Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Scott Turner has been widely criticized by fans throughout his tenure. Criticism of Turner appears not to be exclusive to fans.
According to a report by The Washington Post, multiple Commanders players are frustrated with the team’s offense. The Commanders’ tight end Logan Thomas spoke on the record about his issues with the play-calling.
“The way I put it is: We got so much talent, we should be scoring more points than we have [been],” Thomas said, per Sam Fortier.
Entering the season, the Commanders had hopes for its offense. The team acquired quarterback Carson Wentz in a trade. Then, Washington drafted wide receiver Jahan Dotson in the first round and running back Brian Robinson Jr. in the third.
Thomas started the season Week 1 despite coming off a torn ACL suffered last season. The boosts continued with wide receiver Curtis Samuel back from a core muscle injury. All of that paired with Washington’s stud offensive weapons, wide receiver Terry McLaurin and running back Antonio Gibson.
Yet, those hopes vanished shortly after an impressive Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Washington’s offense stumbled through the season. Entering the final week of the regular season, the Commanders averaged 18.4 points per game, 25th out of 32 teams.
Converting a mere 36.1% of third downs and 53.7% of red zone opportunities played a factor in the lack of scoring. Injuries and poor quarterback play also had a hand.
Robinson missed four games to start the season after being shot during an attempted armed robbery. Dotson missed five games with a lingering hamstring injury. Wentz broke his finger and missed nine games.
Still, the Commanders’ offense should have been more explosive, and fingers point at Turner for blame.
Thomas may be the only one to go on record, but he isn’t the only Commanders player upset.
“Nine other Commanders, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid about a coach, expressed frustration with the play-calling,” The Post highlighted.
Players stressed Turner’s predictability and abandonment of the game plan during last week’s loss to the Cleveland Browns. They described Turner as “outsmarting” himself. They also felt the Browns anticipated Washington’s plays.
The loss to the Browns led to the Commanders being eliminated from playoff contention. In that game, Washington’s head coach Ron Rivera elected to start Wentz over Taylor Heinicke at quarterback. Heinicke started nine games with Wentz out. While Heinicke didn’t put up astronomical numbers, he steered the ship.
Interestingly enough, Browns linebacker Reggie Ragland spoke of how predictable was Washington’s offense. Ragland also compared how different the Commanders’ offense looked with Wentz compared to Heinicke.
Scott Turner was asked about his job security in Washington. Turner deflected the possibility that Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys could be his last as the Commanders’ offensive coordinator.
“I’m focused on the Cowboys,” Turner answered, “Whatever happens after this week you go with it after that. But to me, I’m prepared to coach this game and then get this team ready to go be successful down the road.”
The Commanders are one game away from entering another offseason of uncertainty. Three years of Rivera and his coaching staff have been underwhelming. The team is no closer to solving the quarterback position than when Rivera got hired in 2020.
However, the deficiencies of the offense may be a result of Turner. With the recent development of players growing tired, Rivera may have to make a change going into his fourth year as Commanders head coach.
