Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and general manager Adam Peters addressed the media following the conclusion of the 2024 season. Here are five takeaways from their joint press conference.

1. They earned their scars.

Quinn said Washington "had a lot going for it" heading into the NFC Championship. Their brotherhood, toughness and work ethic had been enough to get them a 12-5 regular season record and one win away from a Super Bowl.

There was one thing missing from the championship formula: scars.

"You can't get 'em when you first huddle up, and you gotta earn 'em and sure as hell don't want to, but you do need 'em to grow," Quinn said. "You truly don't know who you are until you get your ass knocked down and see how you get back up."

The Commanders earned their scars after a 55-23 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on the road. While they did fight to the end, the offense committed four turnovers while the defense struggled to stop Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts. Getting to a conference championship was an admirable way to close out the season, but it wasn't how the Commanders wanted to end the first year of Quinn's tenure.

Quinn believes the team will learn from that experience.

"If I know anything about our team, they will absolutely get up swinging," Quinn said.

2. Early success.

The Commanders were one of the league's best stories in 2024, as Daniels put up historic numbers for a rookie, and the team survived several close finishes to earn the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. All that resulted from Peters and Quinn's shared vision when they took their respective jobs.

"DQ did an incredible job of really instilling that into our players and bringing our guys together and creating a true brotherhood," Peters said. "And he said that when we started, the faster we can create that, the better we can be sooner."

Quinn refused to use the word "rebuild" when he became the head coach, electing instead to say it was a "recalibration." He referenced that belief again during Monday's press conference, saying, "there were so many people...that were here that were absolutely all in." But Quinn added more context to why he felt the team needed to recalibrate.

"The recalibration meant like everybody's bouncing, [the] needle bounces around a little bit, but we found it, and we found who we are and our identity. Like I said, the floor has risen, but like, we're nowhere near where our ceiling's gonna be, and that fires me up."

3. Evaluations for next season.

Peters said the team is still going through the "sting" of losing in the NFC Championship, but he's "really thankful" for the players and how much work they put into the season. However, they can't spend much time pondering over the loss because they need to start working on next season's roster.

"And now, once we turn that page, we'll meet with the coaches and really discuss where we want to go next," Peters said. "And our scouts have been working their tails off on the draft and free agency."

Peters and the Commanders have several decisions to make heading into the offseason. Almost two dozen of their players, including Dyami Brown, Bobby Wagner and Zach Ertz, are set to hit free agency. Fortunately, the Commanders have the third most projected available cap space, but they also need to strengthen their roster at positions like cornerback, edge rusher and wide receiver.

There are also seven draft picks to consider. The Commanders' loss locks them into the No. 29 overall, but they also have picks in the second, third, fifth and seventh rounds. Peters will need to repeat his success in putting together last year's class, which included Daniels, cornerback Mike Sainristil, defensive tackle Johnny Newton and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey.

Peters said the Commanders will approach the offseason by starting from the bottom.

"I know it's a boring answer, but...we're going to look at every single day as getting better each day and doing what's best for the team and trying to get back up."

4. Next steps for the culture.

As important as it was for Peters to acquire the right talent to turn the Commanders from a 4-13 team to a conference championship contender, the culture Quinn implemented played an equally important role. The key traits -- competitiveness, toughness and work ethic -- helped maximize the talent Peters brought in, and it helped the team pull out impressive victories, some of which were over teams that had technically better rosters.

Quinn wants that culture to keep growing as he prepares for Year Two of his tenure.

"It's such an important topic and it really is the work that we do every day and it's how we conduct our lives here," Quinn said.

There's a reason Quinn believed establishing a culture was so important when he became the team's head coach. It helped to set the standard for how people in the organization conducted themselves. This standard covers everything from what the players wear during walkthroughs to how they train.

And establishing that culture wasn't just for the present; it was also for the players who join the team in the future. Establishing that standard now, and staying consistent with it, is the only way it can grow.

"It will grow stronger because it's the people that live it," Quinn said. "If it's just a sign on the wall, then you don't really have one. You have to live it."

5. "Savor this time."

The final days of an NFL season are bittersweet, not just because they almost always end in a loss. The Commanders established a strong foundation for the future. Some will get to be part of the next step, while others will leave to pursue other opportunities.

It could be a long time before some members of last year's roster see each other again, so Quinn had a message for them in their final team meeting: "Savor this time."

"They've created something together, as teammates, that is special," Quinn said. "And not every locker room is the same year-to-year. And knowing that next year's team will be different than this year's team, but what they have created."

The connection the players built during the season made it fun for Quinn to coach them. It also made them fun to watch. Their ability to find ways to win in the fourth quarter helped ignite the fan base and provide hope for the future. Sometimes, Quinn would stand outside the meeting room and listen to the players enjoying their time together.

"I just know that they enjoy that time that they spend together," Quinn said. "And if you can create that as a team and really fight your off for it, that's the type of environment we want to foster as often as we can."

The Commanders hope to have similar success on the field in the future, but the 2024 season will be unique because of the moments that came from it.

"I didn't want them to miss that and lose that because having great team chemistry is a part of a championship run. And they know exactly what that looks like."