Dan Quinn reveals how Falcons firing led to success with Commanders
11/14/2024 11:46 AM
The Washington Commanders have been one of the most pleasant surprises in the NFL in 2024. Washington is 7-3 heading into Week 11 and is in a tight competition with Philadelphia for the NFC East title. One reason why the Commanders have turned into an instant contender is the leadership of head coach Dan Quinn.
Quinn has not always had success in the NFL. He recently gave an interview to ESPN’s John Keim that put a spotlight on his last head coaching role in Atlanta. Quinn opened up on how that impacted him and how he’s reinvented himself since.
“It sucked so bad,” said Quinn, recalling the end of his tenure with the Falcons. “I definitely was mad and depressed and upset. I affected all of those players, their families, the coaches, their families, the fan base when I didn’t get the job done.”
Quinn was 43-42 as head coach of the Falcons. Unfortunately, during a make-or-break 2020 season the Falcons started 0-5, which led to owner Arthur Blank firing Quinn.
“I wouldn’t have changed as much,” Quinn said of his in-season exit in Atlanta, which allowed him some time for self-reflection. “I wouldn’t have been able to apply the same lessons. So, for that, I’m thankful.”
Quinn now views his experience in Atlanta as a gift, although he certainly didn’t view it that way at the time.
“At the time, it wasn’t,” he said. “But then now I realize that’s exactly what it was. Everybody has their dark spots and that was mine. But I wanted to make sure I came out of it stronger and that this is going to change.”
Kellen Moore reveals what Bobby Wagner brings to Commanders defense
The Commanders will take on the Eagles on Thursday night in a game that has huge NFC East implications.
Eagles OC Kellen Moore spent some time praising Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner during an interview on Wednesday. Moore explained how Wagner has brought some positive changes to the Commanders’ defense.
"You can just see he runs the show. It's really, really impressive. You can see him, complete command of the defense, running and operating and playing really like a quarterback for that whole group. Allowing them to get in and out of different looks and different adjustments. He's one of the best linebackers to ever play in this league, and he's still playing at a really high level," Moore said per a press conference transcript provided by the Eagles' Media Center.
Moore continued by noting that Washington’s stout defense makes the Week 11 matchup even more interesting.
"They've got excellent push, excellent effort. They get to the quarterback… They do an excellent job of playing aggressive on the receivers… They give you just enough flavor to make you work pre-snap and post-snap, so they'll do an excellent job. They'll make it hard on us," Moore added.
Eagles vs. Commanders will kick off at 8:15 PM ET on Thursday in Philadelphia.
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