Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn met with reporters Monday afternoon to give his final thoughts on the team's 21-18 win over the New York Giants before turning the page to the Cincinnati Bengals. Here are some highlights from the press conference.
He was pleased with the run game
Much of the Commanders' 2024 season revolves around Jayden Daniels' development, and rightfully so, considering how much they have invested in him, but their run game, which was fueled by Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler, was the catalyst for their success in Week 2.
"I was really pleased to see some of the runs, the short yardage ones that turned into some big plays," Quinn said. "It was strong and aggressive."
Brian Robinson Jr., who set a career high with 133 rushing yards on Sunday, turned several runs into chunk plays. The biggest came on a third-and-1, when Robison plowed into a wall of Giants players before popping into the open field and sprinting for a 40-yard gain.
The Commanders had 215 yards on the ground -- their largest total since Week 18 of the 2021 season -- which helped them rank seventh in yards per game and sixth in yards per attempt. And Quinn expects the run game to improve throughout the season.
"I do love what Brian and Austin [Ekeler] bring to the team," he said. "They're different, but they both have unique things."
Zach Ertz was a big presence
There were hints during training camp at what the chemistry between Daniels and tight end Zach Ertz could be. There wasn't much of it against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the veteran pass-catchers was physical against the Giants and created problems for them, as he led the team with 62 yards.
"I just felt his presence really strongly in this game," Quinn said. "He was dialed in, really ready to go."
One of the plays that impressed Quinn the most was the moment when Ertz ripped the ball away from a Giants defender for a 21-yard pickup on third-and-4. Later in the third quarter, Ertz drew a penalty while completing a 14-yard catch, which led to him getting more fired up on the field.
Despite being one of the older active tight ends, Ertz has shown that he still knows how to get open and make plays.
Pass coverage was better with communication but still needs to improve
Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. spoke often and at length about the miscommunication errors from the secondary against the Buccaneers. They tried to figure out ways of simplifying the verbiage and even emphasized that players need to speak more loudly to make sure the calls are made and received. The communication still wasn't where it needed to be against the Giants, but it was better.
"At the Tampa game, we had a couple routes that we didn't match quite like we'd like," Quinn said. "That part was significantly better."
Quinn said he could live with some of the comeback routes and other concepts if players are sitting on top of them, but the explosive plays where the ball goes over their heads are inexcusable. The team emphasized forcing the Giants to dink and dunk their way downfield, and aside from a few big plays from Malik Nabers, they achieved that goal, as the Giants were limited to just 304 yards of offense.
The Commanders' defense still had problems with Nabers, though, as the Giants moved him around the formation to give him the best matchups. Tackling was still a problem at times, particularly on those comeback routes, as Nabers evaded defendes on the way to earning first downs.
So, while there were improvements in certain areas, the secondary still has a long way to go.
The offense and Daniels are still growing.
There weren't many explosive plays for the Commanders against the Buccaneers in Week 1. Most of Daniels' passes were near or behind the line of scrimmage, and his average depth of target suffered because of it.
The offense was more dynamic against the Giant, as Daniels hit six of nine pass attempts over 10 yards. There's still more room for him to grow, Quinn said, but the Commanders are willing to be patient because of his more positive traits.
"Jayden's just going into his third game," Quinn said. "We had some ones down the field that we would've liked to have seen him take. Some of the ones even on the scrambles to remain a passer as you're coming closer towards the line of scrimmage to throw it down the field."
Daniels' growing pains were not as problematic for the Commanders against the Giants. The unit must improve in the red zone, but they didn't punt on Sunday and scored points on all but one of their drives. And considering all the problems the team has had at kicker, Quinn isn't going to complain about that.
Daniels' poise and ability to keep passes out of harm's way helps alleviate some of the questions about stretching the field. Quinn also knows they will come as the offense matures.
"We are still a new team together," Quinn said. "The more reps, the more game experience that we get, these are really valuable times for us. And so the games are so important, not just because of the win-loss, but how we wanna play. I just kind of anticipated us continuing this trajectory upwards."
