Is it a Critical Year For Scott Turner?

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May 14, 2021

by David Earl

Offseason Remake

While Scott Turner‘s play-calling and design had many criticisms and mixed views from week to week last season, the biggest issue was the lack of big plays produced. According to Sharp Football Stats, Turner’s offense ranked second to last in the NFL in explosive pass rate, but was that a product of his coaching or the lack of talent? Taking nothing away from Alex Smith‘s recovery and the absolute warrior he was to return, he didn’t exactly bring fear to opposing defenses. Aside from the emergence of rookie Antonio Gibson and production from free agent signings J.D. McKissic and Logan Thomas, Terry McLaurin was the team’s only true notable big-play weapon downfield. With Terry being the focus for defenses to shut down combined with a league-low of 5.8 yards per pass attempt, the offensive formula for success just did not exist.

We all know Ryan Fitzpatrick is not the long-term answer but he does bring a gunslinger mentality to Scott Turner’s offense. Fitzpatrick’s intended air yards per pass attempt (7.8) exceeds that of Alex Smith (5.1) by nearly 3 yards per attempt while his completed air yards (6.8) nearly doubles Alex Smiths (3.7). While Ryan is your typical journeymen quarterback, he ranked among the top 10 in total QBR the last 3 seasons, and last year was one of his best statistical years. So there is no doubt the addition of Ryan Fitzpatrick alone opens up this offense and Scott’s playbook, but who is he throwing passes to?

Terry McLaurin is a known commodity and a player Washington desperately needed to surround with upgraded talent. As a result, in comes free agent addition Curtis Samuels and rookie wide receiver Dyami Brown, both of whom add dynamic versatility to an anemic offense. Samuels brings a running back mindset to the wide receiver slot, averaging 4.9 yards per rushing attempt on 41 carries. As Samuels can make a big play at any moment in the passing game, his ability to handle the ball in the run game is not to be taken lightly. With the emergence of Thomas and McKissic last season plus the dynamic and versatility added by Samuels, Ron Rivera and this front office drafted Brown to add even more versatility. In the last 2 years, Brown has averaged 50 plus receptions each year while accumulating a gaudy 20 yards per reception and has been more than impressive on contested passes. With all that said, is this a critical year for Scott Turner?

Important Year 2 For Scott Turner

I wanted to gauge the fans on whether the addition of Fitzpatrick, Curtis Samuel, and Brown to this offense makes the 2021 season a critical year for offensive coordinator Scott Turner. Especially knowing many fans’ frustrations on Scott’s too often conservative and inconsistent play-calling last season, I was somewhat surprised by the relative patience this fan base seems to have entering this season. In years past the running theme among this fan base seemed to rush to conclusions and call for change, but that could be mostly attributed to the Bruce Allen fatigue we all experienced. Under Bruce, there was dysfunction and not a true direction for this team whereas now we see a very clear and structured direction under Ron Rivera. This, I believe, has helped steer our poll towards such a positive direction.

This fan base has been very clear about this team’s direction and has truly shown a rational view on Scott Turner and this offense. Such views like wanting to see a marked improvement and an offense producing near the top 15 in points and yards will be true marks for success this season. Plus, Turner cannot be the reason for us struggling offensively as progression is just vital. Both really are excellent points and absolutely hit the nail on the head when evaluating Scott Turner.

While entering year two with Turner the offense is starting to come together under his vision, which started last year with the drafting of Antonio Gibson. Entering week 1 of the 2021 season, the offensive roster is continuing to be molded into that vision which should allow Scott the time and patience to succeed. It’s also important to keep in mind that while the weapons are in place and the offensive line is as deep as it’s been in a long time, Turner still does not have his franchise quarterback on this roster. Yes, I agree that this season is not a make of break year for Scott Turner unless the offense regresses and is poorly schemed every week. Scott just needs to show progression, utilize his talent according to their strengths, and rely on the run game, especially during the stretch of the season where we see Fitzpatrick and not Fitzmagic. Fitzpatrick, as we know, is your true Jekyll and Hyde player, so Scott must lean on the run game during the stretches of the game in which he’s erratic.