Commanders admit mistake moving away from Robinson vs. Giants originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
ASHBURN, Va. — A large reason for the Washington Commanders’ midseason turnaround had to do with a change in offensive identity. Following Carson Wentz’s injury, the Commanders shifted to a run-first operation with Taylor Heinicke under center, focusing on controlling the time of possession and playing a physical brand of football.
That philosophical change helped the Commanders go from a 1-4 record to competing for an NFC Wild Card spot. Washington, sitting at 7-6-1, currently holds the seventh and final playoff position in the NFC with three weeks to play.
However, the Commanders’ postseason hopes would look a lot more optimistic had they defeated the New York Giants (8-5-1) this past Sunday night. With a win, the franchise’s playoff chances would have reached 91%, according to FiveThirtyEight. Now, those odds sit at 35%.
While a pair of questionable officiating decisions were a hot topic of conversation following Sunday’s game, another major reason the Commanders left FedEx Field on the losing end was due to some of the offensive playcalling in the second half. Scott Turner moved away from the rushing attack over the final 30 minutes, as Brian Robinson Jr. touched the football just four times after the break after having nine touches in the first half.
After having a couple of days to digest the film of Sunday’s game, Turner admitted to reporters on Wednesday that he wished he called a few more plays for his rookie running back.
“He was doing really well,” Turner said on Robinson’s performance. “Twelve carries, you say ‘man, we really should’ve given him the ball more than that.’ … Because of Brian and how he was running, looking back it, you would’ve liked it for him to touch it more.”
In an essentially must-win game, it was odd to see the Commanders move away from Robinson after his recent success. During Washington’s past four games prior to Sunday, Robinson had averaged 20 carries and 86 rushing yards per outing. It was no coincidence the Commanders went 3-0-1 during that stretch.
On Monday, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera offered similar comments as his offensive coordinator, emphasizing the need to continue to run the football throughout the game.
“We have to not be in situations where you feel you have to throw the ball,” Rivera said. “Keeping the option of being able to run, it opens up so much more. More of your playbook is available to you.
“In several games, we’ve been slightly behind and throwing the ball is one of our better [options] because of the playmakers that we have as wide receivers,” he continued. “You’ve got Terry [McLaurin] and Jahan [Dotson] now — who really looks like he’s back into form — and Curtis [Samuel]. We’ve got to spread the ball to them, but at the same time, we want to keep ourselves in a position where you can run it if you want to.”
The Commanders’ offense struggled to put up points in the first half, but Robinson was effective every time he touched the football. The former Alabama star had eight carries for 54 yards in the first half (6.8 yards-per-carry) to go along with an 18-yard reception. Robinson’s touches were by far the most effective offensive plays early on. Heinicke had just 55 passing yards total at halftime.
Trailing 14-3 entering the third quarter, Turner opted to go with a pass-heavy approach. Initially, it worked. The Commanders scored on their first drive of the second half, moving the football 91 yards in just six plays. The lone rush attempt of the series came on a reverse to receiver Dyami Brown, who scampered up the left sideline for 15 yards.
Washington’s next offensive possession opened with a seven-yard Robinson rush, but Turner immediately went back to the aerial attack after that. A flea-flicker play intended for Brown fell incomplete and on third down Washington opted to rush Samuel instead of Robinson. Samuel picked up just two yards on the play and the Commanders were forced to punt.
On the next series, Washington opened up with a pair of Robinson runs before moving away from the rookie again entirely. The Commanders were forced to kick a field goal four plays later.
When discussing Robinson’s usage against the Giants, Turner pointed out that Washington’s drives consisted of a lot fewer plays than in games past. The Commanders were able to execute a handful of chunk plays throughout the second half, highlighted by a 61-yard Dotson catch and a 27-yard Samuel grab.
In weeks past, the Commanders’ point-producing drives largely consisted of double-digit plays and a run-heavy approach. Those long drives simply didn’t happen against New York. Turner didn’t want that to be an excuse, though.
“When you have longer drives, there are obviously more opportunities to hand it off,” Turner said. “But again, I’ve got to be aware of that and get him some carries.”
Where Robinson’s lack of usage was arguably the most notable against the Giants was in the red zone. The Commanders struggled in that area against the Giants, scoring on just one of three red zone possessions. And that lone successful red zone drive came on just one play from within that area: a 19-yard touchdown from Heinicke to Dotson.
On the other two Commanders’ red zone possessions, Robinson didn’t touch the football once (besides a one-yard carry that was nullified by a penalty).
Like any competitor, Robinson wished he touched the football more during the stretch of Sunday’s loss to the Giants. The rookie admitted “sometimes it can get frustrating” when his number isn’t called despite him running the football effectively. Yet, he understands the Commanders have several other talented players on offense that have earned touches, too.
“Just being a team player, you also want to see everybody else get their opportunities, too,” Robinson said. “I play with a lot of great players. I expect those guys to get just as many opportunities. I think sometimes it can come off as a little selfish — even when you’re having success. It can come off as a little selfish or you don’t respect the guys around you. They deserve the ball just as much as you.”
Robinson took the team-first approach with his answer, but his recent play should earn him more red zone touches. His physical rushing style is ideal for running the football in that area. It’s hard to believe, but Robinson has just one red zone carry the entire season.
“We got to make sure we’re doing what’s best for our guys as far as getting people open,” Turner said about the team’s red zone offense. “… There [were] some opportunities there where B-Rob could have got some shots there.”
This week, the Commanders face a difficult test against the San Francisco 49ers, winners of seven straight. The 49ers’ possess one of the best run defenses in the NFL, too, which is a matchup nightmare for a team like Washington that wants to establish the run.
But if the Commanders are going to pull off another upset this year, they’ll need to return to the style of football that turned their season around in the first place.
“When we were on that winning streak there, we were running the ball well,” Heinicke said. “Lots of play-action and third down conversions that we needed and we were scoring in the red zone. The defense kept playing and doing their thing. If we can keep doing that I feel very comfortable with this offense.”
