Dan Quinn felt the strain after two straight defeats and losing star quarterback Jayden Daniels to another dislocated elbow. With the Seattle Seahawks coming to Northwest Stadium for their home opener, Washington Commanders fans feared the worst.
But a stunning upset over the defending Super Bowl champions proves that this locker room is still fighting for their head coach.
And their head coach is fighting for them.
Dan Quinn cools off his hot seat after Commanders' stunning win over the Seahawks
The Commanders showed the urgency, resolve, and character that have become synonymous with Quinn's time in the league. He is deeply respected, and it showed, with the players all digging deep and putting together a landmark triumph to save their season.
This was unexpected. But Quinn never stopped believing.
And now, the Commanders have hope again.
Quinn called it a complete-team win. He was quick to lavish praise on his players, but he also deserves real credit for his team's response.
It would have been easy for the Commanders to roll over and accept their fate. Many other teams have throughout NFL history, but that is not the culture Quinn has built.
He demands nothing but togetherness, effort, and collective pursuit of a common goal. The Commanders won't win every game, but it won't be for a lack of trying.
And the brotherhood that is so often preached no longer looked like a catchy slogan without substance.
Commanders' brotherhood under Dan Quinn was visible for everyone to see
It was there for every fan to see.
"It just felt very much like a team win. And all three phases, in the complementary sense, felt that way. I was saying earlier, you don't have to say brotherhood around here a lot, like, you just feel it. And in that game, I just felt it."
The Commanders have a little momentum to build on. They are 1-2, which isn't great, but it looks a whole lot better than 0-3. They also have two relatively winnable games coming up against the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants. If Washington wins both, Quinn's men will be 3-2 before their Monday Night Football showdown against the San Francisco 49ers.
Daniels could also return sooner than expected.
After a week of tests and specialist visits, Daniels won't be going to injured reserve, and he doesn't need surgery right now either. He is aiming to return quickly, and Quinn said his franchise player will travel to London to practice in some capacity.
That doesn't mean he will play at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But it does mean that he isn't too far away.
Regardless of whether Daniels suits up, the team has complete faith in veteran backup Marcus Mariota. Everyone rallied around the signal-caller, and he stepped up. With the improving defense also showing signs of life, all it needed was Quinn to steer everyone in the right direction.
He did so magnificently as the pressure built. One could even say he outcoached Mike Macdonald, the man Washington coveted before he decided to join the Seahawks.
The NFL is a week-to-week league. Washington looked almost down and out just a few short days ago. Now, one of the greatest wins of Quinn's tenure has everyone looking forward to what comes next.
That means no talk of Quinn being on the hot seat, but the noise came from outside the building, not from within.
Week 3's sterling efforts made that abundantly clear.
Current Heat: 5.0 🟡
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