Dan Quinn isn’t pretending the questions around his future don’t exist.
A day after Washington’s chaotic 27-27 tie with the rival New York Giants - a game defined in part by some puzzling clock management from Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels - the Commanders coach met with owner Josh Harris on Monday. Quinn later said that conversation could end up helping everyone involved, even if the mood around the team is far from upbeat.
“Trust me, no one is pleased with this outcome and where we're at,” Quinn said about his meeting with Harris and about the tie with the Giants. “But we do have those hard conversations.
We're honest about what we're at and what we need to fix and what we need to work on. And so I like having that communication with him.”
Quinn also admitted he understands the business side of the NFL and how quickly things can turn.
That backdrop has only intensified after reports over the past day suggested his job security is slipping. Mark Maske of Front Office Sports reported that Quinn being fired seems “increasingly inevitable, perhaps a matter of when more so than if.”
The Commanders’ situation isn’t exactly calming the speculation. Washington goes into its Week 6 “Monday Night Football” matchup at the 5-0 San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 19 with a 1-3-1 record. DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Commanders as 7.5-point road underdogs Tuesday.
Before Quinn addressed reporters, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk floated the possibility that an ugly loss in prime time at Levi’s Stadium could lead ownership to make a coaching move during Washington’s bye week.
And the chatter didn’t stop there. For a Casino.org story published Tuesday, Jason La Canfora said an unnamed general manager told him it’s “just a matter of time” before the Commanders move on from Quinn.
La Canfora also pointed to a glaring fourth-quarter problem: Washington is giving up an unheard-of 5.5 points per drive in the final period, with no other team above 3.83. He added that 70% of fourth-quarter possessions against the Commanders have ended in touchdowns, well above the NFL average of 29%.
For now, Quinn is still in the chair. But around the league, the feeling appears to be that this could be heading toward a decision soon, possibly as early as the morning of Oct. 20.
In Other News...
Commanders Have Another Officiating Controversy Fans Wont Let Go
The Commanders left Week 5 with more than just a loss to the Giants, because the officiating became part of the conversation again. A key call wiped out an interception by cornerback Amik Robertson, turning what looked like a swing play into another sore point for a team that feels like it has seen too many of these moments already this season.
Robertson did not let the frustration sit for long, taking to social media to vent about the quality of the officiating and pointing to multiple instances this year he believes have hurt Washington. The broader backdrop only adds to the irritation, with recent NFL officiating disputes and player confrontations making every questionable flag feel bigger, and this one is sure to linger with Commanders fans for a while. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Let A Winnable Game Slip Away With Brutal Late Mistake
For much of Sunday, Washington looked like it had done enough to leave with a much-needed road win, building a two-touchdown cushion before the game turned into a fourth-quarter scramble. The Giants, powered by Jameis Winstons 326-yard, three-touchdown outing, stormed back to force overtime, turning what had been a comfortable afternoon for the Commanders into a tense finish.
Even after the lead evaporated, Washington still had a clear path to escape with a victory, only to let the moment slip away in the final seconds. The late clock management left the Commanders settling for a tie instead of a win, an outcome that will linger because it was there to be taken. [Read more 🡒]
Commanders Fans Have One More Reason To Revisit That Giants Tie
The Giants 27-27 tie with Washington is getting another look, and not just because divisional games tend to linger. Cam Skattebo, who was at the center of the overtime turnover sequence, acknowledged that the ball security lapse was his mistake and said he has to do better moving forward. For Commanders fans, it is one more reminder that the game was there to be claimed late, even if it ended up as a split.
Skattebo framed the finish as a lesson for the Giants, stressing the need to protect the football as they move on to face the Saints. New York still sits atop the NFC East, which only adds to the sense that Washington left something behind in a game where the margin was razor thin and the ending never quite felt settled. [Read more 🡒]