Fans and media will try to make the Ravens and Commanders a rivalry because of its close proximity.
But Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was honest with the press Wednesday, saying he simply doesn’t see the Ravens as a chief rival, and for good reason.
“With rivalries, with Washington, of the NFC East, I think there’s always a connection when cities are closer by,” Quinn said. “But the fact that we’re not in the same division, in the same conference, for me, my first time playing Baltimore as a Commander, my first thought was the [NFC] East first.”
Quinn was then asked if the building had any extra energy for the potential rivalry with the Ravens.
“I think it’s awesome for the fans, but not for the team…You play them (Ravens) every four years, so it’s not like every season twice a year where we just know each other (NFC East rivals) so well. So, I think it’s really cool for the fans, it’s close by. But past that, for us it’s right back to it again.”
Quinn might not view the Ravens as rivals (and why should he), but he does view them as models of a successful NFL franchise.
“The consistency sometimes doesn’t sound like a sexy word, but it’s really important because they’ve shown remarkable consistency as an organization. And so, seeing how they do their business and how they do things, and they just always seem to be a team that’s tough. They got a real identity about them and the way they play and compete. So yeah, we’ve got a lot of regard for them as far as standards go.”