It wasn't long ago that Dallas Cowboys fans chased Dan Quinn out of town after his defense collapsed in spectacular fashion in the playoffs. It was hard not to jump on that bandwagon. Quinn's group didn't give the team a chance to beat the Packers.
Many pondered if the performance was enough to prevent Quinn from landing a head coaching job. Quinn had been a hot commodity in the previous two hiring cycles, but he rebuffed each opportunity to return to his post as Cowboys' defensive coordinator.
Quinn secured several interviews despite the playoff disaster and eventually landed with the Washington Commanders. They initially had their sights set on Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who spurned Washington at the altar to return to Detroit.
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Pairing a defensive-minded coach in Quinn with No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels felt like a head-scratching move at the time, but it has worked wonders thus far. So much so that Quinn is in the conversation for Coach of the Year.
A pair of Cowboys superstars - Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs - have taken notice of the Commanders' hot start and heaped big praise on their former defensive coordinator on Parsons' podcast with Bleacher Report, The Edge with Micah Parsons.
Cowboys' Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs praise Dan Quinn amid Commanders hot start
A big difference between Quinn and Mike Zimmer is that Quinn caters to his players strengths whereas Zimmer is a big proponent of scheme. Quinn was great at instilling confidence in Dallas' defensive players and that has translated to the Commanders.
"It’ll be about confidence, bro. Your coach putting that confidence in you, and he putting that battery in your back, you gonna go, every single time. You gotta have that coach that stands by you. He had me ready to run through a wall; he’s just a genuine person. They don’t got like superstars, you know. But they play as a team. They play hard for one another. They look good."Trevon Diggs
Parsons echoed Diggs' message and listed a variety of methods Quinn used to motivate his players before a game.
While Dallas' defense was criticized for a supposed lack of accountability during Quinn's time as defensive coordinator, there is something to be said about players buying in to his coaching and having a contagious energy that bleeds into his personnel.
"People don’t realize how high morale he had the team. The spirit he gave the defense. The energy, what he kinda gave all the players. Shark week, fight night, showing us boxing clips of MFers getting knocked out. I see it from that Commanders team now."Micah Parsons
Micah and Trevon Diggs react to the wild Commanders Hail Mary TD 💀
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 28, 2024
(Via The Edge With Micah Parsons) pic.twitter.com/up6jzpMhHe
Are the Cowboys missing Quinn's energetic presence? That's open for interpretation. Maybe the defense starts living up to its reputation once it gets Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, DaRon Bland, Marshawn Kneeland and Caelen Carson back from injury. That's a lot of firepower.
Whatever the case, Quinn is thriving in Washington and there's been no indication that the honeymoon phase will end anytime soon.
The Commanders are first in the NFC East with a 6-2 record, which is the second-best mark in the NFL behind the undefeated Chiefs. They have the third-best point differential and have allowed the 11th-fewest points.
The play of Jayden Daniels has A LOT to do with that, but Quinn has been the face of the Commanders' turnaround both on and off the field. Don't read too much into Parsons and Diggs praising their former DC. He deserves that much.