It's now Public, and it's Bieniemy

And so the Commanders get the guy they appeared to want from the day that Scott Turner was shown the exit door.

With the hire of x2 Superbowl winning OC Eric Bieniemy, Washington have taken a guy who it seemed would be destined to land a HC job in the NFL.

Instead, Bieniemy elevates slightly from his Kansas City OC role, to become the Assistant HC in D.C.

Here at UKHTTC, we took some time out to discuss the appointment and welcome back Joshua Edwards and James Lowe to the blog, plus thoughts from UKHTTC founder Christian Burt.

First up its Joshua.

A lot to unpack here. At first glance this is a coup for the organisation. An offensive co-ordinator with two Super Bowls under his belt and the ringing endorsements of future Hall of Famers Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.

On closer inspection, however, some things don’t add up. Bieniemy has interviewed over 15 times for Head Coach positions and been passed over every time. Reid once pled Bieniemy’s case at an owners meeting, but the former NFL Running Back and Colorado offensive co-ordinator was out of contract in Kansas City, and rumours swirled that Matt Nagy was in line to takeover, with Bieniemy likely moving to a different role should he fail to find the right job elsewhere.

Bieniemy didn’t call plays in Kansas City. In Washington, he’ll have full autonomy over of the offensive scheme and play-calling duties, something he obviously craves.

The offense in KC has been league leading in many categories during Bieniemy’s run, but there are two key questions: 1, how much of the offense is his offense, vs. Andy Reid, and 2, how much of that success is due to all-time talents Patrick Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce? It’s nigh-on impossible to answer those, which may have put other organisations off taking the risk of hiring Bieniemy previously.

Washington is an organisation in flux.

Under Dan Snyder, careers come here to die. Mike Shanahan was on track to be a Hall of Fame coach before coming to Ashburn.

Those who have made successes elsewhere got out at the right time (Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, etc.), and those who linger inevitably see their cachet plummet league wide. If Snyder does sell the team, perhaps Bieniemy has a fast track to a head coaching position, given Ron Rivera is on the hottest of seats.

Much of his success or failure probably hinges on his ability to get the most out of second year quarterback Sam Howell. It’ll be a fun ride.

UKHTTC founder, Christian shares his thoughts.

For the majority of the Dan Snyder tenure, we have seen too often the hailing of a new saviour in Washington and so we can be understandably cautious to crack open the champagne with the hire of Bieniemy.

The past burden of carrying this franchise when there were so many obvious holes on the roster or chaos & disorder off the field, meant that no single guy could fix everything despite the rushed anointed saviour status on say a star rookie such as QB Robert Griffin III or a successful HC like Mike Shanahan.

By the start 2023 it is very likely the team will be in new ownership, so in some ways that can equal short-term instability.

On the field, however, this is a roster that has a lot of talent at both the WR positions and potentially the running backs too. Second-year QB, Sam Howell will not reach Patrick Mahomes heights (who might end up as the greatest to play the position!) but he has obvious arm talent and the ability to work outside the pocket and extend plays both on the ground and through the air.

Bieniemy, it is said, comes with a cautionary tale of being aggressive in getting the maximum out of his group.

In Washington, this, I believe, will be more of a positive than a negative.

There is little argument that the Commanders roster is talented. But now is the opportunity to go that extra yard; and, whilst there are no guys on this roster who fall into the ‘lazy’ category, there are a few (RBs Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr jump out, along with WR Curtis Samuel and on the other side of the ball DE Chase Young given it is an Assistant HC role) who I feel would benefit from Bieniemy and his desire to extract every last atom of effort from athletic ability.

Eric Bieniemy is now half-step from a HC role in the NFL and if he does provide some obvious mojo for the Washington offense in 2023 there is a decent chance that even new owners will appoint him into the main role in 2024 and beyond.

And last, but not least, it is the view from James Lowe.

I have reservations about this hire.

While Bieniemy's success as the offensive coordinator of the Kansas City Chiefs is undeniable, I question his fit within the leadership of Ron Rivera in Washington. One of my main concerns is the offensive philosophical fit.

Rivera has emphasized the importance of a balanced offensive attack that can both run and pass effectively, with an emphasis on controlling the clock and wearing down opposing defenses.

However, Bieniemy's offense relies heavily on quick, accurate passes and misdirection to create opportunities for his receivers and is more up-tempo.

Additionally, Washington's recent passing game has relied more on play-action passes and deep shots down the field.

Another concern is Bieniemy's inexperience as a play-caller.

While he has been highly successful as an offensive coordinator with the Chiefs, he has not been the primary play-caller for the team, as that responsibility falls on head coach Andy Reid. It remains to be seen whether he would be able to handle the full range of duties that come with being a play-caller.

Finally, there are questions about Bieniemy's role in Kansas City's success. While he has certainly played a key role in the success of the Chiefs' offense over the past several seasons, it's unclear exactly how much credit he deserves for the team's accomplishments.

It's possible that his role in the offense is more limited than some people realize, and without the same level of support from the coaching staff and without a talented quarterback like Patrick Mahomes, it could be difficult for Bieniemy to replicate his success in Washington.

Additionally, I am confused about why Bieniemy chose to come to Washington in a lame-duck coaching year with ownership issues up in the air. The team does have some exciting offensive weapons, but without a proven quality quarterback or offensive line, it's hard to imagine a smooth transition to Bieniemy's offensive system.

In conclusion, while I hope Bieniemy will be successful in Washington, I have my doubts about his fit with Rivera's offensive philosophy, his experience as a play-caller, and his ability to replicate his success without the same level of support and talent.

Ultimately, only time will tell whether he would be a good fit for the Commanders