ESPN’s Joe Buck showed a lack of respect for Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn during Monday night’s game between the Broncos and Browns.
Late in the game, Buck, sounding like he was the agent for Denver head coach Sean Payton, laid out the veteran coach’s case for being the NFL Coach of the Year. According to Buck, Payton had the Broncos in contention with a rookie quarterback — and he was the only coach doing so. Troy Aikman played along until a producer clearly reminded Buck about Quinn, Jayden Daniels, and the Commanders.
Buck then mentioned Quinn, only to repeat what he said earlier. It was strange.
Both the Broncos and Commanders are 8-5. Washington was the story of the first half of the season, with Daniels playing at an MVP level and the Commanders sitting at 7-2. While a three-game losing streak cooled Washington a bit, a 42-19 win over Tennessee got them back on the right track.
Let’s go back to Buck for a second. The coaches he named are all doing an outstanding job. Dan Campbell (Lions), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), Payton, Mike Tomlin (Steelers), and Kevin O’Connell (Vikings) all have a case, but has any coach turned around his team more than Quinn in less than 12 months?
Washington was a dumpster fire before owner Josh Harris fired Ron Rivera. The roster was in terrible shape; there was no quarterback and an overmatched coaching staff. Harris got to work in January, hiring Adam Peters as GM and Quinn as head coach. Quinn put together an All-Star staff, while Peters flipped the roster. The ultimate piece came in April when the Commanders chose Daniels at No. 2 overall in the NFL draft.
Washington won four games last season. The Commanders have won eight already this year — with four games remaining. Payton, who was Denver’s coach last season, won eight games in 2023.
No coach had a bigger job in front of them than Quinn. And remember the outrage from some of Washington’s fan base about Quinn’s hiring? They wanted Ben Johnson. Adam Peters wanted Quinn. Media from around the country called the hire underwhelming, including CBS recently.
There’s a long way to go, but Quinn and Washington got the last laugh. Quinn proved to be exactly what the Commanders needed. He is a true culture changer, not a coach like Rivera, who talked about culture but was too busy reading what was said about him. Quinn has accomplished in 13 weeks what Rivera couldn’t do in four years. And no thanks to Rivera, as all four of his first-round picks are gone from Washington’s roster.
Campbell is having a terrific season, but the Lions were expected to be a Super Bowl contender. Harbaugh, as usual, is phenomenal but inherited a franchise quarterback. O’Connell is truly Quinn’s primary competition for the Coach of the Year award. What he’s doing in Minnesota with a journeyman quarterback is impressive.
Still, Quinn is not only winning but has also cleansed the organization. Players love coming to work—every player on the roster bought into Quinn’s messaging. Imagine if the Commanders get to 12 wins. Heck, even 11 wins. That would mean they tripled, or almost tripled their win total from one year.
Case closed.
So, while Quinn may have been an “underwhelming” hire, and Joe Buck prefers Sean Payton, Quinn’s case is as strong as anyone’s to be the 2024 NFL Coach of the Year.
