ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Chiefs fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner on Tuesday after one other disappointing season offensively.
Turner, who signed a three-year extension out final season, has been with coach Ron Rivera for seven years, together with the final three years in Washington. He coached underneath Rivera for components of 4 seasons with the Carolina Panthers as effectively.
The Leaders completed the third straight season with poor offensive scores. They had been twentieth in whole yards and twenty sixth in factors. Their finest rankings in Turner’s three seasons had been 23 in factors and 21 in yards—each of which occurred final season.
“Sadly, we didn’t reside as much as the expectations and requirements that I anticipated to see from our offensive unit,” Rivera mentioned in a press release. “I felt it finest to make a recent begin as coordinator subsequent 12 months. I’ve an unlimited quantity of respect for Scott and thanked him for his three years of service to our group.”
Close to the top, gamers and others within the group grumbled in regards to the inconsistency of Washington’s offensive philosophy. There seems to be a niche between Rivera’s imaginative and prescient of what he desires offensively – led by the working sport – and Turner’s vertical passing assault. Throughout the season’s closing press convention, each Rivera and common supervisor Martin Mayhew emphasised the will to be extra of a bodily working crew.
“We have to management the tempo of the sport,” Rivera mentioned.
Washington’s offense did not assist that she misplaced her beginning working again Brian Robinson Jr Within the first 4 video games of the season after being injured twice on his proper leg in late August. The captains needed to function him in a power-based working sport. As soon as he misplaced it, they targeted extra on attempting to get the ball to their receivers – Terry McLaurinAnd Jahan Dotson And Curtis Samuel – With highly effective weapons Carson Wentz. After scoring 55 factors within the first two video games, they scored a complete of 47 factors within the subsequent 4.
Some gamers complained that in some video games it took too lengthy to get the ball to key playmakers reminiscent of McLaurin. Or, as some avid gamers have mentioned, they’ll stray from the components that used to work within the video games. Others mentioned they preferred the offense however needed to see adjustments in the best way it was taught. It was additionally thought of a troublesome offense for quarterbacks to study, maybe with not having a lot flexibility for them on the line of scrimmage.
There was concern all year long in regards to the crime pattern. One supply mentioned Rivera has been concerned in additional offensive conferences this season to get a greater understanding of what was occurring. One individual whose crew has performed for Washington this season mentioned the Captains lacked an offensive identification and easily known as a bunch of performs, which led to some predictability.
Complicating issues: Washington’s offensive line struggled, and it lacked stability within the center. Previously three years, eight gamers have began at quarterback, together with three this season — Wentz, Taylor Hynek and upward Sam Howell. Washington will look to bolster its streak this low season, presumably with at the least two new starters.
Rivera additionally spoke to the gamers throughout exit conferences, with some saying they gave him their ideas on the offense.
Rivera mentioned, “I bear in mind every thing I get, not solely from the gamers however from the coaches themselves, from what I take a look at, what I discover on the sector, on tape.”
Washington will interview outdoors candidates, however the leaders just like the offensive system they’ve. One of many inner favorites can be quarterbacks coach Ken Zambezi, who was the 2016-17 coordinator with Cincinnati earlier than being fired after two video games into his sophomore season.
Turner served because the quarterbacks coach for Rivera’s final two seasons at Carolina State. He served as interim offensive coordinator for the ultimate 4 video games of the 2019 season earlier than becoming a member of Rivera’s employees in Washington for 2020.
“We have had some moments the place it was good. Clearly, some moments when it was dangerous,” Turner mentioned final week. “For essentially the most half I really feel like I’ve carried out a fairly respectable job. There are occasions the place I’ve positively gone too far in a method or one other.”
Rivera fired his line of defense coach, Sam Mills III, in August. The streak had its finest collegiate season in 2022.