How the Commanders Fixed Their Biggest Offensive Weakness

The Washington Commanders’ investment in two premier tackles was about more than just quarterback protection—it was about restoring the hard-nosed identity that defined the franchise during its championship era.

While Jayden Daniels should expect to have more time to throw the football, the new running lanes that will become available to Brian Robinson Jr. and the running back committee are arguably the biggest source of improvement. 

Slotting Laremy Tunsil and Josh Conerly Jr. onto the offensive line gives the Commanders extreme athleticism at both ends. Conerly Jr. had the fastest 10-yard split of all offensive linemen at the 2025 NFL Combine, and Tunsil, at 6-foot-5, 315-pounds, is among the most mobile tackles in the world.

Tackle upgrades were needed in D.C. Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, whether because of his personnel or preference, did not have the confidence to attack the edges in 2024, as seen by Robinson Jr.’s rushing log.

The 26-year-old registered 222 carries, 87 (39.2 percent) of them coming through the A gaps, per Pro Football Focus. That included a near-even split of 44 carries through the left and 43 through the right A gap, both higher than any other single gap.

Robinson Jr. on those carries averaged just 3.7 yards per carry and 2.8 yards after contact per carry. 

On carries directly involving the tackles, whether that be through the B or C gaps, Robinson Jr. averaged 3.7 yards per carry and 2.7 yards after contact per carry – nearly identical to his A gap runs. His most successful runs were through the right D gap (6.3 yards per carry) and left D gap (5.3 yards per carry).

The purpose of pounding the rock through the A gaps is largely to open up chunk plays on the perimeter. The Commanders, for the most part, did not succeed in doing so.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that the running game will improve noticeably with the arrival of the new tackles. Conerly Jr.’s elite speed should allow him to get to the perimeter and the second level a step quicker than Andrew Wylie, who was 68th in PFF’s run-blocking success metric. In turn, that should allow Robinson Jr. to find more success on the outside without needing to get around the tight end.

Tunsil, who will replace rising sophomore Brandon Coleman (49th in run-blocking success), made his impact on the ground game felt during his most recent seasons with the Houston Texans. Running back Joe Mixon found his most success running through the left C gap (7.0 yards per carry) and left B gap (6.1 yards per carry) during a 2024 campaign in which he averaged 4.2 yards per carry.

A similar trend occurred the year before when Devin Singletary averaged 4.6 yards per carry through the left B and C gaps compared to 4.1 yards per carry overall.

Run support will be crucial to the Commanders’ future success. Daniels led them with 1,026 rushing yards across the regular season and playoffs, though a quarterback-led running game is often unsustainable for the long term.

Head Coach Dan Quinn has also preached the importance of guaranteed plays, stating that his team has an increased chance of winning if it gets to 55 combined carries and completions per game.

The relationship between volume and team success could be seen in Robinson Jr.’s usage. Excluding Week 18, he averaged 13.4 carries and 69.6 yards per game in wins compared to 11 carries and 38 yards per game in losses.

Daniels, for comparison, averaged 10.3 carries and 59.3 yards per game in wins versus 7.5 carries and 42.5 yards per game in losses.

Much of the excitement around the arrival of Tunsil and Conerly Jr. has revolved around their impact on the passing game – understandably so. Tunsil was PFF’s fourth highest-ranked pass-blocking offensive tackle in 2024, and Conerly Jr. only allowed two sacks in 1,063 pass-blocking reps as the full-time starter at Oregon. 

However, the data shows that their influence could be felt the most on the ground. Providing Daniels with a top-10 running game would also play a crucial role in opening up the passing attack. 

Cover 2 has a natural weakness against deep middle-of-the-field routes because the two safeties have to worry about covering an entire half of the field. 

Forcing opposing linebackers to honor the run before dropping 10-15 yards into coverage would open up deep middle-field passing lanes even more, giving Daniels more cushion to nail throws on which he struggled last year (3/12, 111 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on 20+ yard attempts).

Keeping teams out of Cover 3, which is strong against the pass but weak against the run, would ensure that fewer players are added to the secondary. It would also force the post safety to make a quick determination between dropping down for run support or guarding the middle-field pass, and a wrong decision could have catastrophic consequences.

Additionally, Conerly Jr. and Tunsil have the flexibility to adapt to zone and gap scheme running concepts. Both have the speed to travel laterally in zone schemes, and although Conerly Jr.’s play strength is a question, the 21-year-old has the frame to quickly develop into a capable gap scheme blocker. Tunsil has already proven his strength and ability to handle these concepts.

The Commanders also did not strongly favor zone or gap during 2024, calling a 54/46 split on Robinson Jr.’s carries.

It’s unclear how the team plans to divide the responsibilities within the running back committee, which includes Robinson Jr., rookie Jacroy Croskey-Merritt, Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols, and Chris Rodriguez. 

However the responsibilities work themselves out, the presence of Tunsil and Conerly Jr. will make the Commanders capable of attacking every gap on the field. That diversity, combined with an elite quarterback who almost led his team to the Super Bowl as a rookie, makes this one of the scariest offenses in the league.

The question isn’t whether the Commanders will improve in 2025—it’s whether that improvement will take them back to the championship stage that has eluded them for the last 33 years.