Cowboys and Commanders rivalry gets deeper after Dan Quinn, Joe Whitt Jr. head to Washington
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders have played each other 128 times over the existence of professional football and one of the NFL's oldest rivalries has an even deeper meaning, now, that Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. are head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively. That's because both coaches obviously come from Dallas, where they […]
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders have played each other 128 times over the existence of professional football and one of the NFL's oldest rivalries has an even deeper meaning, now, that Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. are head coach and defensive coordinator, respectively.
That's because both coaches obviously come from Dallas, where they spent the last three seasons constructing and maintaining one of the league's most effective defenses. The Cowboys defense quickly became a brand of tough, physical play anchored by takeaways and sacks and it boasted a plethora of playmakers at premier positions.
Now, Quinn and Whitt Jr. have an inside bead on the Cowboys – on both sides of the ball. And Whitt Jr., especially, is more than willing to help his new team out by dishing inside info on his former squad.
"One thing we will do is, we talk about being across the hall and being collaborative," Whitt Jr. told reporters during his introductory press conference on Thursday. "So, I'm always going to the offensive coordinator, quarterback coach, and saying, 'Hey, I see this concept. This is difficult for us.' And they'll do the same thing. So, we'll always talk across the hall and make sure that we're giving each other the best advantage in every manner we can."
It's nothing personal. It's simply business, which is all about winning in this sport. It's more than commonplace for friends to compete against other and do whatever it takes to beat each other. That's exactly what Whitt Jr. intends to do to his previous coworkers, as well.
"I mean football's football," said Whitt Jr. "That the year we won the Super Bowl, when I was in Green Bay, my best friend Ryan Clark was on the other side of that ball. William Gay, who I [previously] coached was on the other side of that ball. James Daniels was coaching there – [he's] my dad's best friend. You're always going to go against people that you have really close ties to, but that's the business that we're in. So, to me, it's going to be another game because it's just another game, for real. I don't get caught up in all that."
It's likely to be more of an advantage for the Commanders defense than it will the offense
And that's because Quinn and Whitt Jr. know about the tendencies of the players and scheme on that side of the ball. And, unlike the defense that is now coached by Mike Zimmer, the same play-caller and offense will still be in place for 2024, at least.
Still, they'll at least know player tendencies and strengths/weaknesses on the Cowboys defense, which is good head start in its own right.
Overall, it's easy to see why we should be in for two very fun and interesting games when these two teams meet later in the year.
