Commanders Coach Dan Quinn 'Exactly What's Needed,' Says Falcons Ex Matt Ryan

The Washington Commanders are prepared to move forward with Dan Quinn as their head coach - and one of Quinn's former players, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, believes Washington made a sound decision.

Matt Ryan and Dan Quinn reached some of their greatest heights together with the Atlanta Falcons.

There were back-to-back playoff berths, an NFC South title and, of course, a Super Bowl appearance.

But the duo also endured perhaps their deepest valleys alongside one another, such as blowing a 25-point lead in said Super Bowl, starting 5-0 in 2015 before finishing 8-8, failing to score on four tries in a goal-to-go situation in the 2017 NFC Divisional and trudging through an 0-5 start in 2020 that led to Quinn's dismissal.

Now, Ryan and Quinn are in different spots.

Ryan, 38, hasn't officially retired from playing quarterback but moved into a broadcasting role with CBS last season and appears content.

Quinn, meanwhile, has been given a second chance at coaching, earning the opportunity to replace Ron Rivera with the Washington Commanders.

And Ryan, despite an unsuccessful final two-plus seasons with Quinn, believes the Commanders made a strong hire.

"Dan is an awesome coach and I loved my time with him in Atlanta," Ryan said during Super Bowl week. "I think they're going to get somebody who's got great energy day in and day out. One of his greatest strengths is building the right culture.

"In my opinion, that's what's needed in Washington, and I think he'll do an excellent job at that."

Sep 24, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn high fives quarterback Matt Ryan (2) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field / Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Quinn spent the past three seasons reinventing himself as the Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator, boasting top-seven scoring defenses in each campaign.

The Commanders endured a dismal 4-13 season in which they lost their final eight games, extending their playoff drought to three years.

Washington hasn't finished with a record above .500 since 2016 and has only two postseason appearances in the past nine seasons.

Quinn's been hired to change that. Ryan was complimentary of the staff being put together, which is headlined by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., the latter of whom followed Quinn from Dallas.

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Despite a plethora of new faces, Ryan already knows the brand of football Washington will produce under Quinn.

"They'll be a team that's going to play hard - that's kind of the hallmark of what he believes in," Ryan said. "He knows how to motivate guys extremely well."

Ryan's word is particularly valuable when considering he spent the first seven years of his NFL career with Mike Smith as his head coach.

When Smith was fired and Quinn took over, it was the first coaching change Ryan endured. Not only was the coaching staff different, but the roster was almost entirely new.

Ryan said it was the most turnover he'd ever felt - he was in the same building but surrounded by a lot of different people.

And yet, just two years later, Ryan won NFL MVP, a testament to the coaches Quinn assembled around him and the culture he speedily established.

"He made you comfortable really quickly," Ryan said. "I think that's one of his greatest strengths is that he makes guys comfortable, free to be themselves and free to play the way they're capable of."

The Falcons went 29-19 in Quinn's first three years. They were just 14-23 in the two-plus seasons that followed.

Quinn feels he's much improved from where he was at the end of his Falcons tenure, and his return to defensive success in Dallas supports his case.

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Now, Quinn gets an opportunity to turn words into action - and Ryan, armed with 85 games of insight, believes his former coach is ready to make waves.

"I'm happy for Dan," Ryan said. "I really think he deserved another opportunity as a head coach, and I think it's a really great fit in Washington."