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As per various reports, Dan Quinn will be the new head coach of the Washington Commanders. The former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator replaces Ron Rivera, who was fired after four seasons with the franchise.
Quinn was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020, going 43-42 with the franchise. During his reign, the Falcons made the Super Bowl in 2017 but choked a 28-3 lead against the New England Patriots.
Stephen A. Smith wasn't impressed by the Commanders' decision to hire Quinn. He believes that the former Cowboys' defensive coordinator should have returned to Dallas and tried to redeem himself from the horrific performance against the Green Bay Packers in the Wildcard Round.
Smith said:
“I'm not questioning his qualifications as a head coach. In Atlanta, he was decent, got them to the Super Bowl, and lost a 28-3 lead with Kyle Shanahan as his offensive coordinator. The last time we saw him was in a playoff game where the Dallas Cowboys defense looked horrific, that was our last vision of him."
"Now, obviously, he's improved the defense by leaps and bounds over the years with the Dallas Cowboys, he had the personnel in place, but in moments where it really counted they came up short. I would have much rather preferred Dan Quinn remaining as the defensive coordinator in Dallas..."
"I'm not saying that the man can't coach, I'm not saying that the man doesn't deserve a job, I'm not even saying he doesn't deserve to be a head coach but an NFC East rival coming off what I saw them do, am I excited about this hire for the nation's capital? No.”
Given that Washington is currently in a rebuilding phase, an offensive-minded young head coach like Ben Johnson would have made a lot of sense. However, with Johnson returning to Detroit, the Commanders ultimately decided to get Dan Quinn.
It will be interesting to see if the new head coach will be able to install the winning culture in Washington. In his last season as the Cowboys defensive coordinator, the defense gave up an average of 18.5 points and led the league in takeaways.
Commanders are likely to draft a new QB for Dan Quinn
With Ron Rivera as their head coach, the Commanders finished last season with a record of 4-13. They have the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and are likely to draft a new quarterback.
With Caleb Williams expected to be the first player off the board, Drake Maye is projected to be the starting quarterback in Washington next season. Sam Howell started for the Commanders last season but wasn't able to cement his spot as the franchise quarterback.
In 17 games, he threw for 3,946 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions with a passer rating of 78.9. A poor offensive line didn't help Howell much but the franchise is expected to get a new quarterback for Dan Quinn to work with.
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