Lions head coach Dan Campbell did the one thing Dan Quinn couldn’t do, and it hurt the Commanders’ season

Dan Quinn should take notes after blowout loss to the Lions.

Josh Taylor — Washington Commanders News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
© Peter Casey-Imagn Images

It’s getting impossible not to write about the Washington Commanders’ defense after every single loss, but it’s clearly the team’s biggest weakness, and it has led to five straight losses.

The Commanders have now lost four straight games by 21 points or more, which is the most by a team since 2002. The defense has been one of the worst in the league since Week 2, and nothing has changed. We hear the same things from head coach Dan Quinn about fixing it all after a loss, and yet, here we are heading into Week 11 with the same results.

On the other sideline Sunday, Detroit Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell stepped up and made a real change without hesitation, while Quinn has done nothing notable to expect a change on defense, and that needs to change.

Dan Quinn needs to take over play-calling on defense

Quinn is a defensive-minded coach with a background in coaching successful defenses, but that hasn’t been the case in Washington over almost two full seasons. This season, however, is drastically worse than it was last year.

Quinn says things will change, and they’ll figure it out, yet the only change made was defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. coming down to the field during games, and it changed nothing, just as we all knew it would. He should’ve made a real change and taken over play-calling weeks ago. It’s too late now, though, as the Commanders’ season is effectively over because of the defense.

The Lions put up 546 total yards, and players are getting fed up. Daron Payne was ejected after punching Amon-Ra St.Brown in the helmet, while Javon Kinlaw pushed an official off of him the very next play, and Quan Martin got an unsportsmanlike penalty as well.

Fans are just as fed up, and the stadium is getting emptier week after week with no real hope in sight. If Quinn wants to make a change, he would take over play-calling like Campbell did on offense against the Commanders.

Dan Campbell stepped in and made a needed change

The Lions’ offense has all of the talent in the world, but it struggled in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings last week, and Campbell wasted no time making a change, just like a good head coach should.

On Sunday, the broadcast noticed Campbell had a play-call sheet and was talking into his headset on offense. After the game, Campbell admitted to taking over play-call duties without criticizing any of the coaches.

Campbell’s approach to take over play-calling on offense was one of leadership and accountability, aimed at fixing things the way he wanted them to be as the head coach.

He showed exactly what Quinn should’ve done weeks ago on defense without even firing Whitt Jr. The way this has been handled has been a massive mistake, and Quinn needs to make a change now, or immediately after the game against the Miami Dolphins.

Related Articles