Dan Quinn entered the campaign under pressure to bounce back. After the Washington Commanders suffered an opening-day loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the head coach is already feeling the strain.
Any talk of Quinn being on the hot seat came from outside the building this offseason. The Commanders remain confident he can get this ambitious franchise back on track, and the respected figure never lost the locker room.
Everyone has a tipping point, but even after a Week 1 defeat, that might still be a way off.
Nobody is sounding the alarm on Dan Quinn yet, but the Commanders must beat the Cowboys
Even so, Quinn cannot afford to falter further when the Commanders travel to take on the Dallas Cowboys in Week 2.
The Cowboys lost to the New York Giants on Sunday Night Football. They'll be aiming to avoid a similar fate in their home opener, and there is no love lost between the two clubs. This contest also carries personal pride for Quinn, who served as defensive coordinator in Dallas before landing the top job in Washington.
One loss isn't the end of the world. But if the Commanders started 0-2 with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks next up in Week 3, that is a much graver issue.
Nobody expected an easy ride for Washington this season. The Commanders face a brutal gauntlet of playoff contenders and resurgent teams before their bye week. It's an early storm they must weather, but two losses to NFC East rivals would put Quinn squarely on the back foot.
Resolve remains strong in the building. But that's not always enough.
And the public criticism of cornerback Mike Sainristil this week only highlighted the stern approach Quinn is taking this time around.
Commanders still believe in Dan Quinn, but picking up positive results soon is key
The Cowboys are vulnerable defensively. The Commanders can exploit that, but quarterback Dak Prescott has been ultra-productive against Washington throughout his career. Pair that with the prolific wide receiver tandem of George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb facing a suspect cornerback unit, and it's not hard to see where things could get complicated.
We're about to find out how much the players are fighting for Quinn.
It's early days, and there is a lot of football left. Josh Harris is a patient owner, so getting rid of Quinn during the season doesn't seem likely. At the same time, last season must become a blip if he wants any chance of seeing a fourth year at the helm.
Nobody should be thinking about that now. The focus is solely on getting things right, and the Commanders will be striving with everything they have to secure bragging rights against their most hated rival.
If they cannot, the probability of making the playoffs from 0-2 will take a significant tumble, if history is any indication.
There is no point in sounding the alarm just yet. Media speculation and fan angst tend to trickle in, no matter how strong the culture is. But if the Commanders don't start picking up some positive results soon, this will inevitably arrive.
It's time to put up or shut up.
The result didn't go Washington's way in Week 1. Even so, they showed defensive improvement. The offense looked good down the stretch, and perhaps most importantly, they kept fighting right until the end.
Quinn will be expecting all that and more in Dallas if he doesn't want his seat to get a little bit warmer.
Current Heat: 6.75 🟡
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