New OC Thread (Welcome Aboard Eric Bieniemy!)

[Spaceman Spiff]

I’m just not excited. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 8352 times, that means I’m a Commanders fan. 
 

I’ve been hearing “this is the guy!!” for close to 30 years now. For you puppies out there, that’s pre Snyder, going back to the Norv days. 
 

“This is it, we’ve got our guy!!” And routinely it’s gone sour practically every time. So while I recognize that Bienemy has upside and that he’s well respected and liked and all the other warm and fuzzy bull****, I’m expecting disappointment because that’s what I’ve been accustomed to for years now. I’m surprised to see some of you veterans on here getting your hopes up, too. You should know better by now. 
 

If you don’t have any expectations, you’ll never be disappointed. Welcome to DC, EB. I’m sure you’re the guy this time. 

 

[dunfer]

Just now, Spaceman Spiff said:

I’m just not excited. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 8352 times, that means I’m a Commanders fan. 
 

I’ve been hearing “this is the guy!!” for close to 30 years now. For you puppies out there, that’s pre Snyder, going back to the Norv days. 
 

“This is it, we’ve got our guy!!” And routinely it’s gone sour practically every time. So while I recognize that Bienemy has upside and that he’s well respected and liked and all the other warm and fuzzy bull****, I’m expecting disappointment because that’s what I’ve been accustomed to for years now. I’m surprised to see some of you veterans on here getting your hopes up, too. You should know better by now. 
 

If you don’t have any expectations, you’ll never be disappointed. Welcome to DC, EB. I’m sure you’re the guy this time. 

 

you think hes better than turner?

[Redwards]

Meh.  It's another OC.  EB is talented to be sure, but the overall issues (and they are big) remain.

 

- Snyder likely selling the team, so the multiyear contract means zip.  New owner will get rid of Ron (the very definition of an average-at-best HC) the next year.  Maybe he takes a look at EB for HC?  

 

- Ron is still the man in charge.  The head excuse maker.  The man who takes very, very little accountability.  The man who can't for the life of him get his team ready to play the first six games of the season.  The man who couldn't get his team to win in December despite all that was on the line, and against meh opponents.  A lot like Norv Turner.  

 

- We have no O line.  Sure, we can draft talent, but a rookie player has to go through growing pains.  In very few instances is a rookie player an instant fix.  Plus, it's a new O line, which mean chemistry is paramount.  You don't develop that over one offseason.  It takes time.

 

- We have no TE of measure on the team.  No real threat.  Those TEs on the team that are young have shown nothing in the way of being able to become a weapon. 

 

- We have no proven QB.  Even if they get a vet, it ain't gonna be a blue chipper.  It'll be an Andy Dalton type.  You think THAT kind of guy is gonna get this team to be a threat, when the rest of our division alone is ahead of us?  And if it is Howell, he's basically a rookie.  He needs to make his mistakes, which will be inevitable.  And I'm completely behind him while he does that.  I'm rooting for that kid - hard.  But he'll be doing this while learning a new system as well.  (As will the rest of the Offense, all the while trying to learn how to play together with the new parts.  That cannot be underestimated.  It's significant.  It's hard.  A true challenge.)  

 

- We have a defense that is vastly overrated.  It's the same exact issue as we had in 2020.  Defense makes its rep against mediocre or worse competion, while most media types and fans gloss over the fact that they don't hold up under scrutiny against good or better offenses most of the time.  Once this defense can consistently come through in the clutch against - and make the better offenses in the league look decidedly worse - I'll give 'em props.  

 

I see Skins fans gloss over these kinds of things in the offseason all the time.  Too many of them make all those bold statements of how it's all fixed with a player here or there in the draft and FA, and they don't mention how it takes real time.  Then, after a deflating year they come back down to earth.

 

Not trying to be a killjoy, and I'm not saying things can't or won't get better next year, but there's way, waaaaay too many IFs regarding the players and coaches on this team.   Too many have to come out on the major upside for a playoff season when our level of competition is going to be better than last year.   Ron is how he is now, which isn't all that great, and I don't think EB can work miracles in one offseason and season, which is probably all he's gonna get.

 

I salute all those that are genuinely happy and optimistic.  Lord knows your enthusiasm absolutely deserves to be rewarded.  I'm just very, very neutral on the subject of EB being a hire right now.  If he had been hired three years ago?  That's possibly a different story.  As always, time will tell.  

Edited February 17, 2023 by Redwards

[Spaceman Spiff]

4 minutes ago, dunfer said:

you think hes better than turner?

My 14 month old son is better than Turner drawing up plays in his yogurt. That’s a low bar to hurdle. 
 

But I bet Turner would have been pretty good with Mahomes. Just a hunch. 

[Hoover-ball]

An intelligent person who knows football better than everyone here, including and especially me, decided to hitch his future to this offense next year.

It is good news full stop. 

[The Hangman- C_Hanburger]

11 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

I’m just not excited. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me 8352 times, that means I’m a Commanders fan. 
 

I’ve been hearing “this is the guy!!” for close to 30 years now. For you puppies out there, that’s pre Snyder, going back to the Norv days. 
 

“This is it, we’ve got our guy!!” And routinely it’s gone sour practically every time. So while I recognize that Bienemy has upside and that he’s well respected and liked and all the other warm and fuzzy bull****, I’m expecting disappointment because that’s what I’ve been accustomed to for years now. I’m surprised to see some of you veterans on here getting your hopes up, too. You should know better by now. 
 

If you don’t have any expectations, you’ll never be disappointed. Welcome to DC, EB. I’m sure you’re the guy this time. 

 

Bad thing is that we DID have our guy(s) with Shanny and Kyle..IMHO only to let RG3 and Snyder F it up

[dunfer]

Just now, Spaceman Spiff said:

My 14 month old son is better than Turner drawing up plays in his yogurt. That’s a low bar to hurdle. 
 

But I bet Turner would have been pretty good with Mahomes. Just a hunch. 

we are the least of the east unfortunately. Everyone complains about the owner and the coach and the qb like we should go out and just get better ones. its that easy.

 

One coaching move like an OC and a hopeful rookie qb with a lot of picks and space for OL supported by solid WRs, RBs  and DEFENSE...ya never know. gets me excited

[Spaceman Spiff]

3 minutes ago, The Hangman- C_Hanburger said:

Bad thing is that we DID have our guy(s) with Shanny and Kyle..IMHO only to let RG3 and Snyder F it up

Yes. This is a place where coaches go find greatness elsewhere. No one comes here and achieves it. 

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Some Cowboys fans' comments...many were dismissive, but some were not:

 

"Anything resembling a sane move by that crappy org is bothersome. He will probably improve their offense and be a good leader for the new QB."

 

"5 star chef at a fast food joint"

 

"That's the kind of hire we should have made. But we tend to regress as opposed to progress."

 

"So maybe he is a product of Mahomes, but then again maybe he isn’t. That’s scary **! If he’s only half as good he’s still twice as good as anything we’ve had here in the past decade...us not grabbing or at least offering him whatever tf the Commanders gave him pisses me off!"

 

"My guess is they are going to feast off Andy Reid's playbook/play design."

 

"I don't think he is a product of Maholmes. I fully credit Reid on Maholmes. Nonetheless, he is a good hire by the Commanders. We should have done that. Instead we hire "friends of McCarthy" and expect a different result."

 

"well that Cements it with Howell and This new offense we are going to be in the basement of the NFCE this year."

 

[TradeTheBeal!]

It’s OK to be pessimistic.  Sometimes your heart is tender and needs time to heal.

 

I choose to be optimistic.

[NoCalMike]

The national media response so far has been predictable, being more of the same, basically saying Bienemy is a good hire in a vacuum but no one succeeds in DC because of the all the underlying issues.

 

We really need to see the team sold during the spring time.

[Califan007 The Constipated]

Giants fans have a different reaction than Cowboys fans...they have focused mainly on Bieniemy either being overrated ("Reid called all the plays") or Eric's "troubled past" making him a risky hire at best. None of the comments said it was a good move that should help the team.

 

The Eagles' message boards are such a cluster**** that I gave up trying to see if anything was being said there lol..

[dunfer]

12 minutes ago, NoCalMike said:

The national media response so far has been predictable, being more of the same, basically saying Bienemy is a good hire in a vacuum but no one succeeds in DC because of the all the underlying issues.

 

We really need to see the team sold during the spring time.

The only underlying issues for a coach atm is the facilities. Its the only thing that could be hampering Ron that i could imagine. We play and practice in a dump...hard to give the FAs the glitter tour, when sewage is being sprayed on the fans

Edited February 17, 2023 by dunfer

[kingdaddy]

Bienemy's experience with Mahomes is gonna do wonders for Howell...that alone makes this a great hire.

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

[The Hangman- C_Hanburger]

15 minutes ago, Spaceman Spiff said:

Yes. This is a place where coaches go find greatness elsewhere. No one comes here and achieves it. 

2012 was pretty great....I still despise the man for his man crushes on RG3 and Portis

[Skinsinparadise]

Why did the Commanders choose Bieniemy?

He's passionate and demanding, qualities that can help kick-start an offense that has not produced a top-15 ranking in points or yards since 2016. His style could help. Before Super Bowl LVII, Mahomes said, "Make sure you have an Eric Bieniemy in your life because he'll make sure you're ready to go."

 

Bieniemy comes from a system that was highly productive. And Washington liked how the Chiefs used their skill talent, feeling their size and styles compared favorably to what the Commanders have in Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson and Curtis Samuel. Washington liked how creatively the Chiefs maneuvered their talent to give them better opportunities.

Washington also liked his presence and how he presented his ideas during the interview, as well as how he planned to use the Commanders' weapons. They also liked that he told them a team needs to be balanced to score points, but must finish games with the rushing attack.

It helped, too, that Bieniemy coached under Reid for so long. Rivera coached under Reid for five seasons in Philadelphia and the two remain friends. Rivera has often sought Reid's advice and his recommendation would carry a lot of weight. -- Keim

Who else was in the running for the job?

Washington interviewed seven other candidates: Pat Shurmur (not currently with a team), Commanders QB coach Ken Zampese, Tennessee Titans QB coach/pass game coordinator Charles London, Miami Dolphins associate head coach/running backs coach Eric Studesville, San Francisco 49ers assistant head coach/running backs coach Anthony Lynn, former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman and Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach/tight ends coach Thomas Brown. Zampese was the only coach on Washington's staff to interview. -- Keim

What does Bieniemy bring to the Commanders' offense?

The Commanders are getting a detail-oriented offensive coordinator who will coach his players hard. Players tell stories of how Bieniemy harps on seemingly the smallest of details and makes sure he covers as many game situations as possible.

"He's bringing it and it's every day,'' Reid said. "He doesn't let one thing slide.''

On being a coach who stresses the details, Bieniemy said, "I take a lot of personal pride in making sure everything is dotted, T's are crossed and everything is absolute."

After the Chiefs' Super Bowl LVII win over the Eagles, Mahomes gave Bieniemy credit for running back Jerick McKinnon sliding at the 1-yard line to set up the game-winning field goal, rather than score a touchdown and leave time on the clock for the Eagles to respond. Mahomes said Bieniemy repeatedly covers that scenario.

"Even though sometimes we get tired of listening and talking about those moments, they always seem to happen in the biggest games and he makes sure we go over the details every single week,'' Mahomes said. -- Teicher

What does Bieniemy have to work with in Washington?

It has three skilled receivers in McLaurin, Samuel and Dotson, two solid running backs in Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr. and a lot of questions.

Rivera has said Howell will enter spring workouts as the starting quarterback. Washington liked Howell quite a bit before the 2022 draft, but wasn't going to pick him because it had traded for Carson Wentz. But when he was there in the fifth round, the Commanders pounced. Had they not traded for Wentz, they might have selected him in the second or third round.

 

But while they like Howell, the fact remains he's attempted 19 passes in the NFL. And this also would be the second offense he's had to learn in two years. Washington also needs to improve its offensive line, possibly adding two or three starters. -- Keim

What does Bieniemy's hiring mean ahead of Commanders' likely sale?

It's hard to fully know what it means, but it's hard to imagine anyone coming here unless they felt comfortable Rivera would be coaching here in 2023. It's one thing to try to bring on an established coach like Sean Payton -- as he said one potential ownership group tried to do -- it's another to then perform a search that would include top assistants.

The other factor some have mentioned in Bieniemy's favor is that with new owners, perhaps he could earn the job after this season if they wanted to fire Rivera. But there are some sticking points here. If Bieniemy's offense does well, it likely means Washington has a good season -- and Rivera would stick around. If the Commanders' offense struggles, it would be a hard sell to promote Bieniemy or anyone else off this staff. Perhaps if Washington's offense becomes explosive, but the team still finishes around .500 and the owners want a change then Bieniemy has a stronger case to take over. -- Keim

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35675202/why-offensive-coordinator-eric-bieniemy-left-chiefs-commanders

Edited February 17, 2023 by Skinsinparadise

[Spaceman Spiff]

Side note, I remember being like 10 years old and listening to a Skins game on the radio. Sonny, Sam and Frank, the good old days. 
 

And my memory is fuzzy but I remember this running back just gashing us. But I couldn’t understand why they kept calling him “The Enemy”. 

“They hand it to The Enemy and he goes for 5 yards up the left side….they give it to The Enemy again and he’s got a first down…”

 

I mean, I knew he played for the opponent but I figured they’d at least call him by his real name. Then I found out later it was BIENEMY. 

 

I’d love to know what game that was and if he was tearing us up as much as I remember. 

[Skinsinparadise]

 

 

 

 

[FootballZombie]

 

Fat stacks baby!

[Spaceman Spiff]

7 minutes ago, Skinsinparadise said:

 

What does Bieniemy bring to the Commanders' offense?

The Commanders are getting a detail-oriented offensive coordinator who will coach his players hard. Players tell stories of how Bieniemy harps on seemingly the smallest of details and makes sure he covers as many game situations as possible.

"He's bringing it and it's every day,'' Reid said. "He doesn't let one thing slide.''

On being a coach who stresses the details, Bieniemy said, "I take a lot of personal pride in making sure everything is dotted, T's are crossed and everything is absolute."

This is good to hear. You guys think he’ll be able to fill Ron in on when we’ve been eliminated?

[Riggo#44]

I give it until week three before people start complaining about lack of adjustments (without actually identifying any of said adjustments) and calling him out for riding Reid's coattails.

[KDawg]

Players tweeting about it is a good sign, too. It's a feel good move. Who knows if it works. But it's a quality signing for this organization even if you're not excited about it. 

 

I am.

 

I think Bienemy is going to bring something here that we haven't seen. But still, even with me being excited I completely accept that we are the Washington Red Football Commandos. Bad finds us. But the actual hire is solid.

[FootballZombie]

Just now, Riggo#44 said:

I give it until week three before people start complaining about lack of adjustments (without actually identifying any of said adjustments) and calling him out for riding Reid's coattails.

 

Week 1 of preseason bruv

[Voice_of_Reason]

So I have 2 concerns/issues with this hire:

 

1. Reid’s offense, and I’m guessing Bieniemy is going to run some variation of it, is one of the most complicated, wordiest offenses in the history of the NFL.  It’s as big a shift from the coryell system which is the foundation of the Turner system.  So there is going to be a HUGE learning curve for the entire offense, and MASSIVE for Howell.  Expect a backup QB who’s been in this system before.  
 

I’m sure the Bieniemy playbook is going to be compared with the Al Saunder’s playbook.  Personally, if any player complains about the size of the playbook or complexity of I think they should be immediately released. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be based on possibly the most successful offense over the last 30 years.  If you aren’t smart enough to learn it, you’re not smart enough to be on the team. 
 

2. I’m going to have to learn how to spell Bieniemy.