Dan Quinn didn't pull any punches after the Washington Commanders suffered an embarrassing end to their preseason engagements against the Baltimore Ravens. And it's given the head coach and general manager Adam Peters a lot to think about with final cuts now due.
The Commanders rested 41 players. Almost everyone else was fighting for their NFL futures, and very few did enough to enhance their claims.
Quinn cut a visibly frustrated figure after the game, and rightfully so. He bemoaned the lack of effort and intensity from those who took the field. The fire just wasn't there, and it seemed as if they didn't come to play.
Dan Quinn blasts Commanders' fringe players after preseason humiliation
And for some, this will now be the end of their road in Washington.
“I just thought, man, we looked just without a lot of energy and juice to go for it right from the long drive start, turned it over, didn't get going. So, I just thought we looked without the energy and the speed to go finish on it. And that's what I saw a lot of tonight. I didn't see just urgency of sprinting and coming off the ball and flying. And so, I wanted to see more of that for sure.”
It's been a difficult couple of weeks as the summer ends. The Commanders were second best throughout joint practice with the Ravens. They were lackluster in their second preseason outing against the Detroit Lions. And this was the worst performance of the lot.
Mistakes happen. You're not going to have it your way all the time. Results also don't matter much at this time of year, but the way Washington folded was completely unacceptable.
Fortunately for the Commanders, most of the players who logged meaningful reps in Baltimore will not be on the team by Monday. There is a chance for some to come back onto the practice squad, but Peters will also be searching the waiver wire for possible upgrades.
Commanders cannot fall back into old habits with Week 1 looming
This just wasn't good enough. It's that simple.
Whether some had accepted their fate and went about things the wrong way is up for debate. These were second- and third-string players, but the Ravens didn't play anyone of significance either. And they still managed to outclass the Commanders from start to finish.
It's worrying. But the sky is not falling just yet.
The Commanders need everyone fit and firing on all cylinders to stand any chance of bouncing back. They haven't played a competitive regular-season snap yet, and all the deadwood that is clearly on the roster is about to get removed.
But based on how the Commanders underperformed last season when complacency crept in, Quinn cannot let this become an ongoing trend.
Washington has two weeks to figure it out. And with road games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys — two bitter division rivals — first up, significant improvements are needed.
The Commanders won't be better than everybody. But not displaying the correct attitude, work ethic, or intensity should not be tolerated.
And make no mistake; this will not go unnoticed by Peters and Quinn as they get set to trim the fat before Sunday's final cuts deadline.
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