One recent move means the Commanders have hit the final stage before drastic changes happen on defense
Dan Quinn is making one last possible change to stop the bleeding on defense.
The Washington Commanders’ season has come to a crashing end with a 3-6 record and one of the toughest remaining schedules.
Injuries have been the biggest downfall, of course, but the defense as a whole has been the more shocking storyline to watch all season. We saw early flashes in Week 1, then it turned into a trainwreck after that. The Commanders’ defense hasn’t shown any improvements, yet no changes have been made to fix it either.
Head coach Dan Quinn buckled down on his belief in the coaching staff and players on defense, but he’s also making a move that means the end could be near.
Joe Whitt Jr. is moving down to the field
Now, this isn’t the move Commanders fans want to hear about at all, and jobs absolutely need to be questioned after getting blown out at home against the Seattle Seahawks, but we all know what the last move is before someone is fired. Quinn said that defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. is moving down to the field and getting out of the press box during games.
“We’re capable of playing these calls and playing them better,” Quinn said. “And I’m certain of it. My belief from the players is high, and the staff is high. We’ve got to get this job done, man. It was extremely frustrating, and you know, we’re going to look at everything to make sure, like whatever we need to do to play our best, we’re going to find a way to do that. . .So, Joe will move down from the press box onto the field this week, and we’re going to dig in hard on changes we can make to make an impact and make a difference. And that’s one that we will do.”
Quinn thinks that this is a change that the Commanders can make to take advantage of Whitt Jr. being right there to correct mistakes, and he believes that there will be an improvement.
“The advantages, Joe’s obviously an excellent communicator and teacher,” Quinn added. “So when a play comes in and you need to go get it corrected right away, you can get right to it. And when the advantage of seeing the game from the highest point, especially on the defensive side, it gives you a specific vision of a route and things to go, and you can be ahead of it. That’s the advantage of it. And so, for him being down on the field, we just felt like it’s a change that needs to be made and get into that space and may not be forever, but that’s what we need at the moment.”
Dan Quinn is delaying the inevitable
If it’s such an advantage, then why did it take nine weeks after seeing the defense be one of the worst in the league every single week? The Commanders allowed 31 points at halftime, and Sam Darnold didn’t have a single incompletion, with four touchdowns, and this is the move to make?
The move to the sideline won’t fix anything, and it’s just buying Quinn time to avoid doing the one thing he doesn’t want to do: fire Whitt Jr.
The Commanders’ defense will get blown out by the Detroit Lions, somehow struggle against a bad Miami Dolphins team in Madrid, Spain, and then Quinn needs to bite the bullet at the bye week and do what needs to be done.
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