Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media after practice on Jan. 3. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.

Opening Statement:
"On this day, let's start off some of the captains and we can hit as we're getting ready for the game. So, offensively, [TE] Zach Ertz and we talked about Zach as a pro's pro. And the consistency and humility he brings to us on a regular basis. He's made a lot of impact and he's been [in] a lot of NFC East fights, so thought he'd be offensively a good one to have up on this one. Defensively, was [DE] Dorance Armstrong and he's always been somebody that never took the easy path. And it's his work and it's his skills and just almost by any means necessary to win. He finds that edge and finds the way. And then on special teams, it's [S] Percy Butler. We thought as an absolute tone setter, the speed and the toughness he's shown outside has really made an impact for us and brought a lot of energy to the team. So, that's the captains. We will rule three guys out today. That's going to be [CB] Marshon [Lattimore], it's going to be [S] Tyler Owens and [LB] Jordan Magee. Past that, everybody participated in some fashion and [General Manager] Adam [Peters] and I will huddle up this evening and kind of get the 48, who and what, and we'll kind of get rocking there, but I wanted to give you that and then we can get started on the game."

On how he factors in next week's game when it comes to players returning from injury:
"It didn't, honestly, this one to go of, because I think of it that the same through the year, can they make it? Can they do the things that they need to do? So, it didn't creep in to the decisions regarding those three. All of them were pushing in close and we just, on these soft tissue ones, man, you just you don't want to do it till you know and that's really important. But that would've been the same in any of the weeks, but I'm pleased with the progress of those three. They just weren't close enough, but that doesn't mean they're not close."

On RB Austin Ekeler's status:
"Yeah, he had a great week. We'll visit about that tonight, where we're going. But he really had a fantastic week of preparation. He looked fast, explosive, all the stuff that Austin brings, but we'll visit with him and Adam tonight and tomorrow."

*On how rare it is to have so many new faces on a team mesh as well as they have here: *"Yeah, I think that's a real example from Adam and his staff of, asking the coaches specifically what are you looking for and how do we feature it and finding those players? And so I thought laying out what that would look like for us, I thought that's where it starts for Adam and [Assistant General Manager] Lance [Newmark] and the whole staff of guys. And we spent a lot of time together, but I think that was the most important one, of them understanding the positions and going through the scheme and what would they look for at certain spots. And so, I thought that's a demonstration of those guys really digging in."

On an example of someone he pointed out to the front office to target in the offseason:
"Man, that's a good one. Austin Ekeler, I would say is one that, and running backs can come in different packages to go, and [Running Backs Coach/Run Game Coordinator] Anthony [Lynn] had a long history with him too. So, sometimes when you bring these people together from different backgrounds, like Adam had worked with Cle [DE Clelin Ferrell]. And so, they could give you more insight and I knew the player that he was runner and receiver. But what you don't know until you work with somebody is the details, the execution and all the things that go into that. And so, guys like Zach and Austin, you can tell why they're a pro's pro. They are on it and find a margin to get better and look at something on some details. And so, the two of them specifically have really stood out. But Austin I would say was one that going into it didn't think we'd have a chance at it. And then we dig to find out roles, how would it do? And so sometimes you also have to talk about playing time and how we would be featured to make it fit from the business side too. So, I thought again, Adam and their guys really had a sense of what we'd need and how we'd feature the players and that's our job as coaches then to make that vision come to life on the field. And that's a really important piece of it."

On how concerning Lattimore's injury is for the long-term:
"I don't know the long, I can't speak on the long-term, but I do know he's working incredibly hard at it. And so, when you're close you want to obviously go for it. And the fact that he is putting in all the work to go there, I'm hopeful that it'll eventually be, we're okay. I wouldn't say put it in the rear view mirror forever, but there'll always be probably some maintenance when he or any player has an injury you keep working it through. But I would say that I love the speed that he is working with and he's certainly very close."

On QB Jayden Daniels finding ways to protect himself:
"Well, I think going into it that was one of the topics way back early on and what does sliding look like? What does getting out of bounds look like? And so, it wasn't as familiar with him yet but this is a guy that is a fast learner. It just wasn't part of his game all the way through college. And that's true for a lot of players in college. They're more wide open to run and less sliding in that and it just is. And so, I'm not surprised that it didn't take long to understand, that's out of bounds, that's a slide, that's a throwaway. So, he is a quick study on things. I knew it would get there in the early part of the season. There was a reaction, guys like that. But the underlying of that, I knew he would improve on it and there's still too many and we're still growing. But there also is a time when this is the winning moment. That's a different discussion."

On Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury saying he wants to be a head coach again at some point:
"I think that would be an accurate statement. I've been in that space before and he's done a fantastic job here and he's earned the right to be choosy if he wants to when that time comes. And so, that would be the only thought I'd have with him when that time does come to say make sure it lines up like you want it to in all the spaces and on your second lap, you're probably a little more, if you're willing to do that, you're a little more mindful of that. Where the first time, 'I'm going to go, I got go, I got to take it.' And not knowing if it's there, and the second time you after sitting in the seat, 'Okay, this is what's going to be best for me and where I can be at my best.' So, when the time comes and it lines up for him, he'll do a fantastic job."

*On coaches looking for opportunities elsewhere while also preparing for the playoffs: *"It's actually, the league has done a really good job through the years. There's plenty of time and guidelines. I've actually gone through it, and it was much easier the second time than it was the first time of going through interviews when I was in Seattle. And it's just a much better process now for anybody who's willing to do that. All the work that you have done, you don't start preparing for it this week. If you are, you're not ready to be a head coach [laughs]. So, if I had saw anybody doing that, I'd call timeout. 'Hey man, what the hell are you doing?' Because if you're not ready to, somebody wanted to pick you up, 'Hey, can I talk to you tonight at nine o'clock? Yeah, I'll be there, I'll be on the phone.' But if you have to prepare to do that, then you haven't done the work. And so, that would be pretty obvious to me."

On creating more turnovers on defense:
"Yeah, it's a really lofty goal, but the actual truth of it is the best turnover margin in NFL history happened here. And to be in the plus it's both, it's taking care of the ball, it's creating takeaways. It takes a lot of work, it takes practice. It's really a mindfulness to put a hand on it, to recover it, to think about it. Because sometimes people think of it all as interceptions. And so, for us it's also the fumble recoveries. It's thinking about when the ball is on the ground, how do I have to position myself to get the recovery. And so, we've got work to do on that. I've never been one that said it comes in bunches, because then I think you're relying on fate or luck and I think that's a terrible plan for getting takeaways. It's about the skill and the technique and mindfulness for it. And so, like a lot of parts of things that we're improving on, by [no means] are we satisfied where we're at in terms of the way we go after the football."

On what Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Pass Game Coordinator Brian Johnson has brought to his coaching staff:
"Yeah, he's not only brought a lot to the staff, he's also brought a lot to myself. He's somebody that I lean in on hard. We talk a lot of game management things together. We talk offensive things, defensive. So, Brian is extended through the staff. [Defensive Coordinator] Joe [Whitt Jr.] relies on him a lot. They talk two-minute at the end of games. So, [Defensive Passing Game Coordinator] Jason Simmons is also into that space where they sometimes at practice call the other teams' offense or defense in a two-minute and it makes it a little more realistic and competitive. So, we do that on Thursdays where it's, for instance, our offense against the Dallas defense and then the Dallas, vice versa. And a lot of those guys will go in to look, what are the concepts, what are they playing? And so, I love what Brian brings, not just from a knowledge standpoint, but to the entire staff. He is an incredible coach."

On Ekeler playing before the playoffs to test himself:
"Yeah, none of that, but just when he's ready and he really had a good week then, so nothing past that. I love the speed that he played with. I love the energy that he brought into it, so that's what my eyes and ears were looking at for him."

On preparing for next week without knowing the opponent yet:
"You have some potentials. And so, the assistants will begin work like they do every week on opponents. It's just a little more for them, but it's definitely extra work that they're willing to do."

On weighing your current situation with a potential new situation when considering other coaching positions:
"Yeah, I think it's the nothing can replace the joy that you have of where you're at. And so, when you find that it's a difficult thing to get. And when you do get it, you have gratitude for it. And so, sometimes you want to stay in that moment and other times it feels, 'Okay, that opportunity's just too good to miss.' And so all of it factors in, all of it does. Jayden is an incredible player and he's [an] absolute blast to coach and confidence, humility, playmaking ability, and is just going this way, man. Like this train ain't slowing down. So, that's a personal decision. When it comes right, you just feel it. If you feel like you have to force it, then you're probably not making the right choice."

On Daniels' vision when he decides to take off and run:
"Yeah, I knew the running skill was that good, but what he has worked on hard is his ability to remain a passer into the pocket. And what happens sometimes, and I'll use an example from the last game as he was remaining a passer, the safety then had to back up and find the receiver and he ran. So, it can kind of go both ways. If you could see that, as I'm remaining a passer and John has to guard Ben, he can't just climb to me. So, you can also create space to run. And so, there's like a balance of that and if somebody is coming up, you rip it. And so, finding that balance is a really crucial part of that. But I wasn't able to see that in that, might be a better question for Adam from more of what he watched, like I remember our first time together he watched, 'I watched this game from his freshman year at Arizona State.' So, he had clearly watched so much and it's a really important trait, but knowing I can run because I am remaining a passer. And the people that are all runners, they see somebody coming and as they're approaching, how do I make a miss versus ripping it? And so, I think that's the balance that he's really finding and locking in on."