Kliff Kingsbury’s honeymoon period with Commanders is ending in most predictable way
Just a few weeks ago, Kliff Kingsbury looked certain to get another shot as a head coach in the NFL. The work he'd done with rookie QB Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders offense was that impressive. Now though? Yeah, he can put those dreams to bed.
The thing about Kingsbury is this: He tends to start fast and finish slow.
It was that way when he was a head coach with both the Arizona Cardinals and Texas Tech Red Raiders. There was a chance he'd buck the trend as an NFL offensive coordinator for the first time, but Dan Quinn and the Commanders aren't immune from second-half Kliff.
A lot of us got swept up in the excitement of these new-look Commanders. But Cardinals fans could have warned everyone (some did). What goes up in Kingsburyland must come down.
Kliff Kingsbury's late season woes have predictably infected the Commanders
During his head coaching stint in Arizona, Kingsbury was 15-5-1 in the first seven games of each season. In the remaining games, his record was 8-18.
I don’t blame Jayden Daniels at all
— 🥋K1 TO THE FUTURE 🚀🟢 (@K1Future) November 15, 2024
It is simply 2nd half Kliff Kingsbury I fear https://t.co/BDwK4b1mZa pic.twitter.com/D3PG0Q2uLt
Even back in college, Kingsbury's Red Raiders were a significantly worse second-half team. He never won more than two of his last six outings.
This isn't some sort of bad luck plaguing Kingsbury. It's a fatal flaw in his offense. He shows too much of his hand at the beginning of the season. His offenses start hot because he throws out everything in his arsenal. They finish cold because teams adjust to what he's put on tape and he doesn't have anything new to throw at them. At least that's the theory.
It could be that the Commanders have faced better defenses recently. The Eagles are one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Steelers are always a tough outing. Despite their overall struggles, the Bears and Giants can string together a strong defensive performance too.
Fortunately for Washington, they have 10 days to rest up before they take on the Cowboys next week. Dallas has been horrendous this season and could be the perfect palate cleanser.
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