Commanders’ identity will be formed during ‘tough’ times

Dan Quinn understands there are not shortcuts in the NFL process of winning championships.

Dan Quinn reminded me Monday of a Kirk Cousins moment.

Quinn was asked Monday if he thought the Commanders could win the division. He believes they can, but he does not emphasize that with his team.

“So honestly, we don’t really talk much about expectations and then we don’t put a lot of stress on that,” Quinn said. “What we do put a lot of stress on, it’s how much better we can get and it’s just, can you get better? Can your unit get better? Can we do that again this week? And going through the process for that.”

This is not a surprise. In tennis, for example, coaches and players are always talking about being process-oriented. That is, working on improving parts of your game and playing matches not merely to win the match but to improve your development.

This is what transpired years ago when Cousins was quarterback for the Washington Redskins. Reporters are naturally more concerned with the individual game, but players must consider what is best for their careers and development.

So Cousins responded, “I’m a little more process-oriented.” In other words, the most important thing for Cousins was not the game back in 2015 or whenever that moment occurred. What was more important was development, working the process, developing skills, and becoming a better player.

“It’s like a lifestyle we live here, man,” Quinn continued. “Can you get better? Can you dig in further? Can you get to that spot? And so that’s kind of the stressor that we go and not on outside expectations.”

So, for now, Quinn spoke on Monday about his team needing to be in a fight and going through that process.

“You need to be in these hard matches that suck, and you’re pissed at the end because you didn’t make the play that you needed to make. But that’s what an identity is all about. They’re not formed when you’re rolling, they’re formed in these tough close games and we’re going to be in a lot of close games this season. And I want us to feel like, ‘Hey man, we’re down for that fight and when it gets close that’s where we’re in our element.’ And we got to be in those ones, and we took an L yesterday in a close environment and we got to learn from it.”

Commanders hoping to break some losing streaks in Week 2

Commanders hoping to end multiple losing streaks on Sunday.

It’s not only Week 2 of the 2024 season, but the Commanders have some really discouraging streaks they need to break on Sunday.

In their home opener, Washington is trying to set a new path regarding home games for the Commanders. Did you realize the Commanders have not won a home game since the 2023 home opener? It was Week 1, and the Commanders defeated the Cardinals 20-16.

Since that 2023 opening-week win, the Commanders have dropped their last seven home games. Those last seven home losses were to Buffalo 37-3, Buffalo 40-20, Philadelphia 38-31, the New York Giants 31-19, Miami 45-15, San Francisco 27-10, and Dallas 38-10.

The Commanders lost their final eight games of 2023, many by lopsided margins. Coupled with last week’s 2024 opener loss in Tampa (37-20), the Commanders have not lost nine consecutive games.

As for the Giants in particular? The Commanders have not beaten the Giants in the last four games the teams have played. In 2023, the Giants won 14-7 at home and then at FedEx 31-19. In 2022, the two teams battled to a 20-20 tie, before two weeks later, the Giants significantly reduced the Commanders’ playoff hopes with a 20-12 win at FedEx. We must return to the 2021 season finale to find the Commanders beating the Giants 22-7 at MetLife in New Jersey.

Playing their NFC East rivals in a home-and-home set of games each year, it is hard to fathom that Washington has not even beaten the Giants at home in Landover since “You know who” was quarterback in 2017. Perhaps it should not be such a surprise, seeing Washington has not posted a winning regular-season record since “You know who” was the quarterback in the 2015 and 2016 seasons (Al Galdi last season began to refer to Kirk Cousins as “You know who”).

Washington trails in the all-time series to the Giants 108-71-5.

Former Commanders QB traded Wednesday

Taylor Heinicke is on the move.

Former Commanders’ fan favorite, Taylor Heinicke, was traded Wednesday by the Atlanta Falcons.

This past offseason, the Falcons signed Kirk Cousins in free agency and drafted Michael Pennix in the first round. So Wednesday, the Falcons decided to trade Heinicke to Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Falcons will receive a conditional sixth-round draft choice in the 2025 NFL draft. The Chargers quarterback room was in a bit of a quandary. They had cut Luis Perez, while Easton Stick had an unimpressive preseason. If that wasn’t enough, starter Justin Herbert has been battling plantar fasciitis.

Herbert is practicing and working through it, but the Chargers saw they needed someone with actual regular-season experience who could learn the offense quickly.

Commanders fans will recall that then-head coach Ron Rivera had released quarterback Dwayne Haskins, Alex Smith was injured as his heavily damaged leg was wearing down in December, and Heinicke, who was taking classes toward an engineering master’s degree, was signed by Washington.

Heinicke dove in head-first, learned the offense, and started the 2020 playoff game against Tampa Bay. He passed for one touchdown and one interception. The former Old Dominion Monarch quarterback also executed perhaps the most exciting play by a Washington quarterback since the 2012 Robert Griffin season.

He struggled with consistency too often in his three seasons with Washington (2020-22), but certainly no one will argue that Taylor Heinicke was a leader on the team and made some fantastic plays while with the Commanders.

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels becomes No. 8

A new number for Jayden Daniels — but not a jersey number.

Prior to the start of training camp, Commanders’ long-time punter Tress Way offered up his No. 5 to rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

On Monday, Daniels became Washington’s No. 8. However, we are not talking about jersey number eight. No, on Monday, Daniels became the eighth quarterback to be named the opening-day starter for the eighth consecutive season.

That’s right. Did you realize Kirk Cousins is the last quarterback for the Washington franchise to start on consecutive opening days?

Cousins was the starter for three consecutive seasons (2015-17), and prior to that, Robert Griffin had been the starter for three consecutive seasons (2012-14).

Griffin and Alfred Morris led a potent ground attack in 2012. Griffin gained 815 yards on the ground and led the league in averaging 6.8 yards a carry. Morris gained a whopping 1,613 yards, which remains the single-season franchise record. It was also the last time Washington won ten games in a regular season.

But 2013 and 2014 were not winning seasons for Griffin and the Redskins. The last quarterback to lead Washington to a winning regular season record was Cousins. The Redskins were 9-7 in 2015 and 8-7-1 in 2016.

Following Griffin (2012) and Cousins (2015 & 2016), no Washington quarterback has led the team to a winning regular season record.

Here are the opening day named starters for the last eight Washington NFL seasons:

  • 2017 Kirk Cousins 7-9
  • 2018 Alex Smith 7-9
  • 2019 Case Keenum 3-13
  • 2020 Dwayne Haskins 7-9
  • 2021 Ryan Fitzpatrick 7-10
  • 2022 Carson Wentz 8-8-1
  • 2023 Sam Howell 4-13
  • 2024 Jayden Daniels ?-?