Commanders Coaches Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. Play Style 'Jumps Off the Tape'

New Washington Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong knows coaches Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr., and says one thing clearly separates them from others.

David Harrison | Jun 9, 2024

Nov 14, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end Dorance Armstrong (92) celebrates his second quarter sack against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

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ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn made no effort to disguise what he wants his team to look like when he took over the team early this offseason.

"Explosive and physical," Quinn said in his introductory press conference as the Commanders' new leader of the on-field product. That's what he wants, and that's what he's set out looking to build.

Joining him in his efforts is Washington defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., coming over from the Dallas Cowboys organization the two worked for when Quinn was the coordinator under head coach Mike McCarthy.

New Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr. came too, determined to stick with the coaches who helped him find success in Dallas. In part because of the one thing that sets the two coaches apart from every other in the league.

Former Dallas Cowboys, and new Washington Commanders defensive end Dorance Armstrong.

"It's straightforward. It is not difficult, but you got to understand what you're doing in the system, so it's all about the little details as well. Everything plays a part in itself."
- Dorance Armstrong Jr., Commanders DE

"The play style. If you watch the film from previous teams that they've been on, it jumps off the tape itself," Armstrong said when asked what sets the two coaches apart from their peers. "The players, how fast they play, how fast they move. Simply just the play style. You don't see that across the league everywhere."

Play style, not scheme, is something else the coaches have emphisized during the offseason. Plenty of teams utilize three-man defensive fronts, or four, or even two and five. Those aren't particularly unique.

So if everyone is dancing to the same music, it's how you dictate your steps that makes a team different, and that's what Armstrong enjoys about what Quinn and Whitt Jr. are doing.

"Fast and physical," he said about what their style means for players. "It's straightforward. It is not difficult, but you have to understand what you're doing in the system, so it's all about the little details as well. Everything plays a part in itself."

Explosive, fast, physical, all of these words are those being used to describe what the new brand of Washington football will look like. By coach and player alike, and it's a welcome change from the style of play seen in years past.

Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.

Published Jun 9, 2024

DAVID HARRISON

David Harrison has covered the NFL since 2015 as a digital content creator in both written and audio media. He is the host of Locked On Commanders and a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University. His previous career was as a Military Working Dog Handler for the United States Army. Contact David via email at david.w.harrison82@gmail.com or on Twitter @DHarrison82.