Category: 2024 NFL offseason

What everyone said after the Commanders’ Hail Mary against the Bears

A collection of quotes from the Commanders’ miraculous win over the Bears

With the game clock having hit zeros, Jayden Daniels stepped up to the 35-yard line and heaved a Hail Mary toward the end zone.

Three Bears and Commanders players collided going up for the pass, with Tyrique Stevenson getting up higher than anyone else and deflecting the ball. It floated toward Noah Brown, who caught it for the winning touchdown.

Here is a collection of postgame quotes from players, analysts, coaches and media personalities.

Jim Nantz CBS, actual broadcast of the play

“And the ball is CAUGHT! It’s a MIRACLE! It’s Noah Brown! Oh my goodness! This town is going crazy! It’s a madhouse in Landover, Maryland!”

“This one will be played back over and over again for decades. The ball tipped by Stevenson and Noah Brown just standing back there all alone, plucks it out of the air for the victory!”

Tony Romo CBS analyst, immediately after the catch

“He did it!” I know this sounds crazy but there’s a method to the madness here. Everyone usually goes and jumps to the ball. But you always put one guy behind and one in front and have two or three go jump for it.”

“Daniels extending this play and the time allowed everyone to get down there in position to go toward the ball and be in their spot. And what a game, Jim! Nantz then simply replied, “There are no words.”

Sam Cosmi

“Miracles happen”

Noah Brown

“Yes, that happened to be my assignment on the Hail Mary. We got one guy in the front, two in the back. Try to throw it up to the jumper.”

We got a team of fighters. I am not surprised at all with this happening. I know we don’t give up until the final whistle. It’s just a phenomenal effort on all sides.”

We are well blessed to have ‘5’ leading this team. The things he can do is special. Even that last play, keeping his composure, fighting like Hell to get the ball off, and through a Hell of a ball. I wouldn’t want to play with any other quarterback. I am glad to have him.”

Trevor Sikkema Pro Football Focus lead draft analyst

“I’m so happy for Dan Quinn, man. Deserved a second chance at being a HC. He got one with one hell of a quarterback.”

Tyrique Stevenson (Bears defensive back who was talking smack to fans as the final play was beginning.

“To Chicago and teammates my apologies for lack of awareness and focus …. The game ain’t over until zeros hit the clock. Can’t take anything for granted. Notes taken, improvement will happen”

Terry McLaurin (said the Commanders practice this formation and tip drills)

“If you look it up on film, we were pretty much all in our spots.”

“It felt like it was going in slow motion.”

Kevin Durant

“HAHAHHAA LETS GO @Commanders “

John Keim

“that’s one way to avoid having more red zone issues.”

“Hail Mary. Do I need to say more?”

Jayden Daniels

“I just threw the ball up and gave my guys a chance.” Did he see it? “I just heard people screaming and the sideline rush the field.”

Phidarian Mathis

“It was crazy, it was crazy, man. I ain’t gonna lie, I shed a tear. It was amazing being around something like that. Wouldn’t want it no other way.”

Mitchell Tischler

“Jayden Daniels, magic in a pan! Trent Scott wouldn’t have fumbled that one!”

Chris Russell

“Tonight is 1 A in terms of memorable moments at this joint in Landover, since I’ve been around (2009 +). I can’t put it over NFC East clinching win over #Cowboys on SNF in 2012. But wow!

Zach Ertz

“You guys gotta stop calling him a rookie quarterback. He’s not a rookie quarterback in our eyes. … His maturity and poise is that of a 10-year vet. In our eyes, he’s just one of the leaders on this football team.”

Sam Cosmi on Jayden Daniels

“He doesn’t shy from adversity.”

“It was just like a movie …. front-row seats to be part of something amazing! Hats off to our defense. … I love being a part of this team. It’s something I never felt in my whole football career.”

 

Why Tyler Biadasz is an important leader for the Commanders

Biadasz is one of Washington’s early-season unsung heroes.

When you think of Commanders’ offensive leaders, you might actually miss one of the more important leaders on the 2024 team.

Head coach Dan Quinn spoke with the media on Monday about center Tyler Biadasz and his importance in leading this offense in 2024. Biadasz signed as a free agent in March, having played his first four seasons (202-23) with the Cowboys. The veteran center has been important for rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

“One of the challenging parts about playing center, on so many of these plays you have to target who belongs to whom,” said Quinn. “On a traditional offense, you have a little bit more time. You can get the line of scrimmage; this is what I see. If they shift, you change it. When you’re going more quickly, those are when you really have to process quickly like a QB. So, on the runs and the passes, Tyler’s right in the middle of all that to make sure the declaration’s right, who we’re going to, how we’re going to go.”

The offense hummed like a well-oiled machine against the Cardinals on Sunday, leading to a 42-14 win. Quinn thought Biadasz did a great job with the Cardinals changing fronts.

“For a team like Arizona who plays multiple fronts, has a good blitz package and a safety that can just honestly show up in a blitz from just about damn near anywhere, he’s somebody he had to keep an eye on.”

Quinn also talked about how Biadasz is doing a good job getting out in Washington’s wide runs.

“I thought him pulling and being on the move there were some good plays that I saw on that, and that’s another added part of things when you get another big guy out on the edge on some of the lead blocking that went to Brian, I thought that was a big deal.”

GM Adam Peters’s first three moves with the Commanders involved two offensive linemen. Peters released OT Charles Leno, TE Logan Thomas, and C Nick Gates.

To address their offensive line, Peters signed Biadasz, G Nick Allegretti, and long snapper Tyler Ott in the first week of free agency.

It’s early, but Peters’ moves appear to be paying off.

Dan Quinn wants no tickets to the roller coaster for Commanders

What Dan Quinn said about the Commanders’ early success and moving forward.

Dan Quinn likes metaphors.

He pulled out another one Monday when speaking with the media when asked how he wants the Commanders to handle this success they are experiencing.

Quinn has made it clear previously that he has no desire to have his team go on a roller coaster ride. He wants the Commanders to enjoy this, but he wants them to think through it and avoid the sharp turns upward and downward that can occur.

“Well, I think one, you talk about it (success),” Quinn said Monday. “And you make sure, you want them to feel that emotion in the locker room after a win. They’ve worked really hard to put themself into that space to do that. So, seeing that and feeling that, that’s a good thing. What you don’t want to do is tickets to the rollercoaster, man.”

In attempting to avoid emotional swings and swings in performance, Quinn is a big believer in being process-oriented. “We have a real process that we go through every single week to get us ready to play. And so that begins today and all the way through tomorrow and into Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We have a theme for every day. So, by staying consistent in that approach, I think that helps avoid the highs and lows.”

The same holds true in other sports as well. You need to avoid the trap of becoming results-driven rather than process-driven. You want your team to think and thus work toward the process of getting better.

Quinn still believes that though his team is 3-1, they can still improve in many areas. Thus, he wants that to be the focus.

“That’s the challenge to do the things that are really hard to do and you got to do them a lot. And so that’s the practice, that’s the grind that goes into it. And so that’s what we’ll chase man, absolute obsession with us getting better.”

The Commanders host the Cleveland Browns in Week 5.

Several reasons Commanders opening week is exciting

Why fans should be excited about Sunday and the 2024 season.

Who are the 2024 Washington Commanders?

Who knows?

Seriously, nobody knows. This season is unique in the sense that there are so many unknowns. It raises our curiosity, anticipation, and excitement.

  1. There’s a new sheriff in town: Adam Peters. This was Peters’ first offseason, and now, it is the beginning of his first season as an NFL general manager. He is not inexperienced, however. He has been working like crazy, making all sorts of signings, and he’s shown he’s not afraid to make unexpected trades. I just now counted 30 new players to the Commanders roster this year!
  2. When Dan Quinn was hired, much displeasure was voiced and posted on social media. That didn’t take long to change, however. Quinn is personable, direct, has a sense of humor, and has been full of energy every time he has been called upon. The players like him and respect him, and the fan base has quickly changed their minds. There is excitement in the air, and Quinn is a major reason.
  3. Jayden Daniels is only a rookie, but in his two brief (very) preseason appearances, he was decisive and accurate. There was much excitement before Robert Griffin’s debut in 2012, and rightly so. But doesn’t Daniels appear more prepared and poised? How many times will Daniels run a zone-read option Sunday against the Bucs? How will he handle the defensive pressure of a good, defensive playoff team last year?

https://twitter.com/granthpaulsen/status/1822329867376947482

Oh, there are more reasons why the DMV is excited about this 2024 team. Here are some other reasons there’s such anticipation.

The 2023 team was horrible. They lost their final eight games and four games last season by 34, 20, 12, 35, 30, 17, and 28 points! That’s four games by 28 or more points! One reason there is such optimism is that Ron Rivera’s final team lowered the bar so much. If this team is competitive throughout the season, it will be progress.

The team made it through the preseason with no major injuries. Yes, Jordan Magee is going to miss a few games. Yes, Brandon Coleman and Johnny Newton did not play in the preseason. But Coleman will be back for the opener, and Newton is trending to play soon.

Linebacker play was a weakness the last four years despite the fact that Rivera and Jack Del Rio were good linebackers themselves in the NFL. But Peters has brought in Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. On paper, that looks tremendously better. How much does Wagner have remaining in his body? It’s another unknown; he is 34. Yet, he did lead the NFL with 183 tackles (96 solo, 87 assisted) in 2023.

There are unknowns and question marks. But one thing is certain: there has not been this much excitement for a season opener since 2012.

Commanders’ Adam Peters: ‘I couldn’t be more excited’

Adam Peters explains why he’s excited about 2024.

Are you ready for some football?

Commanders new general manager Adam Peters is ready for some football.

He told “Grant & Danny” of 106.7 The Fan on Thursday, “I couldn’t be more excited,” said Peters. “I can’t believe it. It just felt like the blink of an eye that we’re here now.”

Peters said he was even talking on the practice field last week with some of the Commanders coaches about how fast this offseason and preseason have gone, and they will be in Tampa soon for the season opener.

“I am the most excited, but I think our fans should really, really be excited about this next week and what’s to come with this team…I am excited about our offense with Kliff, and the way he runs it, and the guys that are executing it. It’s going to be a really fun offense to watch. It’s going to be a fast offense. It’s going to put defenses in a bind with what we do.”

The Commanders gave up the most passing touchdowns in the NFL last season and surrendered the most points. But with all of the additions and subtractions Peters has made, he also feels better about the defense.

“I really love how fast and physical the guys are playing, the mindset of the guys and the leadership of that side of the ball too. So I’m honestly just really excited about how we played and how we’re going to play in the style of how we play.”

Now, of course, that is coming from a general manager who is comparing last year’s team and how they played to what he has assembled in his first offseason with the team. He is not attempting to persuade the fan base that the Commanders are going to the Super Bowl this year.

Yet, looking at all his hard work and the hard work of Dan Quinn, his staff, and the players, Adam Peters is excited that this team is trending upward for this season.

Commanders’ GM Adam Peters: ‘We are trying to win now’

Peters talked about the Dotson trade and trading to teams within the division.

George Allen came to Washington in 1971, became the head coach and general manager, and proclaimed, “The future is now.”

Adam Peters boarded the Washington NFL ship in 2024, and he again told Grant & Danny (106.7 the Fan) Thursday, “It’s not a rebuild; it’s a recalibration.”

This being his first time as a team’s general manager, Peters expressed to Grant and Danny, “We are trying to win right now. We do have goals to be really good this season.”

In recent history, the NFL has had a team each season rebound really well from a really down year the previous season. Last season, it was the Houston Texans, who had been 3-13-1 in 2022 and fired Lovie Smith. They hired Demeco Ryans, drafted C.J. Stroud, and finished 10-7 atop the AFC South in 2023.

Peters feels the responsibility on his shoulders to get the Commanders turned around in 2023 after not having a winning regular season since Kirk Cousins was the quarterback in 2015 (9-7) and 2016 (8-7-1). “It is my job as a general manager and really in conjunction with DQ  (Dan Quinn), and we make every decision together, is to be good now and to build for a sustainable team for the future, a team you guys will see compete for championships every year.”

It’s a delicate balance, but Peters and Quinn are attempting to make decisions not simplistically based on winning now or winning in the future. They seek to embrace both—getting better for 2024 and beyond.

As for why he traded receiver Jahan Dotson to division rival Philadelphia, Peters expressed, “That was clearly the best offer. A tie is going to go to the team outside the division. But there’s not always going to be a tie. In this case, they (Eagles) were very bullish on Jahan, and rightfully so. But every time, it is going to be different. If it’s the Cowboys and the Steelers, and everything is the same, and we are making a trade, it’s probably going to go to Pittsburgh.”

Assistant GM Lance Newmark: Commanders ‘a great building to be in right now’

Another perspective on what it’s like to work with Dan Quinn.

Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark thinks Ashburn is a good place right now in the NFL.

“I’ll be honest with you; it’s been a really cool experience,” Newmark said Thursday during his time with the local media. “This is a great building to be in right now.”

With Daniel Snyder selling the team after much bad publicity in the last decade of his era and Josh Harris hiring Adam Peters as general manager and Dan Quinn as coach, the formation of the front office and coaching staff has clearly improved drastically.

“I feel like it’s a very unique situation where a lot of really motivated, talented, people came together to try to do something special. Dan and Adam both have great reputations. They’ve been winners, and a lot of people came here believing in them.”

Players have commented favorably regarding the energy and enthusiasm, which is a great contrast to the previous administration. Newmark sees it in the offices as well.

“The energy, the atmosphere is really good. Players, coaches, staff, existing employees everybody has bought in. There’s a lot of excitement for next Sunday. We’re ready to get going. It’s been a really fun process.”

Having worked for the Detroit Lions since 1998, Newmark worked with eight different head coaches (Bobby Ross, Marty Mornhinweg, Steve Mariucci, Rod Marinelli, Jim Schwartz, Jim Caldwell, Matt Patricia, and Dan Campbell).

So what is it like to work for Dan Quinn now?

“I think there are a lot of similarities between Coach Campbell and Coach Quinn. They really believe in team, in brotherhood, character and love of football. I think the kind of people we’re trying to get here, believe in football, in work, in team first, that mentality that you see anybody, anywhere, anytime.”

 

Commanders’ Tyler Biadasz bonding with his new teammates

The new Commanders center discusses coming together with his teammates.

Tyler Biadasz says the Commanders are really jelling, coming together as a team.

Biadasz (center) met with the local media following Friday’s training camp workout. Other players have referred to head coach Dan Quinn putting players together in a room to talk and get to know one another, so Biadasz spoke of growing together with fellow players.

“Camp’s been great… Obviously, camp, you spend a good amount of hours in the building. Obviously, having practice first thing in the morning and getting out late at night or if you’re having extra meetings or whatever that may be. But no, we’re doing a hell of a job of just becoming the best team we can be as a unit.”

Naturally, offensive players will have more opportunities to meet with defensive players.

“I’m on offense, so I’m more in those meetings and everything like that. We’re all coming from different places and we’re starting to gel in regards of the timing and the chemistry and even the bonding outside the building. That’s a huge asset to us and we’re doing a heck of a job with that.”

Michael Deiter (guard/center) was a college teammate at Wisconsin. Deiter came to the NFL in 2019, while Biadasz was drafted in 2020. Deiter has played for the Dolphins and Texans, while Biadasz was with Quinn in Dallas.

“It’s definitely great. Shoot, we played for four years together in Madison in college. So, just knowing where he’s at, but also again, we’re coming from different backgrounds, and he’s been on two other football teams in the league.”

Also drafted in 2019 out of Big Ten rival, Illinois, was Nick Allegretti.

“Yeah, it’s been great, man,” Biadasz said of the projecting starting left guard. “For real, we definitely have talked about the rivalry that we had in college and stuff like that. It’s like how we said before, the chemistry in the room, we’re always talking, we’re always building, but we’re having fun doing it for sure.”

Commanders Johnny Newton says Jonathan Allen is ‘like a big brother’ to him

Jonathan Allen has been helping Johnny Newton.

Johnny Newton is back on the field.

The rookie defensive tackle drafted 36th overall by the Commanders met with the media Tuesday, expressing he is happy to be active again, following his foot surgery this Spring.

“They’ve been giving me great support—everybody in the locker room, everybody in the building, really. So, just to get out there and compete, it felt really good to get off.”

Choosing to have the surgery right away, Newton said he really didn’t have a long-term goal. Rather, he just tried to do the right recovery things day by day.

Newton was surprised when the X-rays revealed the problem, seeing he insists he never had discomfort in that foot. Having been through this already with one foot, he felt like he knew what to expect in the rehab, so he just got to it.

“Great training staff in there, great coaching staff. Everybody always came to check on me, definitely right after I had surgery. So it was comfortable for me and I knew what my goal was and what I had to do to get back, so I just did exactly that.”

Being drafted to a team that starts Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne at your position might bother many rookies, but not Newton.

“I’ve been watching them for years now. Back when they were in college at Alabama I used to watch them, but actually getting to know them, great people outside of the football field. They’re honestly like big brothers. Whenever I mess up with something, they’ll tell me. Just the smallest things on the field, they always help me out, always encouraging me.”

When asked how long it would take the former Illinois tackle to regain his quickness, Newton responded, “Rome wasn’t built overnight, so I’m not expecting to get back to 100 percent on the first day of practice. I’m just getting my feet. Honestly, this is my first NFL practice, getting up to speed, and hopefully, eventually, for sure soon, I’ll be back to 100 percent and back to my old self.”

Newton didn’t like missing minicamp but is thankful for the support he received. He expressed it was hard on him to miss, but “everybody in the building was always encouraging me.

“Jon’s my locker mate, so always talking to Jon, he’s like, ‘Bro, you’re going to be alright.’ He is like, ‘I can’t wait for you to get on the field.’ And just hearing that from Jon was great encouragement to me because I look up to Jon. He is like a big brother to me.. and, DQ (Dan Quinn), AP (Adam Peters) always came to check up on me, and that meant the most to me. So, I knew what I had to do, and that always gave me an extra boost.”

Why Commanders were the ideal choice for ‘Hard Knocks’ offseason

Why the Commanders would’ve been a good choice for “Hard Knocks.”

In May, the NFL announced that the New York Giants would be the first team to be featured in its newest version of “Hard Knocks”—the offseason version.

But honestly, couldn’t the NFL figure out the Commanders were naturally a much better offseason story?

Of course, the NFL realized this offseason would be the first offseason for the Josh Harris ownership group, seeing it was the NFL who did not permit the Harris Ownership group to begin their tenure until July 2023.

Daniel Snyder had owned the Washington franchise since taking over in 1999. The NFL didn’t see this new offseason “Hard Knocks” as an opportunity to investigate and tell some of that story?

Harris declared immediately after the close of the 2023 season, “We didn’t get it done on the field, so we have decided to go in a new direction.”

That new direction was hiring Adam Peters as the Commanders new general manager. Did anyone at the NFL know that Ron Rivera had strangely proclaimed that if the 2024 team made it to the Super Bowl, give him a ring? Wasn’t that in itself a good video for the inaugural episode?

Dan Quinn getting his second chance in the NFL to be a head coach was not a good enough story for “Hard Knocks?” And how about all of these established assistant coaches Quinn was able to bring onto his staff? Did the NFL actually think the Giants were a better offseason story?

How could they possibly have thought that was the case?

As soon as the 2024 free agency period began, Peters was the busiest general manager. He signed Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu, Dorrance Armstrong, Dante Fowler Jr., Brandon McManus, Jeremy Chinn, Marcus Mariota, Nick Allegretti, Tyler Biadasz, Tyler Ott, Austin Ekeler, Clelin Ferrell, Michael Davis, Noah Igbinoghene, James Pierre, Michael Deiter, Jeff Driskel, Jeremy McNichols, Olamide Zaccheaus, Mykal Walker, and Haggai Ndubuisi.

Then, he surprised everyone by trading last year’s starting quarterback, Sam Howell, to the Seahawks and moving up in the draft with two new picks.

In the draft, Peters orchestrated a trade with the Eagles, helping the Commanders rebuild a roster that, for some reason, Rivera was convinced would be a playoff roster if Howell developed last year. “Growth and development,” remember?

Oh, what an offseason “Hard Knocks” this would have been!

Too bad the NFL missed out, and now, so will NFL fans everywhere.