Washington has never finished a season above .500 during his tenure, the offense never ranked better than 23rd in scoring under his old offensive coordinator Scott Turner and — in a problem that predates the Rivera era — the Commanders have had a different Week 1 starter at quarterback every year since 2017.
When 2022 fifth-rounder Sam Howell likely takes the first snap of Washington’s first game this season, he’ll be the seventh straight new QB1 to kick off a campaign. He’ll play a massive role in Bieniemy’s revival efforts after attempting just 19 passes last year, as will Dotson.
The former Penn State wide receiver battled injuries to appear in 12 games his rookie season, but he flashed potential with 35 catches for 524 yards and seven scores.
Now in his second year, already feeling the impacts of Bieniemy’s arrival, he has the potential to form a terrific duo with Pro Bowl WR Terry McLaurin to give their young QB a cornucopia of much-needed open looks.
Bieniemy, a former running back himself, also has the complementary pair of Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson at his disposal in the running game.
The pieces are there in Washington. Bieniemy is already imparting a valuable approach learned from his time contributing to a Super Bowl-winning culture with the Chiefs.
If he can shed the shadows of Reid and Mahomes to gain his rightful recognition by turning that foundation into results, the Commanders should have a chance in an NFC East that boasted three postseason teams a season ago.