Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn slammed his headset into the ground after his team tied the New York Giants 27-27 Sunday, Oct. 11, because Washington brutally mismanaged the clock without any timeouts remaining and time expired before they could get the field-goal unit onto the field.
One day later, Quinn’s feelings have not changed much, judging by the one word he used during his news conference Monday, Oct. 12.
“Furious.”
“Furious about our execution in the crucial moments of the game,” Quinn said. “We work really hard on things and it didn’t look like it. Pissed about it.”
Quarterback Jayden Daniels and Quinn both gave vague answers Sunday in the immediate aftermath of the game. Daniels snapped the ball with 12 seconds remaining, did
not throw the ball out of bounds or spike it and instead took a sack. Time ticked off before the Commanders could line up and spike the ball with any seconds remaining.
Quinn pulled back the curtain a bit Monday on the Commanders’ process. First, he wanted to kick near the end of the game, which had featured four missed kicks – more yards was the goal, he explained Sunday.
But the problems for the Commanders began long before the scramble at the end. Running back Rachaad White picked up two yards on the previous play, which was snapped with 55 seconds remaining. First-year offensive coordinator David Blough called the next play and a different personnel unit was substituted. Then Daniels took the play clock down to almost zero.
“It took entirely too long from there,” Quinn said, before adding: “It was a breakdown. It can’t happen.
“Our execution was just off.”
The Commanders’ team meeting Monday morning focused on addressing the confusion that led to that point, Quinn said. That end-of-game scenario was biggest example of “we got a lot of (expletive) to clean up.”
“It starts with me first off, no doubt about it,” Quinn said.
Quinn did not blame the play call. In hindsight, Quinn wouldn’t have allowed the Commanders to sub players out for a different package and simply get back on the ball to save time for a spike later if need be.
Three of the Commanders’ practice days include clock management situations for the offense – four if counting meetings that discuss it.
“I don’t catastrophize things, but I do want to be sure to not minimize things either,” Quinn said.
Washington’s previous game management guru, Dave Gardi, is now an executive vice president with the Tennessee Titans. Gardi filled many roles for the Commanders aside from game-day responsibilities, and the team split his job and hired two people to replace him.
Commanders minority owner Magic Johnson set off social-media speculation regarding Quinn’s job status with a post on X outlining his disappointment. Quinn said he and principal owner Josh Harris talk regularly and that feels comfortable with his current standing. The two sides are honest during difficult conversations about what needs to be fixed, and Quinn said he appreciates the communication.
“That’s a normal process for us,” Quinn said. “Trust me, no one is pleased with this outcome and where we’re at.”
Because even if the final seconds are dominating the day-after conversation, Quinn is the first to point out the Commanders blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter because they did not have enough finishing plays in all three phases.
That didn’t stop him from laying out the vision to his team Monday morning for how they will prepare over the next week for their upcoming opponent, the San Francisco 49ers, on “Monday Night Football.”
And for distressed Commanders fans, the coach had a message.
“I’m just as pissed,” Quinn said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Furious' Dan Quinn addresses Commanders' OT clock disaster: 'It can't happen'
