‘Not afraid to take risk’: Eric Bieniemy’s play-calling standing out at quarter mark of season

ASHBURN — After his first game of calling plays for the Washington Commanders, Eric Bieniemy smiled and laughed when asked how the experience went. The offensive coordinator said it was fun, but wanted to clarify one thing: That wasn’t his first time calling plays. 

“Obviously, I’ve been doing this for a number of years,” Bieniemy said, “and I don’t think anybody ever thought I’ve called plays, but I have called plays.” 

Bieniemy didn’t serve as Kansas City’s’ primary play-caller when he won two Super Bowls with the Chiefs, but coach Andy Reid delegated the role to him on occasions. And in his time coaching college football, Bieniemy served as Colorado’s play-caller for two seasons. 

It’s why, four games into his time with the Commanders, Bieniemy hasn’t looked like a first-time play-caller. That’s because he isn’t.

“Last week (against the Philadelphia Eagles), you could see it: EB’s play-calling, he’s rattling off one play to the next, understanding exactly what he wants and how he wants to attack,” coach Ron Rivera said. “It’s been very cool to watch.” 

At nearly the midpoint of the season, Bieniemy’s play-calling is partly why the Commanders have exceeded expectations on offense as they prepare for Thursday’s primetime showdown against the Chicago Bears. Through four games, the Commanders’ offense is averaging 20.8 points per game — and while that’s not great, it marks the team’s highest average since 2016, when Sean McVay still called plays. (The Commanders, as a team, rank 17th in points per game with 22.3.) 

The rhythm of the play-calling has helped Sam Howell settle in at quarterback. The second-year signal-caller, of course, deserves credit for his own growth, but Bieniemy is tasked with fostering that development. And strong play-calling facilitates that process. 

Take, for example, Bieniemy’s approach to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Commanders lost in overtime, but the offense performed much better than in Week 3’s 37-3 blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills. Bieniemy tried to make life easier for Howell by relying more on the run early — the team had a season-high 13 first-half runs in Philadelphia — and sent in plays that anticipated Philadelphia’s tendencies. 

On the final play of regulation, when Howell hit Jahan Dotson for a game-tying touchdown, Bieniemy called for Washington’s receivers to run curl routes to counteract the Eagles’ man-to-man coverage. Sure enough, the Eagles came out in man-to-man and Howell found the matchup he wanted in Dotson.

“We had a couple guys open on that,” tight end Logan Thomas said. “It’s just stuff where he’s comfortable and we’re comfortable.” 

There are differences between serving as a part-time play-caller and a full-time play-caller at the NFL level, of course, and Bieniemy’s limited play-calling experience often came up when the former NFL running back was passed over, despite a stellar resume, for head coaching jobs.

After Washington’s ugly loss to Buffalo, Bieniemy faced some criticism and acknowledged he had to call a better game. “We didn’t play very well, so that falls right back on my shoulders,” he said. 

Rivera, though, said the learning curve was to be expected. Players have to get used to Washington’s new offense, and Bieniemy also has to get used to the team’s personnel. Practice during OTAs and training camp only helps to a point, Rivera said. The actual games serve as an opportunity to figure things out. 

Bieniemy’s strengths as a play-caller have been apparent, even as the Commanders are learning. In Week 2’s win over the Denver Broncos, he dialed up well-disguised and creative screen calls. He’s also been effective in scripting out the team’s first 15 plays — something all coordinators do, to varying success. Against the Eagles, the Commanders scored touchdowns on back-to-back drives to open the game. 

“He’s not afraid to take risk,” Dotson said of Bieniemy. “We’ll stretch the ball down the field. He doesn’t care. First, second down, third down. Backed up. Middle of the field. He’s not afraid to take risks and that’s what you want in an offensive coordinator — trust in the guys to go make a play. That’s what he does.”