Dan Quinn knows that things haven't gone well for the Washington Commanders this season. He also knows that his squad made significant improvements against the Denver Broncos before eventually falling short in heartbreaking fashion.
Now, the task is to maintain, or even exceed, these standards over their final five games of the campaign.
There are mitigating circumstances attached to Washington's demise this season. Injuries have decimated the team's hopes, and while Quinn is not using that as an excuse, one only has to look at how competitive they were against a leading Super Bowl contender on Sunday Night Football, with some returning veterans back in the fold, to see how it's impacted matters.
Dan Quinn urges Commanders' locker room to maintain the new standards set
Quinn isn't interested in looking back. He's all about pushing forward. And he sent a strong message to every player in the locker room about building on this positive showing, ensuring the standards that propelled Washington to the NFC Championship game last season return.
"It's really important building those habits for everybody who's coming back here knowing this is the standard. This is what we like. It's not rules; it's standards, and it's not something you follow. This is how we do things, and I think that's a big difference."Dan Quinn via Commanders.com
The message might have gotten lost among the Commanders' fan base, given that the team is sitting at 3-9 when another bold playoff push was expected. However, one only has to look at the first episode of HBO's Hard Knocks docuseries to see how much resolve remains in the locker room.
Everyone remains entirely on board. Everyone is bought into Quinn's motivational techniques, and everyone is still pulling hard for each other. That's not the case with some struggling rosters around the league, which is an encouraging sign for the future amid the doom and gloom.
The Commanders might not have the strength in depth or overall roster quality to match the contending teams, but they are still striving with everything they have to turn the tide. And when it comes to the crunch, that's all fans want to see from the team they love.
Massive changes are coming to the playing personnel this offseason. This brotherhood will look very different by the time preparations for the 2026 campaign begin. But until then, Quinn will keep preaching the only things he knows — it's a collective effort, and pushing forward together in the pursuit of greatness is imperative.
The signs were there in Week 13. Hopefully, this can provide the catalyst for a strong end to an otherwise underwhelming season.