With recent reports that Eric Bieniemy and the Washington Commanders have a mutual interest, Bieniemy may finally have the chance to crawl out from Kansas City head coach Andy Reid’s shadow. It’s hard to discern how much of the offense in Kansas City actually flows through Bieniemy and how the Commanders offense would look with him at the helm.
Overshadowed by Reid and all-star quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Bieniemy’s forray into head coaching has become an annual let-down. He has interviewed or been requested to interview with 17 of the 32 teams in the NFL. One would think that with the success of the Chiefs, someone would give him a chance. But, with his checkered past and an unclear vision of what he actually does with the Chiefs, he’s been left on the outside looking in.
When things seem to be going well for Kansas City, Andy Reid tends to get the credit. When they go bad, it falls at the feet of Bieniemy. There have been players that have spoken both for and against Bieniemy and his coaching style. It seems he can be a hard-nosed coach that demands the best from his players. That intensity can rub some personalities the wrong way.
Whenever Bieniemy gets a job as an offensive coordinator or head coach, he’ll likely bring over a lot of the tenets from Reid’s offense. Andy Reid and Kansas City are based in the West Coast Offense. He loves stacked formations, hi-low concepts, quick game to get the ball into his playmakers hands, and getting creative with the run game out of shotgun. The Chiefs and their offense are so deadly because they have a counter to every adjustment. They are great at punishing teams that commit to the run and have shown patience taking what’s available when defenses play coverage.
Mahomes specifically has discussed how Bieniemy has an eye for detail and preparing his players for every situation. He might be untested as a playcaller and as the sole offensive mind, but he’s won over the locker room in Kansas City and could ignite a stagnant offense looking to compete.