Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media before practice on Aug. 12. Here is the full transcript of the press conference.
Opening Statement:
"We call these tell the truth Mondays. And it's good, talk through the game. The pluses, the minuses, you get to discuss all of it. Some of the things I know now, today, I didn't know at this time last week. That was good, that's what you find out in a game. It was good to see, 82, Sinnott [TE Ben Sinnott] stretching the field in the passing game. I'd seen quite a bit in the running game, so to see some of that I was pleased with that. I was happy to see the safeties tackle. I saw a few with Butler [S Percy Butler], with Reaves [S Jeremy Reaves]. Those were the things that jumped out to me, the things that you don't really know until you get into the game because you're not tackling. I also learned that we need much more work on overall tackling [laugh]. And ball hawking, certainly defensively, I was pleased to see offensively taking care of [the ball]. That's one of the things you've heard us talk about a lot. And I also learned, there's more to uncover on kickoff cover and kickoff return and it was a lot of fun. The practice of it was good, but the games, you don't know until you get in there and go. All that said, open it up to you guys regarding the game, but it was good. On the tell the truth Monday this is what we learned, this is what we need to do heading into this week. It'll be a little bit of a rinse and repeat as we get to Wednesday, and then we'll travel, practice and play."
On LB Jamin Davis' performance Saturday:
"I think what I learned, I really felt like the speed and physicality, those were the things. I felt that, I can see that, that tackling to go and so that is what I saw. To get a real look at this, at the [defensive end] you have to get it in the game, and you have to get the exposures for it. I was pleased with what I saw from him."
On QB Sam Hartman's status:
"Sam will be out today and tomorrow. And I would say if he and a couple other guys don't make it back in time for practice, then they wouldn't play Saturday. So, that would be where we're at, but it's not something that we're looking at long-term. But for he, and a couple others guys, like [T] Brandon Coleman and Johnny Newton [DT Jer'Zhan Newton], now it'll be Sam. More like day-to-day, and then if they don't make it at the practice, then we'll push it for next week. One other set back we had was [LB] Jordan Magee. He had injured his knee in the game, we're going to get some more testing and that kind of stuff, so that was a bummer for sure. I thought he was off to a good start, so hopeful but we'll see what the rest of the day and tomorrow looks like as well. He'll be out for this week for sure."
On if Hartman's injury is to his shoulder:
"Yes, yep. Right shoulder, yep."
On the offensive line and on what he'd tell fans who are concerned about that position:
"Well, I would say, one, I thought at the practice without Wylie [T Andrew Wylie] I thought the guys did a good job and Coleman [T Brandon Coleman]. So, with those two out then came Lucas [T Cornelius Lucas] and we actually moved [G] Chris Paul out to tackle, so he had some of that experience in college and so we wanted to give that a go. Also, I thought interior, I felt secure with where we're at but on the outside, I thought, actually, the guys did a good job of being in new spots. When you get knocked out a few offensive tackles heading into a game, as a coach you're wanting to see, alright what opportunity will be there for the next. There was some good movement, especially interior for the run game, but there's stuff that I definitely liked."
On WR Dyami Brown:
"One, I thought you've seen some big plays from Dyami through this training camp. There's actually some in the spring that got my attention, to say okay what's there? And his ability to get on top of people and stay. He's got size, he's got length, so there's actually a good play in the one-on-ones that transferred into the game to go. So, I thought examples like that definitely help. Yeah, I was excited for him to make a big play like that, and I can't speak to the past but what I can say is from what I've seen here, the competing, he's on special teams, he's really going for it."
On if anyone further down the depth chart has stood out:
"Well, I thought the first punt I was glad to see [S] Tyler Owens. [He] released, he got singled, made a tackle. I felt that kind of speed for him, he was somebody that jumped out to me. That would be one from Tyler. I thought the tight ends in general were physical, made plays to go. Those would be a few, it was good to see Wiley [RB Michael Wiley] make some plays. I've been waiting for him to try to bust a few, to see where he can be. We haven't seen all the catches that he has, but I did see some plays being made by him as well."
On P Tress Way's tackle:
"We made a big deal on that. I think as big a deal on that was the sideline's reaction to him making a tackle. And I think it probably speaks to the love that his teammates have for him. That kind of excitement to go, made a tackle and I said, 'Look, I don't want to hear anything on the injury report, right shoulder soreness or anything like that.' What I pointed out to the team was their reaction to that, and you can see this is a real team leader for how many people were excited that he made a play. I thought that was a pretty cool statement about who he is as the teammate as well."
On going to Salisbury and now being back in the area and on what he's doing differently from his time in Atlanta:
"It's really cool to be back in the area. Obviously, for me and my wife Stacy going to school there. Such a big impact on the people that helped shaped us coming up. Whether that be through school or athletics, so we've stayed in close contact with a number of people who not only went to school with that are still part of the athletic program there. So, yeah we're really pumped to be back closer. As far as a second lap and doing things differently, I'd say there are quite a few things different, some you won't see just walking around if you weren't with me all the time. Even the way we started training camp, utilizing red zone, having different parts of practice that we're doing things. I would say I'm probably more open to different positions by different players to see what they can do. We were talking about Jamin Davis earlier, and I think moments like that you have to push it. To find out what traits a player does have and then it's our job as coaches to help draw it out of them. And so I think those would be at the top of the list for me."
On the recovery approach this week:
"So, what we did today in the morning kind of up until lunch time it was our "tell the truth", all the review of the Jets game. The things we liked, the things we want to improve on, and then as we got into the afternoon it would be all the focus today right back to our skill work. Today's practice won't be a long one, so you'll see kind of a ramp back up. Some of the people who didn't play a lot in the game will get more reps in practice today, and the people that played a lot of reps in the game would get a little less today. But it's really focused on skill work to get right back to it. And then tomorrow would be another practice of more intensity, more padded work, go back down Wednesday to travel and then Thursday back up. Think of like a Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday format this week for the bulk of the heavy lifting and then today would be kind of a medium day based on who you are and what you played in the game. So, it's been a big difference over the last 10-15 years and if we can do it better and safer for the players, then we need to. And we're working really hard to do that."
On the rookies' first Tell the Truth Monday:
"Yeah, I think there's also a lot of angst on everybody on the roster when you don't know where you're at and how you stand or where you're at on your performance, so the best thing that we talk about is engagement. And so, there were some examples that day, what did you see here? What were you looking at? So, we can have a better insight about why something may or may not have happened, and hopefully we can unlock that to make sure 'Okay, I didn't know you weren't clear on this rule, this topic, this thing' and then we can really work to it. The second part that we hit on is corrections. [Corrections] are part of what we do, and so don't harden your heart to the corrections. If we were actually silent about them, we really wouldn't be doing any of us any justice, so let's make sure these are the things that we thought you did well, these are the things that we want to emphasize heading into this week from practice and to the game."
On building a cohesive offensive line heading into the season:
"For people like [OT Andrew] Wylie, who's been out, he'll be back this week, so that's good. He'll be back kind of in the returning-to-play format, maybe some today, more tomorrow, more Thursday and into the game. The walk throughs, John, help but you do need the live action for the quickness. To go for a guy like Wylie who's an excellent communicator, lot of experience, [it's] easier for him to go back in and perform. It's the communication of everyone else that goes with it and so that part is important. So, to have Wylie back into the process here this week heading in that's a big deal and we'll continue to work that hard."
On OT Brandon Coleman:
"Yeah, and so like I said the walk throughs and the meetings that can help and knowing that we're not going into a regular season game. For guys like he and [DT Jer'Zhan] Johnny [Newton], maybe we wouldn't push it into that space to make sure he can get there, so it's an important piece, John, to make sure we get those parts right. We won't know where Coleman and Johnny are until we get further along in the week. If they weren't able to practice, then we wouldn't play them, so I want to make sure getting the practice, getting the reps before we play those two."
On WR Jahan Dotson playing most snaps of the receivers in the New York Jets game:
"Yeah, I think we're right in the middle of that competition. At receiver and trying to find out slot and inside and outside, so moving guys into different locations. Ben, that's a big piece of it and you'll see more of that this week as well with him and with some of the other receivers. We're really digging into that group and it's a really competitive group to push it, so you'll see more of that same with his reps increased again this week."
On QB Jayden Daniels:
"Yeah, well I think and we did have some fun with it, but the main thing we wanted to make sure, 'Hey, these are the guidelines we wanted to do based on personnel or checks to go through', so that's why we did it and I thought he did a really good job. In a small amount of plays, you felt his presence and everything we're doing with him, and you guys got a lot of questions about him is to set him up for a remarkable career, not just a preseason or a regular season. And so, that's why [General Manager] Adam [Peters] and I were so deliberate and intentional about how we practice him and how we play, and so I know everybody wants to put every thing in front, but he's just knocking every step down that he's supposed to and I think that's an important process. We're not gonna miss it. I think i told you that way early on that that was gonna be it, so we're setting him up to play remarkable for a long time, not just to see if we can get him more playing time in preseason game one or that. So, he's checking all the things that I wanted to, but I think early on we had said, 'Hey, we're gonna get these competitive moments, Jet 1, this one, so we had some to go, so another important week for him to stay in that process."
On TE Ben Sinnott performance and catch in the Jets preseason game:
"It was a huge positive. I think it's a good question because you're [inaudible] did you see what you saw then come to life now, and that's what you want it to do whenever you select somebody or add somebody to the team. This is what I think he could add and so, I think we were clear on the run blocking, about the physicality of what he could do, and we really wanted to see the downfield throws and what does that look like, can he extend and create separation as all the good tight ends do, so it's nice to see that. I've seen that with [QB] Jayden [Daniels], I've seen it with Ben, I've seen it with [CB Mike] Sainristil, I saw it with Coleman. Are they doing what we thought they could do? And so that's a big piece of it. It happens some in free agency, Chick, but it's a little bit easier because its apples to apples. You saw them play against Philadelphia [Eagles], did that trade, so 'Okay, we're seeing the same things here', but when it happens from the college side. That's why the college scouting is where the real art of it all is because it's how do they transfer that skill onto your team when they're not playing whatever that competition might be, so I thought for he and for some of his other teammates, that was a really good thing."
On S Tyler Owens performance in Jets game:
"Yeah, and I think early on a lot of the players that you're referencing especially if you're not an offensive lineman or defensive lineman is how do they make their mark? Sometimes on special teams first to see how do they develop, and how does that go, and so to see guys like him or Chigg or others really say, 'Okay, I wanna make my mark' and, you know, [TE] Colson [Yankoff], there's others that are trying to go for it in that same space, but a lot of the development of those players that are in that spot is really gonna come through special teams. And so, that's why it's been fun to see kickoff and kickoff return because there's more exposures for that player now. When you first started covering the NFL and kickoffs and kickoff returns were more prevalent, you saw more, and so now that we're seeing that again, I think it opens some windows and some opportunities for more players, which I think is a good thing."
On setbacks from Johnny being out of practice:
"Not a setback because it wasn't related to where his injury was, but just a soft tissue part that just wasn't quite right. And so for he and for Brandon and others, we're just gonna make sure they're really right to go. I think both of them would say, 'I'll go tomorrow', so that's the attitude that you want, but it's not the best thing to say, 'Hey, how do we get them ready for the whole thing', knowing that were still in the preseason, so when they do get back out there to play that there's no reservations whatsoever."
