Commanders' Hiring of Coach Dan Quinn Another Misstep by Cowboys

The Washington Commanders appear to have hit a home run giving Dan Quinn his second run at being an NFL head coach, and the Dallas Cowboys lost out because of it.

Nov 10, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

When the Washington Commanders hired Dan Quinn there was a population that didn't like the move.

Some felt hiring a former NFL head coach who was previously fired only doomed the Commanders to eventually do the same. Of course, most head coaching tenures end in firing, but that was beside the point.

Opting for experience and maturity through it, Washington clearly made the right decision and those who were once against it are singing a different tune these days. Dallas Cowboys fans who celebrated the departure of Quinn to their NFC East Division rival - granted, a smaller group than the previous one - are also changing their tone as well.

Nov 10, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn looks on from the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images / Amber Searls-Imagn Images

"What they really should have done was axe (Cowboys coach Mike) McCarthy earlier and made Dan Quinn stay," Chris Long said on his Green Light with Chris Long (Yote House Media) program.

After Quinn took the job with the Commanders he also took coach Joe Whitt Jr. with him to be his defensive coordinator. That left Dallas needing someone to run the defense that Quinn and Whitt had helped craft into one of the best in the league, and it turned to Mike Zimmer for the job.

At the time some thought Zimmer would make Quinn's unit even better and would never get gashed on the ground the way the Cowboys were in their playoff exit game against the Green Bay Packers specifically.

10 weeks into the NFL season Dallas is giving up the 24th most rushing yards per play and the most passing yards per play when compared to the other 32 teams. Safe to say those assumptions have fallen short.

Of course, Quinn would never celebrate the failures of another coach or team as a success for him. Nor should he.

But as things continue to spiral with the Cowboys, it's not hard for Commanders fans to look at the coaches they got from that franchise and be thankful things didn't turn out differently. Or else it would likely be a much different Dallas squad coming in to face Washington in Week 12.

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