Unless you’re really in the weeds of the Washington Commanders coaching staff, David Blough might have been a slight surprise as the choice for offensive coordinator following the removal of Kliff Kingsbury. The Commanders announced the promotion of their former assistant quarterbacks coach just three days after the role became available. While Blough might be somewhat of an unknown now, don’t expect that to be the case for long, as one of the best young head coaches in the NFC made his feelings very clear on the Commanders new hire.
Blough played four seasons of quarterback in the NFL before making the transition to coach. In his time playing, his last destination was with the Arizona Cardinals, but the three years prior were spent in Detroit with former offensive coordinator and now head coach of the Chicago Bears, Ben Johnson.
Ben Johnson Praises David Blough Hire
Johnson shared his impression of Blough in his press conference earlier this week.
“He’s really smart, has a natural way of connecting with everybody, coaches and players alike,” Johnson said. They found tremendous value in him as well. I think he’ll do an outstanding job in that role. I think he’s really smart. Having played quarterback. He’s got that inward feel of how to help elevate that position, you know, and I think he’ll be able to do that in a play-calling role going forward. So I think he’ll be, he’ll be one of those young guys that gets a head job before you know it.”
Beyond just the high praise, Johnson’s belief went beyond just words when he attempted to hire him last offseason.
The Commanders seem to have shared Johnson’s sentiment, given the speed at which Blough has risen through the coaching ranks.
David Blough Was the Perfect Choice For the Commanders
Many were shocked when the Commanders moved off of Kliff Kingsbury, given the success he had with Jayden Daniels in his inaugural year. Following an injury-riddled sophomore season, many believed that head coach Dan Quinn and his staff would look to continue to build on the system that led to Daniels winning rookie of the year and the Commanders going to the NFC championship game. When it was reported that Quinn and general manager Adam Peters’ decision to move on from Kingsbury came down to fundamental differences about how to handle the development of their young signal caller, it raised the question: What direction will the offense move in now?
However, with the subsequent hiring of Blough, Washington’s answer is clearer. Blough’s familiarity with Daniels will allow him to retain the comfort level he had with the previous system and challenge him in new ways that help the offense evolve.
Beyond his time around Ben Johnson and Kliff Kingsbury, Blough also spent time around Derrell Bevell when he was the offensive coordinator for the Lions in 2019, and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell when he was on Minnesota’s practice squad in 2022.
Blough’s experience learning from and working with all of these offensive minds and their schemes may have molded him into one of the next great young playcallers. Given Dann Quinn’s time with a young Kyle Shanahan in Atlanta, it appears as though he may have just found his next offensive prodigy.
Blough’s previous experiences would lead you to believe that his offense will have a strong emphasis on the running game and playaction. Pro Football Focus had Washington graded as the fourth-best passing offense and sixth-best running offense in 2024, and Blough will strive to get the Commanders back to that level of efficiency.
David Harrison of Sports Illustrated released a piece detailing how Blough could emulate Detroit’s offense under Ben Johnson in Washington. More specifically, he compared how wide receiver Luke McCaffrey could become the Commanders’ version of Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Harrison referenced the parallels between the two wide receivers’ play style, stating that McCaffrey could start, “Becoming a chain mover and a quick game threat opens the door for defenders to get overly aggressive, which then presents opportunities for misdirection that result in bigger plays and room for YAC.”
There is a lot of work to be done, but also a lot of optimism for what Blough could bring to the table, and if Washington’s risk in hiring pays off, then Johnson’s prediction may be correct, as Blough won’t be just a coordinator for very long.
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