Dan Quinn Prioritizes Progress Over Wins as Commanders Climb the Standings

As the Commanders rise in the standings, head coach Dan Quinn urges his team to keep leveling up and prove their progress each week.

Nov 3, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders are climbing the standings. With a 27-22 victory over the New York Giants in Week 9, they've improved to 7-2—their best start since 1996. When asked to reflect on their journey so far, head coach Dan Quinn wasn't about to let the team boast about recent wins. Instead, he's doubling down on improving, pushing them to outshine even their early-season selves.

"What I told the team on, I don't know if it was Friday or Saturday – we need to demonstrate the improvement that we've made," said the Commanders head coach. For Quinn, it's not enough just to win games; it's about visibly building on past performances and ensuring that every matchup shows the Commanders growth. "I hope the team from Week 9 would knock the hell out of the team from Week 2," he added, emphasizing his belief that the current squad should easily outperform their earlier selves.

Quinn's perspective goes beyond any one game or even one season. He doesn't want just to win; he wants a team that's constantly leveling up. "Improvement doesn't stop here," he emphasized. "I said, I'm hopeful two months from now, we'll look back and say, 'The team two months from now can really line up against this team and go after them.'" For the Washington head coach, this isn't just coach-speak – it's a challenge to every player to take pride in the work and put in the grind, week in and week out.

Nov 3, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

What's powering this drive? Team unity. "The connection to the team is a really big deal," Quinn shared. "They battle hard for one another, and that's a big deal." For the Commanders, it's bigger than any single player; it's about showing up for each other and making every rep count. That chemistry is what Quinn believes sets this team apart.

Looking ahead, Quinn isn't one to make bold predictions or get caught up in future hypotheticals. Instead, he's dedicated to "stay in this pocket of getting better and finding the things to work on to do that."

With Quinn steering the ship, Washington is shaping to be more than just a competitive team. They're building a culture of resilience and unity that could carry them far, making each Sunday a showcase of just how far they've come – and how much further they're ready to go.

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