“The way I put it is: We got so much talent, we should be scoring more points than we have [been],” he advised reporters.
Nine different Commanders, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to be candid a few coach, expressed frustration with the play-calling. They complained about predictability, an abandonment of the sport plan towards Cleveland and Turner’s tendency to deviate from performs that are working, which a number of players described because the coordinator “outsmarting” himself. They steered Browns defenders had anticipated their performs within the loss that successfully ended the Commanders’ season.
NFL Next Gen Stats tracks “get-off” — the typical time it takes for a rusher to cross the road of scrimmage — and towards Washington, Cleveland’s get-off was 0.79 seconds, the fifth-quickest charge by any group in any recreation this yr.
Despite Washington’s important funding in its offense final offseason, the unit has been a disappointment. The Commanders rank twenty sixth within the NFL in offensive factors per recreation (17.5) and twenty seventh in Expected Points Added, in response to TruMedia, each steps again from 2021. The offense collapsed down the stretch, and it’s the main motive the group sank from the NFC’s sixth seed on Dec. 18 to elimination three weeks later.
Yet blame is advanced. Quarterback play has been subpar, and the personnel division, in the end helmed by Coach Ron Rivera, constructed a line with evident deficiencies. The offense typically fought uphill — it had the league’s worst common beginning subject place — and struggled to maintain drives, hit explosive performs and end within the purple zone.
This week, players constantly pointed fingers at play-calling however acknowledged there have been different points. Some mentioned there was typically poor communication between offensive place teams. Sunday’s season finale — when rookie quarterback Sam Howell and different younger players will take the highlight — might assist Rivera make ultimate evaluations of Turner and what went unsuitable.
If group proprietor Daniel Snyder retains Rivera within the offseason, which appears doubtless, particularly contemplating the prospect of a possible sale, it is going to be the coach’s duty to parse the offense’s largest issues and determine what to vary.
Turner and Rivera declined to remark for this story. Asked throughout a news convention Thursday if he was nervous about being fired, Turner mentioned: “That’s just part of this league. It could happen. It could happen to anybody.”
In Turner’s first two seasons, personnel turnover made it onerous to evaluate his work. Washington cycled by way of six quarterbacks and had restricted playmaking expertise outdoors of receiver Terry McLaurin, operating again Antonio Gibson and Thomas. Early this season, the unit made some progress, scoring 28 factors in Week 1 and 27 in Week 2.
But the offense faltered in dangerous losses to Philadelphia, Dallas and Tennessee. In Week 6, earlier than a 12-7 win over Chicago, “Thursday Night Football” analyst Ryan Fitzpatrick criticized Turner’s scheme, saying it contrasted with the adaptable, player-friendly schemes common within the fashionable NFL.
“This is a plug-and-play system,” Fitzpatrick, who performed briefly for Washington in 2021, mentioned. “They’re not going to dial up plays and make up something that would suit Carson’s game, or maybe something that would suit Terry’s game to get him the ball early.”
Once Washington turned to Taylor Heinicke after Wentz’s finger harm, Turner leaned into the id the offense had developed throughout a four-game successful streak in 2021, operating downhill and throwing off play motion. The Commanders had been extra aggressive and pulled off a significant upset, beating then-undefeated Philadelphia on the highway.
Two weeks later, towards the Atlanta Falcons, two individuals mentioned, the Commanders’ first drive was an instance of Turner at his finest. On the primary play, he referred to as onerous play motion off the run idea “duo,” which had turn out to be a staple for the offense. The faux fooled the Falcons’ linebackers, sucked them towards the road of scrimmage and opened an enormous throwing window for Heinicke, who hit McLaurin for 26 yards. They went on to attain a landing, and Turner saved the Falcons’ protection off stability for many of the recreation with related seems and fakes.
Three weeks after that, on “Sunday Night Football,” Turner opened with a plan not less than three players questioned. Instead of sticking to downhill runs and play motion, he tried extra drop-back passing and edge runs out of shotgun. In the primary half, the offense appeared impotent, scoring as soon as in 5 drives (a subject purpose) and permitting a strip sack that was returned for a landing.
On a primary down late within the third quarter, Brian Robinson Jr. plowed downhill for seven yards. But on second down, Turner referred to as a flea-flicker, and on third, a run up the center for Curtis Samuel went for 2. Why, players puzzled, did they abandon what had simply labored effectively?
“Sometimes, it feels like he expects [adjustments from the defense], or he calls something just because we put it in that week,” one participant mentioned.
In the locker room, criticism of Turner began effervescent to the floor. Robinson, who completed with 7.4 yards per carry however solely 12 carries, harped on the play-calling.
“I just got to play; I can’t coach,” he advised reporters, including, “Even when I do get frustrated about play-calling, that’s not my job, so, regardless of how I feel during the game over certain plays, I just got to be where my feet are.”
Later that week, when requested why the offense struggled within the purple zone, Heinicke steered a part of the issue was scheme.
“Some of the plays that we had called there at the end, they’re tough plays to beat cover-two with,” he mentioned.
During his news convention, Turner criticized himself — “We really should have given [Robinson] the ball more” — but additionally appeared to jab again at Heinicke.
“Sometimes, there’s going to be some tight windows [deep in the red zone], and you got to give guys a shot to make a play,” he mentioned.
The subsequent week, on the finish of a blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Rivera benched Heinicke for Wentz. In 16 drop-backs, Wentz was sharp, dealing with blitzes and getting the ball out on the quickest charge of his profession. During the week, Rivera mentioned he would stick with Wentz towards Cleveland, seemingly optimistic Wentz would profit from the Heinicke play-calling method.
Three points — play-calling, quarterback play and line play — contributed to the crushing loss that adopted, however not everybody concerned weighed the blame the identical.
Several players argued that Turner had deserted the sport plan, which the group had practiced all week, in favor of drop-back passing and operating ideas that at occasions grew to become predictable. One instance was that in two- and three-tight finish units, Washington ran the ball 21 of 26 occasions (81 %), and the Browns, one of many league’s worst run defenses, caught on.
It’s attainable Turner felt he couldn’t keep on with the method due to his quarterback. Early on, Wentz missed a number of simple throws, and Turner leaned on the run. When Wentz did cross, Turner appeared intent on letting the quarterback hold his eyes upfield. He referred to as completely different play actions — buying and selling the onerous, under-center motion that labored effectively with Heinicke for mushy motion from shotgun — and used extra drop-back passes. Washington’s cross safety has struggled with drop-back passing, so Turner despatched assist through double-teams and chips, which slowed or diminished the variety of pass-catchers accessible.
Turner tried a number of occasions to go downfield. One individual with information of the group’s play-calling, who spoke on the situation of anonymity to judge Turner, criticized the method and pointed to Wentz’s second interception. The individual conceded that, on paper, the vertical idea works towards cover-two. If Wentz hadn’t underthrown the ball, Samuel most likely would’ve had an enormous catch, perhaps even a landing. But the idea calls for Wentz hit a tough, low-percentage throw.
The individual conceded Turner is hamstrung by his personnel however argued he might present simpler solutions.
“[It’s] your job to put these guys in better spots to be successful,” the individual mentioned. “Are you doing everything you can to elevate this group?”
“I feel bad for Carson,” one participant mentioned. “I don’t think we knew how to utilize him.”
Another participant steered the Browns loss wasn’t on Turner. The participant mentioned Wentz, below strain to save lots of his profession, appeared affected earlier than the sport even started.
Afterward, echoes of the controversy that raged in Washington — whose fault was this? — additionally sounded within the Browns locker room. Linebacker Reggie Ragland and defensive lineman Jadeveon Clowney bashed Wentz for having “a slow release” and being fazed by hits. But defensive finish Myles Garrett noticed the Commanders’ struggles as extra rooted within the recreation plan.
“They wanted to get some plays down the field and some long-developing plays,” he mentioned. “I don’t think it was really [Wentz] holding it as much as he’s waiting for everything to develop in front of him.”
Rivera is understood for his loyalty, and he coached with Turner’s father, Norv Turner, for years. But previously, if Rivera has felt it really vital, he has fired these with whom he’s shut. In August, it was line of defense coach Sam Mills III, with whom he labored for a number of seasons in Carolina.
In Friday news conferences this season, Rivera has typically been in an excellent temper. He’s given expansive updates and explanations. But this Friday, when requested to judge Turner’s efficiency this yr, he appeared circumspect.
“We’ve had our moments,” he mentioned. “I think there’s [been] some really good things, considering the availability of everybody. You know, it’s been tough.”
Nicki Jhabvala in Washington contributed to this report.
