Dan Quinn bought himself more time over the Washington Commanders' bye week. He promised improvements, and they arrived against the Philadelphia Eagles to save his team's season.
The head coach alleviated some pressure on his shoulders. However, Quinn is not out of the woods just yet.
There is a long way to go and a lot of hard work ahead before the Commanders return to respectability. They may have won their last game, but the 2-4-1 overall record is not good. Quinn and his squad cannot get ahead of themselves, especially not with the Los Angeles Rams coming to Northwest Stadium this weekend.
Dan Quinn has hope, but the Commanders have to keep it going
The Rams have not met expectations yet, and they are missing some influential figures from their lineup, but they remain a formidable obstacle. Washington will be punished more severely for any mistakes than Philadelphia did, so Quinn must keep his foot on the throttle.
One win is great. It was much needed, and it showed the Commanders can overcome adversity with the entire NFL watching.
But it counts for nothing if this doesn't become the platform for bigger things.
The Commanders are still in the fight. Things aren't looking too great in the NFC East, and people remain unconvinced by the New York Giants despite their 4-2-1 opening to the season.
That could be Washington's record if a couple more things had gone its way. Still, being only two games out of first place in the division is not the end of the world.
Not yet, anyway.
Rams test in Week 9 will tell fans much more about the Commanders
Everyone expected the Commanders to win on Sunday Night Football. They return to underdog status against the Rams in Week 9, and Sean McVay's squad could also be bringing All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett back after a knee injury.
That would complicate matters. However, if the Commanders can upset the Rams, it could completely alter the dynamic of their campaign.
It's not the end if they don't win. It will make things tougher, but it's hard to say what a positive result would do for a team that looked down and out before its extended bye-week rest.
Quinn is still trying to navigate injury-related difficulties. Daron Payne is done for the year with a fractured foot. Veteran running back Jeremy McNichols' campaign is also over, and defensive lineman Javon Kinlaw's knee complication has now resulted in an injured reserve stint, too.
Not ideal, but it's nothing new.
And in the Commanders' situation, it's next man up and all hands on deck.
The Commanders have given themselves a glimmer of hope, but nothing more. Quinn's fate beyond the season is still hanging by a thread, but the players are still fighting hard to change this narrative.
It'll be tough against the Rams, but they are coming cross-country for a 1:00 p.m. start, which could work in Washington's favor. Nothing is guaranteed, of course, but every little helps.
Winning on prime time gave everyone a huge lift. Quinn's position may have been untenable if it had gone the other way, but he must use this as a motivational springboard for his players.
They have talent. They can match almost anyone if everybody is on point.
What they lack is consistency. If Quinn can do that, the Commanders might have half a chance of being more competitive.
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