Burgundy & Gold Reaction: Dan Quinn and The New Staff

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February 6, 2024

by David Earl

Dan Quinn Hired

Too many times we get caught up in the reports of one candidate being the favorite or even a lock, as it was with Ben Johnson of Detroit, thus creating a bit of tunnel vision. So when the hiring of Dan Quinn happened, a couple of opinions came arose stating that Dan was low on Washington’s list and they had to settle. If you were paying attention, that really couldn’t be any further from the truth. Quinn had a second interview with Washington scheduled before the Lions NFC Championship game on January 28th and well before any idea Ben Johnson decided to remove his name from consideration. Even after listening to his introductory press conference, you could see why Quinn was certainly a plausible candidate and not just someone they settled for as a head coach.

As far as his approach seen above in his interview, Quinn reaffirmed in the press conference the valuable lessons learned from his previous head coaching job. Having such a detailed self-evaluation of himself was certainly the type of qualities general manager Adam Peters was looking for from these candidates, not just in how he managed his time as a head coach but in ensuring he remains lock-stepped in a collaborative vision of this front office. Quinn recalled having too much focus on one side of the ball (defense) and not managing the team as a whole.  He realized that he must allow his position coaches to run their respective position groups to their fullest while keeping within the flow of the game and making the on-field decisions within the scope of the game flow, whether that would be going for it on 4th down and passing on a field goal attempt or challenging a call that could very well change the dynamic of the game. That is something this team has failed to do over the last several years.

Regarding some of Quinn’s mistakes during his time in Atlanta, the two above Washington fans can almost perfectly align with too. The poor personnel decisions, both draft and free agency, were truly the top reason for Ron Rivera‘s downfall. Rivera’s role as general manager made it nearly impossible for Rivera the coach to succeed on the field. On the other hand, in his press conference, Quinn emphasized the very area he neglected, the offensive line. He mentioned already having established defensive tackles in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne and the importance of the trenches as he transitioned into the importance of the offensive line. So it could be safe to say the decisions on team construction will be made by Peters with Quinn’s vision in mind.

As far as the offensive coordinator position goes, Rivera’s hiring of Scott Turner may not have been due to inexperience but it didn’t result in any sort of a dynamic offense. Similarly, the replacement of Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator in Atlanta with Steve Sarkisian resulted in a drastic drop in production. Atlanta’s offense went from scoring 34.1 points per game in 2016 under Kyle to 21.6 points per game under Sarkisian with essentially the same offensive weapons. Granted, they finished 10-6 and 3rd in the division but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs. Then went 7-9 the following season and missed the playoffs. That following season was not all merely on the offensive coordinator but it ties into Quinn’s poor personnel decisions. For a more complete breakdown of his time in Atlanta check out this column.

Let’s get back to the collaborative aspect between Adam Peters and Dan Quinn. There aren’t many other fanbases that can talk about the nightmares of a front office like Washington, so it is refreshing to see this dynamic taking shape. From Vinny Cerrato simply being a proxy voice for Dan Snyder having zero regard for what his coaching staff wanted to the bargain basement dealings of Bruce Allen while showing his absolute inferiority of drafting talent, it was sheer agony being a Redskins fan. Then the follow-up coach-centric approach made a poorly built team even worse, which many didn’t think could be possible. All the top organizations start with a competent general manager who finds a head coach who fits his philosophy then that head coach hires those who fit what they both want in identity. Washington wants a defense that is disciplined and generates turnovers, so in comes Joe Whitt Jr., who worked under Dan in Dallas. They wanted an offensive coordinator who would stretch the field while attacking the intermediate zones in a balanced attack, so they hired Kliff Kingsbury. He will run a dynamic offense, but this hire does give me some concerns. I agree with Craig Hoffman about his up tempo scheme; if he hasn’t evolved there will be many frustrating moments as a Washington fan. But, my concerns aside, they both have a vision and seem completely in sync thus far in the process and that is a true positive. Now we just hope it all comes together.

Dan Quinn Being Ron Rivera 2.0 is Just Lazy

There are retread coaches and then there are coaches deserving of another shot. I’ll admit in my first reaction of hearing Dan Quinn as a candidate his lazy take came to mind, but then I gave it time. The idea that Quinn is Rivera all over again was just absurd and here is why. Rivera came off back-to-back losing seasons and only had one season above .500 in his four years after Carolina’s Super Bowl run in 2015. Unlike Quinn, he became a head coach immediately afterwards being hired by Snyder. Not only was he hired as head coach, he was given full control and authority over all football decisions which we all know how that worked out. The idea of Rivera being hired seemed like a slam dunk, but I think it had more to do with a man of his reputation willing to work for a narcissist than it had to do with any recent success as a head coach. Since his Super Bowl season, you saw Carolina’s offense rank 20th in points and a defense ranked in the bottom third in most categories in the 2019 season. He lost the locker room and probably would have been better served taking a few years as a defensive coordinator, as he was for Chicago and San Diego.

On the other hand, Quinn was fired in Atlanta when he was four years removed from a Super Bowl, and became the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. It was time, as he acknowledged, that he took to assess what went wrong as a head coach while focusing on what he needed to improve schematically on defense. He showed great ability to adapt to today’s NFL offenses while taking not the management style needed to be a successful head coach if ever had the opportunity again. Through the speculation that Ben Johnson being a favorite to be hired and the idea Quinn was probably only the 4th option on Peters’ coaching list, he was winning over the organization with his self-awareness alone. As I see it, a retread coach is someone who has evolved minimally, if at all, from past experiences and expects his philosophy to ultimately win the day. Quinn, on the other hand, seems to have evolved into what the new NFL philosophy is especially offensively, and adapted his defense to compete. Granted, it’s all first impressions and opinions here so now it’s time to wait and see just how well this marriage will work.

As a final thought

Ron Rivera not only came to Washington hoping to implement his same old approach, but he doubled down on that by bringing those from Carolina. From the coaching staff to former players, he showed no willingness to evolve from his time in Carolina and attempted to recreate what he had in his Super Bowl season. Sure, the environment around Dan Snyder and the balancing of on-field and off-field issues was enough to force anyone into a mental breakdown, but that excuse can only go so far. His decisions as the team’s general manager combined with in-game management just did not adapt while in Washington.

Quinn, on the other hand, is coming into this fresh off a demotion from head coach to back his roots as a defensive coordinator. He’s come with a self-evaluation and adaptation, as it appears thus far, that his predecessor did not even hint about. He has not yet filled out his staff, but his choice of coordinators differed from Ron’s choices. Quinn selected a defensive coordinator, Joe Whitt Jr., who seems to have a better grasp of today’s offenses and not bring in an archaic philosophy like Jack Del Rio. He is also regarded around the league as a rising star among defensive coaches, and he will now get his opportunity. Kliff Kingsbury has a scheme that most aligns with today’s NFL offenses, unlike Scott Turner, who attempted to recreate his father’s 1990’s scheme. It’s these first couple of decisions that bring some initial hope that Quinn has certainly changed or evolved and is now primed to become a good to great head coach.