidable blocker, while 2024 second-round draft pick Ben Sinnott was a disappointment as a receiver, but he can move defenders in the run game.

Bates and Sinnott did exactly that to spring backup running back Jeremy McNichols for this touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals, highlighted by ex-Washington center Will Montgomery.

Overloading the line of scrimmage more often can help the Commanders use the ‘Duo’ concept Newhouse name-dropped. This play “is often described as power without a puller,” according to Ted Nguyen of The Athletic. He pointed out “with duo, blockers focus on getting vertical with their double teams — they step forward, toward each other and try to displace defensive linemen vertically to a second-level defender.”

The Commanders have tried the Duo concept before, but with little success, per this breakdown by analyst Mark Bullock.

Not having the personnel to dominate up front made this play falter. Problems still exist in the backfield, where lead back Robinson still needs to fix a major flaw.

It makes sense for the Commanders to slow the game down with more running, but they also need to lean into longer-developing passing concepts. That won’t be easy if the team can’t reach a deal with Terry McLaurin, the premier vertical threat on the roster.

Newhouse wants Daniels and the Commanders to win in more direct ways, but it won’t be easy without elite personnel at the skill positions. So you should expect more up-tempo simplicity from Kingsbury to compensate.