‘He doesn’t want them to have a clue’: Eric Bieniemy wants to keep opposing defenses guessing

ASHBURN — There was an element of predictability when it came to the Washington Commanders and backfield substitutions last season. Brian Robinson coming in meant run. Antonio Gibson meant pass. There were exceptions, but most opposing defenses had a handle on what was coming.

Eric Bieniemy plans to change that.

“It just helps diversify your offense,” Washington’s new offensive coordinator says.

This offseason, Bieniemy has pushed Robinson to expand his game and improve his pass-catching skills. The running back has accepted the challenge, telling reporters he doesn’t want to be one-dimensional. The results have shown up in the team’s two preseason games: The second-year back has five catches for 15 yards after running 17 routes across 30 snaps.

Gibson, meanwhile, is getting more handoffs: The Commanders have split reps almost equally between Robinson and Gibson in those games. 

According to Establish The Run, Gibson took 33 snaps with starting quarterback Sam Howell in the game to Robinson’s 30. Howell played 63 snaps total.

On those plays, the Commanders focused primarily on throwing the ball — they are working with a new quarterback, after all. But when they did run it, Robinson ran the ball eight times to Gibson’s six. 

The goal is to eliminate what defenses can anticipate, even in the preseason.

“Expanding his game, that don’t do nothing but help us and also help him,” Gibson said of Robinson. “The more you can do, the more the better in this league. So it definitely surprised some of the guys to be able to get him out there and catch some balls, so you never know what he’s really going to do.”

Ironically, much of the preseason focus in recent years has been how to incorporate Gibson — a receiver turned running back — more into the passing offense. The Commanders drafted the 2020 third-rounder with high hopes that he had a skill set similar to the one that made Christian McCaffrey an NFL All-Pro.

But the Commanders haven’t been able to utilize Gibson in the passing attack as much as they discussed. He’s finished with 36, 42 and 46 receptions in each of his first three seasons. 

This season, though, could be different. Gibson could be a key in the passing game, especially with the departure of J.D. McKissic, the former third-down back who was cut this offseason. Gibson has said coaches intend to use him in that role.

Bieniemy — the former Chiefs offensive coordinator — may also plan to use Gibson as the Commanders’ version of Jerick McKinnon, his pass-catching back in Kansas City. In the preseason, Gibson has been productive, with five catches for 23 yards and a touchdown. 

The test for Bieniemy will be to rotate the backs and still stay versatile. Last year, when Gibson and Robinson were both active, 57.5% of Robinson’s snaps resulted in a carry for Robinson. Gibson, by contrast, was almost exclusively used in passing situations: Just 28.6% of his snaps resulted in a carry for Gibson. 

When both were healthy, Gibson saw a slight edge in overall snaps — taking 336 to Robinson’s 315. The Commanders offense played 753 total snaps in that span. 

“That’s pretty much what EB wants,” coach Ron Rivera said, referring to keeping defenses off guard. “He doesn’t want them to have a clue of, ‘Oh, he’s in so it’s more likely pass.’ No, he wants to have these guys come in and feature their skill sets because they both run the ball pretty well. … EB wants to keep that mix going, so there is no beat on to who’s doing what or how.” 

Of course, Bieniemy’s plan might not work if Robinson doesn’t hold up his end of the bargain. But so far, the coach seems pleased with the 2022 second-rounder’s production. 

“We’ve got to get comfortable being uncomfortable,” Bieniemy said. “Let’s go out there and show people all you can do. … We want the most complete football player to have to play at every position to be their best. It helps tremendously when you have a player and a person like that, that’s willing to do it all.”