Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media after practice on Jan. 23. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
Opening Statement:
"I've been asked early and often as the team got together, what's your identity? And that took some time to answer as it should. But while we have found our identity, what I hit with the team is that we still haven't found our ceiling. And that fires me up to say that at this time of year. And that's really what we chase, about what we can do to get better and find our space to go for it again this weekend. And we've consistently raised the floor, but we haven't found that ceiling that we're going for. And that's kind of what the whole weeks are about, you know, digging into the skills, digging into things to work for. And that's no different this week, as we're going right back outside to practice, you guys bundle up and be ready to roll. But, glad to open up with you guys and get rocking again today."
On pulling RB Brian Robinson Jr. aside last week and on the message he delivered to Robinson Jr.:
"Yeah, I think for the player, I want them to know how much we care and how much belief we have in them. Sometimes if they realized how much belief we have in them, I think they'd be overwhelmed. And it was a matter of just showing and giving that positive example, like this is exactly who you are. And so I wanted to reinforce that and make sure that was there. Nothing different from here, I've done that with other players this season as well. And I just felt like he was the one last week that I wanted to make sure I connected with."
On the toughness displayed by the wide receiver group when blocking:
"It's a big deal and we do talk about that as the competing part and the finishing part. And it's ironic as we got into this postseason beginning, we used to have our individual goals by player. This is what I wanna work on over the next month or six weeks. And so as we got into the postseason, we did it as a position group. And so one for them was the perimeter blocking and finishing on the screens. And so it's funny how you get what you emphasize, but they were the ones that came up with that. And I thought very good example of a number of things on that particular play. The blocking and [WR] Terry [McLaurin] going like what we call running through the smoke, but also having an awareness for the ball through that, knowing that they were gonna come punch at it. That's such a big emphasis of who we are and what we do. And so we make a big deal about the ball. And on this day, every week, [quarterbacks coach] Tavita [Pritchard] is the first one to go and we talk about ball security with the entire team. And [defensive passing game coordinator] Jason Simmons also presents to the team on this day about takeaways and creating those moments. And so teaching that part of the fundamentals is a big deal, but it starts with the competing and the finishing."
On what he has seen out of DT Jonathan Allen since returning from the pec injury:
"Yeah, one, it just kind of shows like the commitment he did to come back. When you had that injury, in my head I was just thinking he's out for the season. And then as kind of the calendar turns, 'Okay, there's a space going to the doctor, you could outline it.' And like anything, I thought the first couple games, him getting back under it to go and his last game I thought was the most impactful. And so that doesn't surprise me, as we're going for him to be on the rise as well. So it's definitely gave us a shot in the arm that we needed."
On if he has done much reflecting on the season thus far:
"Those are good postgame hugs, Adam and I as we're going through it. But as I get into the week, I'm not there yet. There's just so much at hand for this week and that's what I wanted our team to feel like. And I felt like I need to stay in that space as well. This is the keys to winning in this game. And so I hit that with the guys on Wednesday and again today, and I'll do it over the next two days, just so we're leveling up as we're going and there's a prove it side to us all and, I definitely have part of that just like the players do. But, as far as reflecting back, I'm not there yet."
On what he has seen from the defensive line:
"Yeah, you know what I thought that the thing that that started the shift of the momentum, two things. One, they decided to take the ball from the kick when they won the toss. And so getting a stop early, I thought that was a good way to say, you know, right back to where we're gonna go. But I thought [DE] Dorance Armstrong of getting the sack on the early possession, and [LB Frankie] Luvu on the fumble recovery of that play that kind of unlocked some things. This is how it has to go down today, and being about the ball. But I thought Dorance's play was the one that maybe was the igniter of that. And that's one that we needed for sure into that spot. But that was the play that got it going. And I thought then [S] Quan [Martin's] interception and the return, that was the one now the fire caught and now we could go. But those were the plays that I thought really set it off. They've improved a lot. And so we still got a bunch to improve upon. But the ball was a big factor for us in the last two games. And so we make a big deal of that, and it's not just the defense, it's offense and the return guys of taking care of the ball. So that to us is something that we talk about a lot."
On QB Jayden Daniels mentioning vision playing basketball having helped him in his football career and on if he has a specific example of Daniels elite vision on the field:
"Yeah, we don't have enough time, probably. Like I wrestled and threw the shot puts, I don't have a lot of good examples of court vision. There's so many, man. Like he has a knack, which is unusual and maybe there was a play even in this last game where I felt [Detroit S Brian] Branch was chasing him and he kind of kicked through. And I think that's also vision where somebody's coming to track you from behind and you can kick through the tackle to remain a passer and his eyes remained downfield. But there, he felt the player behind him. For sure, like looking off people to go, that's a big piece of it. But yeah, there's a lot of them. I can't think of one that that stands out, but there is a lot."
On what makes Philadelphia RB Saquon Barkley so hard to stop and on what makes Barkley in this offense so hard to stop:
"Yeah, he's hard to stop and then especially with this offense, that's a good point. Two good questions and they're both accurate. There's a start and stop factor that's for sure legitimate. You may have this gap and he can go and if it's plugged, he'll stop, test the next one, boom, test the next one. And so that ability to work back and cut and then accelerate again, you've seen him outrun safeties who are coming from an angle, but as he gets to the next level, he can break the guys off just by the speed to get outside. He's also got rare change of direction. And so, whether it's a spin or a jump cut, those would be the two things to me. But I think the vision behind the line where it's that B-gaps filled, I'm coming back to the A or I saw the safety over here, I'm working them back. I think there's a combination of vision and then the ability to start and stop like super quickly. He has this quickness of a smaller back and the size of a big back, if that makes sense to say like that's an unusual combination, but it's not the size alone of this guy that is so powerful. It's both."
On if there was a moment he knew when Daniels was legit:
"Yeah, I'm trying to think of like which one would be that one to say, 'Okay, that's the one.' There were probably like glimpses, that equaled up to that. I would say in our regular season, the glimpse at the New York Giants in his first two minute to go. It was a giant glimpse against Chicago, that was more of like an actual big glimpse [Laughs]. Then as it went, I'm trying to think of one to go -- certainly like by the end when we got to Atlanta, there was, like talking to [Atlanta Head Coach] Raheem [Morris] afterwards like, 'This guy's amazing.' And I'm like, 'Yeah, and there's plays that happened that he's able to do that we didn't call that play coming in, but the next play took place. He got outside the pocket, he extended plays.' I knew early on the poise was really good. Then as it got into these moments where it became great, that's a big deal. I thought our team over the last maybe six weeks, we've gotten better on the field, but we've also gotten better in between our ears. Like we're more resilient, we have more belief, we're mentally tougher than we've ever been. And so all of that factors in like, yes, our improvement, as I was talking about is good, but it's not just the on the field improvement that I'm talking about. It's also a mindset that I will go the distance, I will finish it longer. And so Jayden being right in the middle of that has definitely had an impact on that because knowing that you're never really outta the fight, that's a big deal. And so why do we have those close games? Maybe that stretch, I thought build some resolve, not just on the field, but mindset, attitude, connection, belief. And he's definitely a big part of that."
On what intrigued him about offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and on Kingsbury taking a lot of input from players:
"Yeah, so going into it there was a certain play style that as a head coach that you want to have. And so Kliff, competing against him provided some of the most difficult challenges [for me]. And that was similar to Atlanta to hire Kyle [Shanahan]. And this is challenging, this is aggressive and that's really who I am. So I wanted to make sure that everything would match that. And so going against Kliff, I just felt like, man, this is a really tough group to prepare for and play against. And so as we kept in touch through that process, knowing that we would have very likely a quarterback selected and his experience with that, I thought what a perfect fit. What I'd found out was what the competitor is, what a great teammate he is. And so he's been like an absolute blast to work with. Like he is an absolute competitor, man. He comes across quiet and that -- like he is a real competitor, like a wolf in sheep's clothing kind of competitor. And I really appreciated that about him. He's been excellent for us."
On why he wanted to bring assistant head coach/offensive passing game coordinator Brian Johnson to Washington:
"Yeah, so I got to know Brian a little bit from Florida and then followed him going to Philadelphia. And so he was somebody, maybe a few years back I had my eye on when he was the quarterback coach there before he was named the OC, thinking this is a coach that you want to stay connected to. I saw what he's done. And so putting the whole group together, we know we wanted some heavy hitters and we wanted to surround the offense, the quarterback with as many of those heavy hitters as we could. Adam [Peters] had that vision. I explained that obviously to him, but him up to Josh [Harris] as well. And so that was like an important part of like, there's a real process that we're gonna go through to make sure we're gonna support the hell out of this player that's not even here yet. Interior of the offensive line and tight end and others and the system for offense and support. And so to be able to deliver on that is a good thing. And anytime you do what you say you're gonna do, that's a big deal. And Kliff has done that and Brian has done that. [Quarterback coach] Tavita [Pritchard] has done that. You know, [assistant quarterbacks coach] David Blough, those ones, they have all, 'This is what we have to get done.' And they like absolutely we are down for that challenge."
On which players he inherited does he credit with helping to change the culture:
"I didn't think of like new guys, guys that were here. I wasn't gonna really go there. I didn't think that was the way to look at it. Like they're all our guys now and so they're all on the same footing and I didn't want to say this is how the team did it and how would you think? And so I just knew who were the leaders we can help develop. And people like [WR] Terry [McLaurin] have been such an important figure of that. I knew he was a great professional, but now I've seen the leader begin to emerge. And now that to me is so much different. And so there's a number of guys, but I didn't ever want to go and whether it was staff or players, these guys were here or not. Like, no man, this is us together."
On what it says about the team that players 1-53 have contributed this season:
"Yeah, OZ [WR Olamide Zaccheaus] specifically, like he's a real competitor and you have to go through the tougher moments sometimes to get to the next space. And it is in that adversity where it goes through to what's going to be your next opportunity. And so I knew who Olamide was both as a ball player and as a man. I thought this is the type of person we want in the locker room, let's let him compete and take it from there. And he actually inspired some others just because of how hard he went for it in practices and training camp. And so anytime you see a teammate, I wanna be a little more like that, not even at that position, but just that attitude of not backing down. Like I put the tape up on here every day in training camp, so it wasn't like there were any sacred cows or anything else. Like, this is whoever you were, this is what we're looking for, this is not. And Olamide was on that tape a lot. And so we just wanted to make sure people like him who had the competitive dog in him, like yes this is your kind of spot."
On if he has put an emphasis on acquiring defensive backs who can shed blocks and make tackles:
"Yeah, I think it was [former Green Bay General Manager] Ron Wolf who taught me, you wanna be a better tackling team when it gets to that draft time, draft good tacklers [Laughs]. And so, like I said, that's why the guy is so smart [Laughs]. But it was a good reminder of the traits that you're looking for in players. And if you want to have a tough team that are good tacklers or receivers that are willing to block, then you wanna make sure that's the style of player and identity that you're bringing into the team. And so that to me kind of feeds back to Adam [Peters] to say, this is the Commander, this is what we're looking for. And if the guy is competitive enough, whether you're a DB, a corner, a safety, a tight end, like they'll find their way. Like we can teach them. But you have to be willing to say, 'Alright, this is a tough assignment, but I got the dog in me. I'll absolutely go after this guy.' Now if it's a matchup we don't like now, 'Okay, we're not going to do that even though you're willing to try.' But you do have to have that dog in you to say, 'If this is what's asked upon me for this one, like this is, let's get down.'"
