Dan Quinn hinted at a possibility for the Commanders next season that has a strong chance at being a disaster
The search for a new defensive coordinator might not even be needed if Dan Quinn takes over.
The Washington Commanders are 3-9 after a hard-fought overtime game against the Denver Broncos.
A lot of people gave up on this team after a historically bad run, but it looks like it has turned things around over the last two games. This team still has a lot of changes ahead this offseason, both on the coaching staff and the roster.
Head coach Dan Quinn made a late decision to take over as the defensive coordinator, and there’s a strong possibility he could stay at the position next season as well.
Dan Quinn says there’s a possibility he remains the play-caller on defense
The defense has improved drastically over the last two games since Quinn took over, and the last five games of the season might show us a glimpse at next season as well. He was asked about the possibility of remaining as the defensive coordinator and play-caller next season, and he’s given it some thought.
“I think, yeah, there’s a possibility of that,” Quinn said. “As we’re going through it, I’m finding a battle rhythm to go, so I’m not sure where I’m at on that yet. I haven’t discussed or gone down that road too far yet, but yeah, I would say that’s a possibility.”
There’s no doubt that we’ve seen a different defense over the last two weeks, especially when you look at the shift from man coverage to zone coverage. The defense is better suited to play zone defense, and it was a great change by Quinn. Is that enough to warrant him being the defensive coordinator, though? It’s a move that could end in a disaster.
Dan Quinn needs to hire a real defensive coordinator
Only certain coaches around the league take over as a coordinator or a play-caller for one side of the ball, and it takes a lot to do that. The team isn’t in the best position for Quinn to do that, and he should hire a defensive coordinator for a few reasons.
The first reason is that if the defense looks bad again next year, there would be no one to blame except for Quinn, and his seat would get hot. You can’t just hire someone or make a change when you are the person everyone would be looking at. Having someone else lead the defense allows Quinn to get back to his routine as the head coach. It’s much easier to fire someone than to look back and wish you had just hired them.
The next reason is that Quinn would probably still keep Joe Whitt Jr. around, and honestly, the team needs a fresh face and a new scheme. A top defensive coordinator candidate could elevate this team to the next level. Quinn staying on as defensive coordinator seems like a safe move that doesn’t move the needle, and this team needs to be aggressive, like when it hired Kliff Kingsbury.
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