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News | Washington Commanders - Commanders.com

Final thoughts | Dan Quinn 'not concerned' about Daniels' leg soreness

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Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media to deliver some final thoughts on the team's 23-19 win over the Dallas Cowboys before moving on to the playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Here are some of the highlights from the press conference.

-- Jayden Daniels was held out of the second half of the Cowboys game with leg soreness, opening the door for Marcus Mariota to come in and lead the Commanders to a comeback victory. It was not part of the plan to sit Daniels, which naturally led to questions about what his availability will be against the Buccaneers. Quinn squashed those questions immediately: "I'm not concerned."

"I'm feeling good going into the weekend. I'm actually feeling good on the team's health, so that's a good thing when you get to this time of year, heading into the guys. And hopefully having some guy back too."

-- On that note, Quinn provided positive updates on other injured Commanders players. He described Tyler Biadasz and Marshon Lattimore as doing well. Lattimore, who is dealing with a hamstring injury, ran some today and "the arrow was going up." Still, those players will be monitored throughout the week.

-- The Buccaneers were the only team that beat the Commanders by more than a touchdown in the regular season, and there were several reasons for that poor start from Washington. It was Daniels' first-career start, and against a Todd Bowles defense, no less. The defense also struggled to contain Baker Mayfield, who avoided sacks and threw four touchdowns. Quinn described the playoff game as a "full circle" moment and "a great measuring stick" for how the team has grown this season. Based on how they have performed since then, it's clear Washington has at least taken some strides.

"I would say we're a scheme and we knew we would grow into that. All three phases, guys coming together. What we didn't know was really who they are and what we've learned over these 17 weeks, this is a resilient group, man. These guys love to fight. They have a real connection, that's a really powerful thing. You can see how close they are. You see it on the field, off the field, I love what we stand for. The guys have really put the work in and in the situation side of things."

-- Speaking of Mayfield, Quinn was complimentary of what the quarterback has done this season.

"He just had a fantastic year, now that we're going into the full breakdowns now and going into it, when you place somebody so early you don't necessarily see it all. Then you look up and you see, 41 touchdowns and you see a lot of progress of moments and people. Yeah, a lot of respect for what they're doing offensively, for sure."

-- The Commanders have won their last five games, but four of them have come down to the last drive, including their most recent win over the Cowboys. "The s* gets crazy in the postseason," Quinn said, so the Commanders are bracing for more wild finishes. Fortunately, they like crazy situations.

"I think over the last month our games have come down to the end. And what I told them last night, just because we can does not mean we have to do this. But I do love that there is a confidence with the group, because they have been in a lot of fights and on that sideline when you're there, there's not a panic about it."

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