Dan Quinn's impact on the Washington Commanders cannot be overstated. Those in power felt his leadership and culture building were exactly what this franchise needed in Year 1 of this extreme rebuild. They've been proven right.
Quinn's masterminded 11 wins and a postseason berth. That's better than even the brightest optimist had in mind considering the wholesale changes made across the organization throughout a frantic offseason.
Everyone is fully bought into the project and willingly follows the head coach through the good times and bad. This is a far cry from how things looked last year when disenchantment and locker room friction descended throughout Ron Rivera's final season at the helm.
The former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator trusts his squad. He focused on forming relationships and letting the players hold themselves accountable. It's had the desired effect and is only going to improve when better reinforcements arrive throughout the 2025 recruitment period.
Things weren't simple against the Atlanta Falcons. The Commanders found themselves in an early hole and facing a deficit at the half-time interval. Some rousing words from Quinn and schematic adjustments from his staff got things back on track.
Johnny Newton credit Dan Quinn's energy for Commanders turnaround
Rookie second-rounder Johnny Newton shed light on the energy Quinn brings and the mindset he's installed in a relatively short space of time. The defensive tackle revealed that the coach's vocal, passionate outlook gave every player the motivation needed to spur the Commanders on. It also provided a sense of calm amid the chaos, which was equally if not more important.
"We're learning how to stay calm in the heat of the battle, you know? There's always light at the end of the tunnel, and I feel like we're a team that sees that. No matter what bad happens, you know, we always find a way to dig it out and just pull out that dub. DQ [Dan Quinn] was definitely the most vocal. That's the head ball coach, we run through him. And the energy he brings displays through us, so all the energy you see us on the field with starts with DQ."Johnny Newton
One year = 11 wins
— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) December 30, 2024
Head coach Dan Quinn has been a difference maker.
Commanders rookie DT Johnny Newton told me, "We run through him. The energy he brings displays for us. All the energy you see us out on the field with, starts with DQ." pic.twitter.com/rdP1jtdZTH
There were a few skeptics when Quinn got the job. Many wanted a younger coach to spearhead Washington's renaissance, not a retread. He's answered his critics emphatically and galvanized an entire organization along the way.
Quinn loves coaching. He loves football. He's highly respected around the league and within the locker room. He's accomplished a significant amount and everything he says carries a ton of weight. The likes of general manager Adam Peters and majority owner Josh Harris cannot be anything other than overjoyed by how things have gone to date.
This is just the start.
Nobody will fancy coming up against the Commanders in the playoffs. They are never out of the fight and always seem to come up with the right solutions. It also helps they have a genuine franchise-caliber presence under center in the form of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Newton's glowing praise of Quinn is a testament to how much he resonates with the modern-day player. This is an adapt-or-die business, so taking on the lessons learned during his first head coaching tenure and adjusting accordingly was essential.
Quinn's achieved that and more this season. And he's just getting started.