ASHBURN — Conventional wisdom says football teams that are behind on the scoreboard need to throw the ball to get back in the game. But for the Washington Commanders, the key to Sunday’s 20-16 comeback win over the Arizona Cardinals was kickstarting the running attack.
The Commanders were only down one score for most of the third quarter, so leaning into their rushing attack wasn’t wildly unconventional. But the decision to rely on the legs of their backs — and the legs of quarterback Sam Howell, instead of the second-year quarterback’s arm — says something about how much work remains ahead for offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.
In the fourth quarter, the Commanders had 14 runs to just two throws. That was a radical change from the first three quarters when Washington had a staggering 39 passes to 16 runs. The abrupt pivot made sense, considering how ugly the first three quarters had been. Howell was sacked six times and the offense had three turnovers.
“In talking to EB about it, he felt there was an opportunity to grind it out,” coach Ron Rivera said Monday, referring to Bieniemy, “and really prop (up) the offensive lineman and give them a chance to fire off and see what happens. It was one of those things where, if you can move the ball successfully in those situations and control the clock, you increase your opportunities to win.”
Bieniemy’s adjustment could be important moving forward. Howell only has two career starts and is learning on the job behind a remade offensive line. A strong, reliable running game could take some pressure off both.
For that to happen, Washington will have to run the ball more effectively than it did against Arizona.
Part of the reason Washington recaptured the lead was an opportunistic defense jumping on Arizona’s fumbles and giving the offense a short field. It’s easier to rely on a running game when starting a drive in the opposing team’s territory.
For the game, Washington’s running backs accounted for just 75 yards on 25 carries. Three yards per attempt doesn’t win a lot of games.
Nor does turning the ball over, as Antonio Gibson did early — again. Gibson led all NFL running backs in 2021 with six fumbles, and he lost the ball Sunday at Arizona’s 16-yard line. Rivera said Gibson’s fumble was “disappointing,” adding the running back needed to keep the ball “high and tight” just as he did last year. Gibson, who didn’t receive a carry the rest of the game, only had one fumble in 2022.
“I’ve been there before so I knew not to let it get me down,” Gibson said.
Washington’s lone rushing touchdown came on a 6-yard scramble from Howell. The 22-year-old’s mobility has also proved to be an asset for Washington’s offense, particularly when the quarterback comes under duress.
But there’s a balance between Howell taking off with his legs, firing the ball out quickly and staying patient to let the play develop. Rivera acknowledged that, at times, Howell struggled in those areas. The coach said there was “a combination of things” that contributed to Howell’s six sacks, blaming both the quarterback and the offensive line.
According to Pro Football Focus, Howell was pressured on 13 of 40 dropbacks. His worst sequence came when he fumbled after being crunched on a hit from outside linebacker Dennis Gardeck — leading the Cardinals to recover the ball in the end zone for a touchdown.
“One of the things he’s going to learn is you can’t leave yourself exposed like he did,” Rivera said. “Hopefully, he’ll learn that quickly.”
“I’ve got to make sure I protect the football,” Howell said.
For Bieniemy, the shift to the run seemed to come midway through the third after two drives derailed by sacks and penalties resulted in punts.
“We just can’t go out and get holding penalties,” Rivera said. “We can’t do things to put ourselves in bad situations.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story misreported the number of Commanders’ running plays in the fourth quarter.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.