Category: Coaching Hires

Dan Quinn not surprised by early success; believes Daniels will remain focused

The coach is not surprised by the Commanders’ success.

After four games, three of which have been on the road, Washington is 3-1, but Dan Quinn says he is not really surprised.

After trailing by as much as 37-14 in Tampa in the opener, the Commanders have bounced back for the last three weeks. The fan base is surprised and excited, but Dan Quinn, when asked Wednesday, insisted he is not.

“I’m not surprised. I knew the connection would be the number one thing for us to see if we could play well, how long that would take, how connected this team could get on all three phases. And so the support of one another, all of those things, that’s to me, the faster we could do that.”

After winning in Cincinnati, the team traveled directly to Arizona for their matchup against the Cardinals. The team appeared prepared, so united in mind and purpose, they were on their way to a 17-7 halftime lead and a 42-14 win over the Cardinals.

“I thought the team’s done a good job of fast-tracking the feeling out process, putting agendas to the side, absolutely all-out effort. Those are the non-negotiables that we’d have to have, and the team has got that way faster than you’d say a more established team would have some of those things in place. So those are some of the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet that I certainly look for.”

But how will the team now not get caught up in all of the national attention they have received following their last two victories? Each morning this week, the national television shows have discussed the Commanders and Jayden Daniels. That is a lot of fame and praise to be suddenly laid in your lap. How can a team handle that?

“I would say the one thing that it’s very easy to support Jayden. And the reason I say that is because you see it every day in terms of the work that he puts in and goes for it. So, there’s no extra things that you have to say to him in this regard because you see the character of what the man is. Had it been up and down, and I was worried, I’d have that conversation. But all he has shown all of us since he’s been here is a relentless approach to getting better and staying in the moment, and he’s got a remarkable level-headedness to him that’s wise beyond his age.”

It sounds like Daniels has his head on straight and he realizes he made it this far by being willing to work hard, arriving early, leaving late, and working to improve each day.

Daniels leads the NFL in passing completion percentage at 82.1 and just threw his first interception last weekend. He is also third in yards gained per pass attempt with 8.5.

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.

Shannon Sharpe loves Commanders duo of Daniels & Kingsbury

Shannon Sharpe would take Daniels over the NFC East’s other quarterbacks.

Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end Shannon Sharpe really likes what he sees in Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

This week on ESPN, Sharpe, Stephen A. Smith, and former Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi assessed Daniels’ place among NFC East quarterbacks.

Sharpe declared: “Guys, you all know I hate being a prisoner of the moment. But the way this young man is playing now, and the way Kliff Kingsbury is in his ear and dialing up the plays? You’re absolutely right I am taking him over anybody else in that division.”

“Oh, I get it. It is a college offense, and it’s very simplistic. Well, a lot more teams need to make their offense simplistic if it’s going to cause their quarterback to play like this young man is playing.”

“He’s more mature than you would think. He had 55 career starts in college. I think that has a lot to do with it, and he has Kliff Kingsbury. No matter what you think of Kliff as a head coach, Stephen A., Bruschi, you know, there’s no denying his offensive mind and his ability to coach quarterbacks.”

Sharpe then discussed how Kingsbury coached Johnny Manziel, Patrick Mahomes, and Kyler Murray.

“There’s no denying his ability to relate, and to get on their levels, and extract the best out of a quarterback. I absolutely, right now, would take Jayden Daniels over any other quarterback in that division.”

Here is a video of the segment of the panel statements

Commanders’ Kingsbury has offense trending upward

Kingsbury is pressing all the right buttons for the Commanders.

Dan Quinn knows he has a good offensive coordinator; after all, Quinn hired him.

In the offseason, news flashed that the Raiders would interview Kliff Kingsbury for their offensive coordinator job. However, a couple of days later, the news was that Kingsbury was coming to Washington to work for Dan Quinn.

After scoring 20 and 21 points in the first two weeks, the Commanders’ offense, led by Kingsbury and Jayden Daniels, has scored 38 and 42 points in the last two games. Quinn was asked Monday what makes Kingsbury’s offense effective.

“Right. I think there’s probably more than one thing, like most offenses, that are tough to defend,” Quinn said Monday. “I’d say there’s an element of tempo, right, where it can be in and out at the line working some things, some with cadence, some without.”

We love that Jayden Daniels is playing superbly. Yet, we know that running the ball as effectively as the Commanders really helps the quarterback.

“Then there’s the element, like I was hitting earlier, about the runs and the play passes that go with it. And if you can make those two things look similar, John, with gap schemes and pulls and then be able to throw to the tight end and slants off of run action, that can make it challenging because your eyes are obviously at the line of scrimmage ready to defend the run and then rip a play pass to go.”

Listening to Quinn’s answers, you realize he is saying that the answer is never as simple as one element and only one. No, for a team to have success in the NFL, there are going to be a multitude of reasons.

“So, it’s run and play pass, that’s a combination. And then the combination of Jayden outside the pocket with his legs creating some first downs. That’s what makes it tough, but the tempo’s a big part of it too.”

No doubt, the Commanders rushing for 216 yards Sunday made life miserable for the Cardinal’s defensive personnel.

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.

Josh Harris deserves credit for Commanders win over Cardinals

Josh Harris deserves plenty of praise for Sunday’s win.

How often do you hear that the owner deserves a lot of credit for an NFL win?

Usually its the quarterback that gets the most credit or the most blame. Then comes a skilled position player such as a wide receiver or running back. But in the case of this Commanders win, how much have you considered new owner Josh Harris?

Yes, you read me correctly, I typed ‘Josh Harris.’

Think about it: The Commanders were 1-1 preparing for the Bengals game in Cincinnati. Imagine the conversation as Dan Quinn suggested to Harris that he thought the team should not return to Ashburn but travel to Arizona and spend Tuesday through Saturday nights to best prepare for this game.

Have you considered how much this must have cost Harris? The 53-man roster, plus the 17-man practice squad. But that is not all that Harris spent money on. Think of all the coaching staff, the trainers, the equipment personnel, and the hotel bill for all of those people.

Then consider each person who would have been paying for their own meals back home in Ashburn, eating from their own refrigerators. But Harris chose to feed them all this week, and he did it in preparation for only the fourth game of the season? And how much do NFL linemen eat in a week to maintain their mass, which is needed for their best performance?

Dan Quinn is to be thanked for having the foresight to see why this could be a good thing. The team spending all week together was an opportunity to bond further and unite at the possibility of not falling back to 2-2 but rising to 3-1.

How much better is 3-1 over 2-2?

It is tremendously better. It’s two games better, which means instead of a three-way tie with the Eagles and Cowboys at 2-2, your Washington Commanders are sitting alone atop the NFC East at 3-1.

Josh Harris is to be thanked by the fan base and, more importantly, by all those he fed and housed all week in Arizona.

Thank you, Josh Harris.

Kingsbury has Daniels progressing quickly through three games

The pairing of Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury has been excellent thus far.

Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Jayden Daniels are working together well.

Daniels struggled in his first game at Tampa Bay, not seeing the field well and taking off to run too often. The Bucs were in a soft prevent, permitting Daniels to go 5-5 on his final possession, padding his stats, but better things were to come.

In Week 2, against the Giants, Daniels again ran too often in the first half, not seeing the field, and then he got nailed! Daniels was on the turf, having had the win knocked out of him.

The Jayden Daniels of the second half was the beginning of what we saw Monday night in Cincinnati. Daniels began to see the field better and make some downfield throws, and the Commanders never punted in a 21-18 win over the Giants.

Against the Bengals, Daniels was moving out of the pocket but now looking down field more, completing passes. In fact, he completed 21 of 23 passes, including completions of 55, 30, and 27 yards.

Kingsbury was criticized following the first game and, though less so after the second game, for his conservative passes being called repeatedly for Daniels. But Kingsbury was correct to do this because Daniels was not seeing the field well and was running too often.

Teams will not be able to sit on early routes all the time now. Daniels believes he can go deep in the NFL. The offensive line has protected well, and yes, by design Kingsbury also had drawn up max protection on the touchdown pass to McLaurin.

Kingsbury also has very well-designed screens and short passes to Austin Ekeler. But Ekeler is out with a concussion, and Kingsbury and Daniels will miss him.

So, what will Kingsbury draw up for the Commanders offense this week against the Cardinals? Will Jeremy McNichols be called upon in the passing game to help in the absence of Ekeler?

Honestly, Kingsbury has probably shown he is not going to be the issue on Sunday. The concern is going to be the Commanders’ game plan and execution of that plan on the defensive side of the ball going against Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison, and the Cardinals.

Dan Quinn praises two rookies not named Jayden Daniels

Quinn explains what stands out about two members of Commanders’ rookie class.

Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn was asked Wednesday about two of his rookies, in particular.

Those two rookies were wide receiver Luke McCaffrey and cornerback Mike Sainristil.

Quinn had already spoken very positively about Jayden Daniels and Brandon Coleman the previous day with the press.

“What I’ve seen early, I’ve also seen lately,” replied Quinn. By that I mean, these guys are like a rare level of competitor. They just don’t back down.”

Jayden Daniels might consider getting the ball to McCaffrey more often each game. You see, he has only been targeted six times, but he does have six catches, averaging 10.3 a reception.

“I knew Mike also had leadership skills early on, where guys would look to him, not just the other rookies in the class. But some of the defensive backs as well. So, that is what I saw. As they are growing into their season, they are just three games in, each of these opportunities are so important.”

Sainristil has been in on 16 tackles in three games (12 solo and four assists). He has also has a pass breakup.

“I think when we look back a few months from now, some of the mistakes that guys make early, they don’t make late. But you do have to fight through some of those with the guys. I have unbelievable belief in them about what they are capable of becoming, and that sometimes happens with the youngest players.”

Indeed, McCaffrey made two very nice plays earlier, picking up first downs, but in the final quarter, he once drove to the stick on third down and then cut off his route just short. So when Daniels passed to him, and McCaffrey was instantly tackled, it was 4th & 1, not 1st & 10.

“You make sure they get the experience, so by the time December and January football comes, they have lived through some of those (experiences). They have some scares to look back on, and they’re really better for that.”

Commanders’ Dan Quinn maintaining a proper perspective after huge win

Dan Quinn on how the highs and lows of a season can be dangerous.

Life is full of ups and downs, mountains and valleys.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has lived long enough (age 54) and coached long enough in the NFL to know this is true in the NFL as well.

Consequently, after a night’s sleep following Washington’s thrilling 38-33 victory in Cincinnati, Quinn was level-headed and maintained a proper perspective Tuesday when talking with the media.

“Roller coasters are as fun as hell, but you can’t ride the highs and lows because both can be equally dangerous,” began Quinn.

He’s absolutely correct. I recall Washington in 1978 started 6-0; it was exciting. But it finished 8-8. On the other side of the coin, I recall the 1981 Joe Gibbs first season began dreadfully at 0-5. However, they rebounded to finish 8-8. Twenty years later, Marty Schottenheimer’s Redskins team also began 0-5 and also finished 8-8.

Quinn spoke of how the team traveled from Cincinnati to Arizona rather than returning home to Ashburn. He knows the win was a big one. He knows the temptations to get distracted, forgetting what you did to win a big game. “To me, it worked out perfectly to stay in this pocket, no outside voices of highs or lows. Our pocket is all about proving it, about competing, about improvement.”

He spoke of the team being connected while staying in Arizona in preparation for the Week 4 contest at the Cardinals. Yet the world is a different place today. Each player has his phone and will see stories about how great they were last night.

Dan Quinn has his work cut out for him this week, and he’s already displaying he is quite aware and wants to work hard to avoid a pitfall against the Cardinals.

Terry McLaurin is back as Commanders beat Bengals

Breaking down Terry McLaurin’s phenomenal night.

Terry McLaurin was in the Commanders’ news all week.

He was in the news not for what he had done this season but for what he had not done. Through two games, McLaurin had 8 receptions for only 39 yards and no touchdowns.

But in this Week 3 contest in Cincinnati against the Bengals, McLaurin not only led the Commanders in receiving yards but also reached the 100 yard mark and scored the clinching touchdown in the fourth quarter. On his night, he was targeted six times and came away with four receptions for an even 100 yards.

Leading 31-26 in the fourth quarter, the Commanders faced a 3rd & 2 at the Bengals 49. Daniels rolled right and found McLaurin crossing from the left side for four yards and first down.

When the Commanders ran on both first and second down late, they appeared to be setting up a field goal attempt. However, on 3rd & 7 from the Bengals 27, Daniels lofted a pass high up the right sideline, which found McLaurin in the end zone for a 38-26 Washington lead with 2:10 remaining.

Early in the game, it appeared the woes for McLaurin were going to continue when he and Daniels failed to connect on a 1st & 10 at the Bengals’ 35 with the score tied 7-7. McLaurin broke wide open deep, and Daniels missed him badly — very badly. Badly enough, I wondered if there was a miscommunication in what route McLaurin was supposed to run.

Leading 14-10, the Commanders were at their own 41, facing a 2nd & 5. There was no miscommunication on this play, as Daniels found McLaurin deep for 55 yards to the Bengals 4.

When the Bengals had closed to 28-20, the Commanders were starting at their own 30 when Daniels found McLaurin for 14 yards and a first down to the 44.

It’s good to see McLaurin making a significant contribution again in the passing game. Dan Quinn thought so, too, as cameras caught Quinn picking McLaurin up off the ground on Monday in celebration of his big plays.