Why David Blough could turn Luke McCaffrey into the next Amon-Ra St. Brown

ASHBURN, Va. – The Washington Commanders made an interesting decision hiring David Blough to be their next offensive coordinator, but there’s at least a little bit of history to show that the move could not only be successful, but could be especially so for a player like third-year receiver Luke McCaffrey.

When McCaffrey was drafted by the Commanders’ general manager, Adam Peters, in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, he was billed as a big slot receiver who would likely be best used in the short and intermediate area of the field, relying mostly on yards after catch (yac) to generate big plays.

Unfortunately, over two seasons, McCaffrey’s potential hasn’t been fully realized under the previous system running the offense in Washington. Blough, however, with his experience in an offense that unlocked a similar receiver, Amon-Ra St. Brown, with the Detroit Lions, could be the key to getting the best out of him yet.

Because, of course, coaching matters. In his first eight games, St. Brown was certainly outproducing his draft position after being selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and had brought in 27 catches for 250 yards. It wasn’t amazing, but it was good for a Day 3 pick any year.

Dec 26, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-Imagn Images | Jason Getz-Imagn Images

The 'Ben Johnson Effect' on St. Brown

Then, after eight games, Lions head coach Dan Campbell made a change, putting tight ends coach Ben Johnson in charge of the team’s passing attack while he himself took over play-calling. After the switch, St. Brown exploded, and in the final nine games of his rookie season, he brought in 63 more receptions for 662 yards and scored five touchdowns. He also ran the ball seven times for 61 yards and another score, far outpacing the production he was able to generate in the first half of the season.

If that move to Johnson, who had never coordinated before that, doesn’t happen, then St. Brown doesn’t have 912 yards as a rookie fourth-round pick, and I don’t get to wait for readers of this column to call me ridiculous for even uttering McCaffrey’s name with the Detroit star’s.

This isn’t to say that McCaffrey will or even could be for Washington what St. Brown is for the Lions. But then, who’s to say he can’t be?

The 'Power Slot' parallel

Both men are uniquely skilled to play what some refer to as the ‘power slot’ position. While St. Brown certainly appears quicker on tape than McCaffrey, the abilities of each man to operate in the 0-9 yard area from the line of scrimmage are where one has been, and the other could be unlocked in the near future.

Becoming a chain mover and a quick game threat opens the door for defenders to get overly aggressive, which then presents opportunities for misdirection that result in bigger plays and room for YAC.

That’s how St. Brown makes most of his big plays, his career yards per target sitting at just under 8.5 yards through five seasons, four of them resulting in Pro Bowls and three All-Pro selections. And it’s how McCaffrey, given the system to highlight that ability, could become a similar type of threat.

In short, McCaffrey doesn’t need to be the deep threat to impact the deep game, because as defenders are forced into the short area of the field to take him away, they’re unable to protect deep parts of the field where other players like Terry McLaurin can feast on openings in the secondary.

Dec 1, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates with Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (12) after defeating the Tennessee Titans at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Why Jayden Daniels completes the puzzle

But you need the system, and the quarterback, to do it. In his rookie season, Daniels completed more than 80 percent of his pass attempts targeting the short left area of the field; an area–you guessed it–where St. Brown dominates for Detroit.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Johnson’s offense when he was with the Lions is that it’s more of a collective than a one-man show. As time goes by with the Chicago Bears, I expect you’ll see the group effort take form there as he gets the opportunity to bring more and more playmakers into the fold.

Blough was there, at ground level, when Johnson was just getting started. Like him, nobody is expecting Blough to be the ‘next’ Ben Johnson. But this version of David Blough carries the specific experience of watching that transformation happen firsthand, and so much more.

So, who knows what he might be able to do when he finally gets the chance to unleash those lessons on NFL defenses in 2026?

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