Ashburn, VA – Loud and clear, the sound can be heard from 30, 40, up to 50 yards away. maybe more. And when offensive coordinator Eric Bienemy speaks, the Washington leaders listen.
He was always loud and always demanding.
After 10 years with the Kansas City Chiefs, he may be a little louder, or more demanding.
“I’m excited and excited. It gave me a whole new look,” said Benemi.
So when Jahan Dotson, the leaders’ first round in 2022, didn’t run fast enough on a road during an individual practice run, Benemi yelled, “That’s not a half-ass workout; run it again!” Larger.
When starting quarterback Sam Howell was expected to shoot on the second play in full team action, Beniemi ordered the first set off the field.
“Give me the duet! We’ll do it right!” Benemi shouted.
It went like this all spring: Washington players got used to Beniemi’s style. But they also know that offense can use a good kick in the ass.
“He’s going to make more power,” said Washington receiver Terry McLaurin. “We know what is expected of us every time we are on the field.”
Training camp is still a month away, but in the four months since Washington hired Benemy as offensive coordinator/assistant head coach, the Chiefs have already felt his impact. It extends beyond screaming, which could easily have been heard or felt by anyone attending the rehearsal. It is felt in the way they planned the practices, how focused he is on the details, it’s the energy he brings. Even the defensive players took notice.
“You couldn’t help but notice,” said Washington defensive lineman Jonathan Allen. “I love this style of training.”
Washington hired Benemi to build an offense that could help the Chiefs secure a playoff spot after Scott Turner was fired.
They haven’t had an offense finish in the top 10 in points or yards since 2016, when they were third in total yards. In the past five seasons, Washington’s best finish in either category was last season when it was 20 in total yards. It ranks 28th cumulative in points and 31st in yards.
In fact, Washington has only had three seasons since 2000 where it has finished in the top 10 in one of those categories—and only once (2012) when it has been in the top 10 in both categories. Not coincidentally, the organization hasn’t won a playoff since 2005.
And yes, it’s also a chance for Benemi to finally prove he’s worthy of being a head coach. For the past 10 years, he has served as an assistant to Andy Reed in Kansas City; Beniemi has been the offensive coordinator for the past five seasons. interviewed for a head coaching job 15 times; Received 15 rejections.
“A big part of it is because of Andy’s shadow,” Washington coach Ron Rivera said. “I think it’s unfair.”
In his inaugural press conference in February, Beniemi had what he said about not being a head coach yet: “It hasn’t happened. Nothing will affect me going forward. All that stuff about being the head coach, we can talk about that next year sometime.” I am focused on the job I am doing.”
So he is not talking about it now. But he said this “handy job” has energized him.
“When you’ve been somewhere for 10 years, you have a tendency to take certain things for granted,” said Benemi. “It helped me get back in shape and define my all and get past every T.”
He brought ideas to Washington about how he wanted to maximize his crime practices. He came up with a new crime. Rivera has been favoring one system since becoming head coach in 2011 with Carolina. But Rivera also changed up some of her routines this spring to accommodate Bieniemy. He liked that Benemi always had a plan – or a reason for wanting to do something a certain way.
Because it was a new offense, with the young quarterback in Howell, Bieniemy wanted to do a install, then have meetings and then practice. In the past, they would train and then hold meetings – as other coaches had done in previous years.
Also, the Leaders have worked almost exclusively their passing game this spring in full team work, with rare running play. He gave more reps to the young quarterback in Howell, giving coaches more opportunity to see how he handles different situations.
Of welcoming Bienemy’s new approach, Rivera said, “Having been in the same system for 12 years, change is always a good thing, and it’s been really refreshing.”
However, Bienemy’s commitment to detail overshadowed any changes to the practice regime. It doesn’t matter if it’s a rookie player like Dotson or someone who might not be on the list; If they do not run the play properly, they will be disciplined. Bieniemy got receiver Kyric McGowan through a one-track deep one drill. He made him run it again. McGowan played 10 snaps on offense last season. Back up is the backup center in the upward minicamp.
“He’s just trying to push you,” Washington right guard Sam Cosme said. “He’s been a part of Super Bowl teams and you can’t get that way without putting in a lot of effort and holding people accountable.”
It could be about the depths of the road; It may also relate to speed in and out of a huddle or to run – rather than run – away from the court.
“The things you might not think are big but they are big, and when a game is on the line, you want it to be perfect,” said Washington running back Antonio Gibson.
During a practice, Beniemi was upset that Gibson had caught a screen pass in front of the line of scrimmage during a team drill against no-defense. They turned it on again. Catch her behind the line. Later against the defense, they run the same screen and Gibson breaks up a long gain.
“The thing I always emphasize is I want us to have a sense of urgency and a sense of purpose,” said Beniemi. “Getting out of the huddle is probably the most important thing because you set the tone for defense. I always criticize that. Then I want us to carry out our jobs with more attention to detail.”
Rivera said players see the results of yelling and don’t take it personally.
“They understand that he’s not yelling at me just to yell at me and try to set an example or show everyone that he’s stronger or smarter than me,” Rivera said. “It’s because this is how he emphasizes things. This is his way of making something clear, saying this is very important. We need to pay attention to this. We need to understand that this is how we need to do these things.”
But there is the other part of that tough nature. For example, Dotson tests it when Benemi stops him after a meeting to deliver another message.
“He was like, ‘You have so much potential, and I’m going to make sure I get it out of you,’” Dotson said. “That’s what you want in a person. That’s kind of how my dad was at a very young age; He saw the potential in me and made sure that I worked to get to where I wanted to be in life. You have to cherish people like that in your life, so I’m so grateful to be his moderator.”
Benemi also understands the young midfielder’s growth process. During one play in 7-on-7 practices at a junior camp, Howell was late to his high school reading. Even though he completed the pass, Howell knew what he had done wrong.
After the play, he turned to Benemi and told him, “You’re late.” Benemi did not punish him. Instead, he replied: “It’s okay, I’ve read. This is the reading we want.”
But Beniemi also called himself when he fouled, once pointing out on the sidelines how he sent the wrong play.
“He’s trying to set the bar pretty high,” Howell said. “This is what we want. We are completely convinced of what he is trying to do.”