Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media on Dec. 18. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
Opening Statement:
"Alright, good to see everybody. Well, I thought for us a really cool week to be back in the division and in the NFC East. Philadelphia has been the heavy hitters so far this season in division. So, a great challenge for us and we're pumped to be able to get them back here at home with the fans and get rocking. So, all that said, let's get it cooking."
On what DT Jonathan Allen's possible return means:
"Yeah, well first I think it's a remarkable part of the rehab, for him to go through it. There's a lengthy protocol in the return to make sure we don't miss a step along the way. For us, you've heard us say protecting the team, that's the player too. So, we did that with [CB] Marshon [Lattimore] too and [Allen's] really worked hard to get ready into this space. So, we'll just kind of take it, practice as we're going, but he'll be back in with the team today and going through it."
On where QB Jayden Daniels has progressed the most over the last few weeks:
"Sliding [laughs]. Gotta have some fun some days. It was a big topic Week One, if you guys don't forget. I mean, there was a lot of talk. Whole other discussion [laughs]. Here's what I would say, one of the things that we've worked really hard on is remaining a passer inside of the pocket. When I do, he's got legs to move and so for him of remaining a passer longer, the guys stay in coverage longer, the receivers down the field working. I think that part of the game there's been improvement and I would say we're still progressing in that spot. He came in with a really rock solid background. So, for me it's the things that don't show up on the stat sheet. It's checking to the right play, it's getting to the right protection, it's taking care of the football with great decisions. So, for us to be, I don't know, maybe we're plus four or plus five sitting at this part of the year with a quarterback who hasn't done it before, I think that says a lot to his ability to make good decisions. And I don't want to call it underrated, but it's a big deal."
On the balance between numbers and context when making decisions to kick a field goal versus going for it on fourth down:
"Yeah, through the pregame and to make sure how they're striking the ball, how that's going. So, that kind of part of it too to say, we feel comfortable and honestly the player feels comfortable at this line to go. So, that's really what I lean in on, on a gut instinct. Inside it's always a little better, because you're not dealing with other factors that could go with it. But it does have it, you're right, it brings up more context to it and as I'm starting to learn them more, I'm also asking, looking, watching, what do I see? What do I hear out at practice? And so those are the things that I look for. And fortunately for us, it's windy as hell sometimes here at practice. And so, we get to be in those moments and those conditions. So, we do make it challenging but there's nothing like the live game at it."
On Daniels making decisions without key pieces of the offense:
"I don't think you have to consider the, you're not calling specific plays with certain players. So, it's not like, 'Hey, these guys are out, we just do everything exactly the same.' So, you definitely feature people in different ways. I think in that instance, it was probably more coincidental than not. I can't tell you that the same results wouldn't have happened if we had a couple other players there. What I can say is that you're always adjusting and seeing what to do and the end of the line, like way too many for us in the game. That's the name of it. So, easy to pick back at certain things, but at the end of it, just the number was too high. I wouldn't necessarily put it on a specific person not being available."
On TE Zach Ertz and S Jeremy Chinn leaving the game and having to continue to play without those key starters:
"Yeah, for sure. It's a challenge and it's especially difficult, both teams were right there in the game and so at that point the focus is on the player. And being able to get into the next space, that does take mental training to go on to the next thing. Because you don't want to be callous to say, 'Oh this next man up or that.' That's not what we say at all. But you do have to shift back into the mode of the game and responsibilities. And that, as a coach, the good news is that when you're seeing a player getting up and walking off that they're with the best of the best in terms of the medical side. And I have certainly been impressed over the weeks of when I've seen people respond in action here. I saw it firsthand with [RB] Austin [Ekeler] to the field. I saw it firsthand with [WR] Noah [Brown] where it wasn't the wind knocked out, it wasn't. And you had to dig layers down to find that he had a significant injury. And so that as a coach, you have a lot of faith and trust knowing that, hey man, these people in the crisis in the moment when they respond, I always have a lot of respect for that part of it. Because that's the same pressure filled, respond quickly, that in that profession's really critical. And I have certainly been impressed with our team."
On what's impressed him about the depth of the team:
"Going into it, you want to have a big deep crew that you have to take people out at times in practice. You may have even seen that at times. In a competitive period, I learned early on you take some people out into those moments just to see the next player respond. It's a two-minute drill and okay, Jeremy is out. It's a two-minute drill and you take [LB Bobby] Wagner out. Take the starting center out to create some diversion and adversity in that. So, when those times do come, that player's been in those environments as often as you can. From the coaching side, it's really important that every player in the room has the responsibility for the game day. You've heard us talk a lot about development. So, it would be unfair to say, just for example because Chick [Hernadnez] is sitting here, if he was in the running back room to say, 'Okay, the other three are ready but he'll get there eventually.' That would be irresponsible, because we're not developing him not just the skills but the football acumen to go. So, each player in the game plan, they're responsible for that for the week. Even if they're unlikely to play in that game, you just don't know when a guy gets sick, something happens at a practice and the next person has to be available. So, I think it's important that of the, like we said, we look at this as not a 53 or even a 48-man roster, but 65 where it's everybody can be into that. And that's why at practice all of the players play. You've seen the scout teams holding up cards. I think that's an important piece to this. If you really want a competitive team, the pressure has to be on everyone to deliver. You don't know who could win the game for you. And so, you have to put that pressure on them to get that done."
On slowing down Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley and on what they learned from the first matchup:
"Like a lot of great players, he is at his best and has proven to be in the end of games. And so, we have to make sure the fit and the tackling on the fifth run is the same on the 25th run. And you have to be able to just continue to do right longer than them. And they've proven this year that they're exceptional at staying at it, staying at it. And that takes a lot of discipline. It takes a lot of work to do it over and over again because like the great player, it just takes the one and that's what makes over and over, the grind of staying in it for each down. That's the key to me."
On if he leans on the veterans to stop Philadelphia's offense in the second matchup:
"Yep. You go back and watch it for sure, you have to. And you want to point out the things that you liked. And then when you think about a game like this, when you're in any division game, what do you need to stop doing? What do you need to start doing? And what do you want to do the same? And so, things, whether it might have been a scheme or a technique, 'Hey, that's something we're not going to do. This is something we're going to add.' And these other things, stay in that. So, what do you want to stop doing? What do you need to start doing? And what do you want to do the same? Each division game, both sides, there's some new things that neither team has shown. So, that will happen. It's not like a rinse and repeat, here's the game plan. You dust it off and put it up in front of everyone. All teams are changing, and things are different and matchups are there. That's what's kind of part of the fun of playing the second time.'
On what makes Philadelphia's defensive front unique:
"It's interesting, oftentimes you may have one-on-one side that can win and you can go to chip there or somebody that's significant inside that you turn the center slide to. Those are the two main examples. Outside usually helps with tight ends and backs and inside helps with centers. In this case they've really got an effective four-man rush. And so, that's what makes the challenge more difficult to say, that's a matchup, that's a matchup. You can help to one, you can slide to another but somebody has the hard down. And so that's what makes it the most challenging to me. And so, you want to get into some down and distances that don't favor the defense. 'Okay, I'll put my ears back and going.' So, when it's the super long, how do I move the pocket so I don't put myself into those spots? But that's why I think the first and second down part of this game, I'm not going to say it is as important as third down because that extends it. But winning on first and second down is a big piece of this. Both teams are aggressive, play on fourth down as well. And so, four down football is alive and well this weekend here at the stadium. So, that's the cool challenge for both offense and defense is knowing that hey, they're willing to go take some risks to stay on the field, to extend drives and both teams have had effective fourth down offenses. So, that to me is one of the real keys to this. You gotta be ready to play four downs."
On when Allen started trending towards coming back this season:
"Post-surgery to where that started it to say, 'Okay, this is something that potentially could be there.' And then you had to make the next marker. He went up to Manhattan on a checkup. And so, once he was able, I would say maybe just a few weeks ago, to say this could be a realistic thing. Seeing the surgeon, seeing that process go because he looked not like a person that had this surgery. Usually you see a lot less on one side. And so that, he's built different for sure. But it was within the last month where this trajectory was taking place. And if he had hit all the markers then we knew this would've been the window that the docs had advised to say, if he hits all the stuff to lead up into this, pressing and moving that would you'd have a shot to do that. And so, now he just hit the spots and so we'll continue down that way."
On beating playoff caliber teams:
"It's a big deal and if you want to be seen as a heavy hitter, you gotta beat them."
On if there was an update from the league about the clock stoppage against New Orleans:
"Zero."
*On if the team requested information from the league about the clock stoppage: *"No."
On K Greg Joseph and K Zane Gonzalez not being at the facility today:
"Can I say one thing on that, on the kickers? Both kickers are out today. Hopefully exciting personal news for their families today. Never a dull moment around here, man. We keep it exciting all the time."
On if Gonzalez and Joseph planned to have a baby on the same day:
"Yeah, we have to come up with a certain name if they are both born today, there's gotta be some type of twin that takes place along that. So, both kickers are out today and hopefully for exciting personal family news. We'll keep you updated as we refer to the next week.
On if there has been any frustration with the kicking situation and on if it's been an added challenge:
"It has been, for sure. And, honestly, the people I give a lot of credit to are [LS] Tyler [Ott] and [P] Tress [Way]. They've had to do the most work. When you're a specialist, there's a lot of very specific skill work that goes into that. Where does this specific, how would you like this held? The tilt of it? The communication of that? Like last Saturday working a mayday field goal with Greg [Joseph], or excuse me, last Friday for the first time. So, like going through those processes that great teammates make great teams. And those two are great teammates because not once have they flinched, not once. They know this hasn't always been easy and they just never flinched. And for the people coming in, those are the type of people you'd want to be with. 'Okay, come on, this is how we do things, this is how we do it.' And so, I thought that they're the ones that have made it less frustrating because they really welcomed the next person in. And if you were a person or a teammate coming in, those are the two that you'd like to be with."