The Washington Commanders could have revenge on their minds in this weekend’s regular-season finale against the Dallas Cowboys. Back in Week 12, the Cowboys defeated the Commanders 34-26 after a wild last few minutes that featured explosive plays and special teams mistakes.
It’s also the first time head coach Dan Quinn returns to Dallas, where he served as defensive coordinator for the past three seasons. Quinn would never admit it, but that Week 12 loss stung a little more than most.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels is also looking for his first win against the Cowboys. He’s beaten the Eagles and Giants but came up just a bit short against Dallas the first time.
For Daniels, this game isn’t about revenge for Quinn or something to check off his personal wishlist. It’s about winning the next game and finishing strong.
“DQ means a lot to us,” Daniels said. “Just how he treats us, how he cares for us. But to answer your question, I mean, it is what it is. That’s just the next opponent on the schedule.”
Daniels is saying that if Quinn told his team how much beating Dallas would mean to him, the team would be extra motivated to do so. Washington’s goal is to beat the Cowboys regardless.
Last week, the Commanders defeated a team Quinn coached for six seasons. Quinn never expressed how much he wanted to beat the Falcons, and they fired him. He left Dallas on good terms before taking the Washington head coaching job and is beloved by multiple Cowboys, including Micah Parsons.
Washington has won four games in a row and looks to lock up the No. 6 seed ahead of next week’s NFC Wild Card round.