Commanders Daily: The Rams Have More Than Film on Jayden Daniels

While Sean McVay always brings back memories of "the one that got away" every time he visits as an opposing head coach, he's not the focus of former coaches coming to town this week. McVay has two former Commanders coaches on his staff who were with quarterback Jayden Daniels in 2024-2025: Kliff Kingsbury and Brian Johnson. Kingsbury served as the team's offensive coordinator, while Johnson was the assistant head coach/pass game coordinator. Washington's current OC, David Blough, worked under them as the Commanders' assistant quarterbacks coach before being promoted this past offseason.

When asked if Kingsbury and Johnson could share their knowledge of Washington’s personnel with the Rams’ defense, Blough's response was direct: "I think so. I think everybody in every role shares information. And yeah, they certainly know our guys. We know what they know about our guys, and we kind of go from there."

There's no getting around the fact that the Rams will come equipped with information on Washington's strengths and tendencies from a year ago. Kingsbury and Johnson helped prepare Daniels each week, which gave them a chance to see what he handled well and what needed more work. That experience can help the Rams make sense of what they’re seeing from him in Blough’s offense now. They will certainly know the assistant that Blough was; hell, they'll know Dan Quinn even better. That's the type of familiarity Washington's staff will need to account for.

Blough still has plenty of appreciation for the coach whose job he now holds. “It means a lot. He gave me so much in just two years of coaching underneath him. I’m incredibly gracious for my time under him. He’s one of the most gracious people I’ve ever met. And even if it’s a text of encouragement, call it at different low points of the season, he’s reached out. We’ve stayed in contact,” Blough said.

Washington’s Offense Has Changed Under David Blough

Oct 19, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs (3) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Washington has changed quite a bit since Kingsbury and Johnson left, though. Stefon Diggs, Rachaad White and rookie Antonio Williams all arrived this year, and Blough is running his own system with more work under center. He described Daniels as learning “a new language” Thursday, so Los Angeles still has to prepare for how Washington is using those players now.

When asked whether he finds himself watching what Kingsbury and McVay are doing on offense, Blough brought it back to the defense his own group has to face. “I mean, we’re all focused on handling the front this week. And you see some of the concepts and plays that they’re running throughout different tapes of the week. But we’re all focused on today, specifically trying to pick up their third-down pressure package.”

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