Commanders HC Believes Team's Identity Will Be Shaped During Tough Times

As the Commanders push through this season, Dan Quinn highlights the need to learn from losses and embrace hard-fought battles to shape their identity.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The last time the Washington Commanders claimed the NFC East Championship was four years ago with a modest 7-9 record. Fast forward to now, and we’ve got rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leading the offense and roster filled with key players, they’re aiming at not just reclaiming the division, but establish themselves as true contenders. As the season progresses, it’s becoming clear that this team is still shaping its identity with head coach Dan Quinn at the helm.

When asked if the Commanders winning the division feels more realistic now than it did at the start of the season, Quinn didn’t sugarcoat it.

Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“I think we're probably also talking a little bit about what we want our identity to be,” Washington head coach said, reflecting on the team's ongoing development. “We faced a team yesterday that's had an identity that's been entrenched for a while, and we probably recognize the biggest truth, we're not where we want to be yet from that.”

The team has still have some growing to do. And while Quinn isn’t making any excuses, and he’s not pretending that the team is a finished product. He knows it’s a process, that will include some tough losses along the way.

“Before you can do a lot more, you got to get that part under,” Quinn explained. “You need fights like Sunday.” “I'd love to tell you they came in good when you're being able to pull some guys in the fourth quarter, but you need to be in these hard matches that suck, and you're pissed at the end because you didn't make the play that you needed to make.”

Nobody likes to lose, but despite the losses, the Commanders head coach knows that the tough games are exactly what the team needs to help them shape their identity going forward in the season.

“But that's what an identity is all about,” he said. “They're not formed when you're rolling, they're formed in these tough close games and we're going to be in a lot of close games this season. And I want us to feel like, ‘Hey man, we're down for that fight and when it gets close that's where we're in our element.’ And we got to be in those ones, and we took an L Sunday in a close environment and we got to learn from it.” 

Washington has a chance to do big things this season, but only if they get comfortable in the chaos. They’re preparing for some heavyweight battles in the coming weeks—especially with division rivals like the Eagles waiting in Week 9.

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