Dan Quinn knows that the NFL is a week-to-week league. The Washington Commanders were riding high after beating the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. But now the head coach has his team at 1-3 after a disappointing loss to the Indianapolis Colts.
And with the injury problems Washington is dealing with, the pressure is inevitably building.
Things might have been different had veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota not gotten hurt in London. That changed the entire complexity of the game, but this is a results business. This is all that counts at the end of the day, and the Commanders are falling short.
Dan Quinn still believes in his Commanders squad despite dismal 16-game run
The Commanders have lost three out of four games this season. Perhaps more concerning is Washington's 3-13 record over its last 16 regular-season games, dating back to last season.
That is simply not good enough, and Quinn knows it.
Even though the Commanders have their backs against the wall, Quinn still believes in this squad. He believes his players are made of the right stuff, and they can get themselves out of this slump. Things are looking bleak, but the coach will keep plowing forward.
It'll take a big effort. But with quarterback Jayden Daniels set to return after a two-game absence, there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Quinn said the plan is for Daniels to get a full week of practice before returning to the starting lineup. Hopefully, everything goes according to plan, because with Mariota out with an MCL sprain, the Commanders won't be going anywhere without their franchise player.
The Commanders must start building consistent momentum sooner rather than later.
Daniels won't solve every problem. The signal-caller could mask some of them if he can play without restrictions while wearing an elbow brace. And that might be enough when the 3-1 New York Giants come to town.
Commanders have to beat the Giants, or their campaign could unravel
It's a must-win game. If the Commanders go 1-4 before their Monday Night Football showdown with the San Francisco 49ers, things could go completely off the rails.
Quinn is looking to avoid that, and he'll take every possible measure to give the home fans something to cheer this weekend.
That's all he can do.
We'll find out how much this squad is still fighting for Quinn. They showed the right resolve against the Seahawks, and they didn't roll over against the Colts despite some torrid injury luck.
This is positive, but talk is cheap now.
The Giants are without their starting quarterback and star edge rusher, but they are finding ways to win. John Harbaugh is leading them superbly, and they will fancy their chances of coming to Northwest Stadium and getting a positive result.
It's the Commanders' job to not let that happen. But every single squad member has to dig deep and find the solutions to some growing problems.
After that, Quinn has to manage the game carefully and try to stay one step ahead of Harbaugh.
Anything less, and the Commanders will have a big problem.
Getting Daniels back is a big relief. It's probably placing too much pressure on the signal-caller, but it's a risk everyone in Washington is willing to take.
After all, the Commanders' postseason hopes will be all but over without a victory.
Current Heat: 6.75 ðŸŸ
Add us as a preferred source on Google