David Blough saw some things he really liked and some he disliked from his offense last Sunday.
The Washington Commanders offensive coordinator really liked having his starting quarterback return from injury. Jayden Daniels returned and was having to adjust to a more restrictive brace on his left elbow. The brace does not permit Daniels to extend the arm on handoffs, for example. But there were no fumbles or bobbles in handoff exchanges.
"I thought there were some moments where he was really spectacular,” Blough said. “When he pulled the ball down to run and some big-time throws when we needed him most. Like all throughout the second half, he was playing at a really high level. So we are looking forward to building on what he showed and continue
to ask him to do things that he does really well."
Daniels completed 17 of 25 attempts for 199 yards, 7.96 yards per attempt, a good, solid, efficient passing day. Daniels also led the Commanders with 103 rushing yards on nine carries, for 11.4 yards per carry. This included two touchdown runs of 38 and 26 yards, respectively. No wonder Blough was excited to see him return to the lineup.
One point of frustration for Blough is the Commanders’ number of pre-snap penalties. Blough was asked about the pre-snap penalties in last week’s 27-27 tie with the New York Giants.
“Sure, it really cost us in the second quarter. There’s a string of about five plays with a couple of pre-snap penalties mixed in... It took us backward in the red zone. We’re continuing to hone in on that process just as much as anything else. So, we’re going to coach it hard, take accountability for it. That’s something that has to be cleaned up for us to be an efficient, successful offense.”
Blough was referring to a second-quarter possession when Washington led 6-3 and had a second-and-goal from the Giants’ 9-yard line. Tight end John Bates then committed a false start, pushing Washington back to the 14-yard line. If that wasn’t enough, running back Rachaad White committed a false start as well. Now Washington faced second-and-goal from the 19-yard line. The Commanders settled for a Drew Stevens field goal for a 9-3 lead. Two pre-snap penalties kept the Commanders from taking a 13-3 lead early in the second quarter.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders OC David Blough explains what frustrated him in Week 5
