David Blough’s first real test as Washington’s play caller ended with a decision that left the Commanders’ biggest weapons standing on the sideline of the moment.
With the game on the line from the 2-yard line, Blough went with a shovel pass to John Bates. Philadelphia sniffed it out, swallowed it up, and that was that.
Seriously?
Bates has a place in this offense. He’s a useful blocker, and Washington clearly trusts him. But when the Commanders need one snap to keep a game alive, the ball should not be headed to Bates before it ever reaches Terry McLaurin, Stefon Diggs, Chig Okonkwo, or Daniels.
Washington has McLaurin. It added Diggs.
The Commanders also handed Okonkwo a three-year, $27 million contract. And then there’s Daniels, the player who gives this offense its most dangerous edge.
Blough chose a call that left him with one answer. Philadelphia didn’t bite, and the drive died there.
The matchup made the mistake even starker. This was Week 1 of Blough’s first season calling plays in the NFL, and across from him was Vic Fangio, a 40-year coaching veteran who has spent nearly half a lifetime building NFL defenses. For a first-time play caller, that’s about as unforgiving a debut exam as it gets.
That’s why the ending stings. A shovel pass is supposed to work because the defense is leaning the wrong way. Fangio’s group stayed home, and once the Eagles blew it up, there was no backup plan.
Sometimes the simplest answer is the right one. Put the ball in Daniels’ hands and make Fangio’s defense account for McLaurin, Diggs and Okonkwo for one more play.
Blough spent the offseason talking about an offense that would feature McLaurin and create explosive chances for Washington’s best players. But when his biggest moment arrived, McLaurin was just part of the scenery.
So were Diggs and Okonkwo. Daniels, Washington’s most dangerous player, wasn’t really asked to decide anything.
There’s nothing wrong with creativity when it gives you an edge. Sometimes a defender just wins. But creativity and outsmarting yourself are not the same thing.
Washington built this offense with enough talent that Blough shouldn’t have needed to reach for a surprise when everybody in the building knew the ball had to go two yards. Make Philadelphia defend the weapons. Make Fangio pick his poison.
Instead, with everything hanging on one snap, Blough settled on John Bates.
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