Dan Quinn had a lot of praise for Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel this week.
Quinn spoke highly of McDaniel’s coaching acumen. He lauded his leadership and quick processing ability. But more than anything, he said, he’s proud of McDaniel’s personal journey and how far he’s come since their time working together nearly 10 years ago.
Quinn, in his second year as Washington's head coach, was the Atlanta Falcons coach in 2016 when he, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan
and current Falcons coach Raheem Morris sat down with McDaniel — then a Falcons offensive assistant — and confronted him about his drinking.
“I think when there’s an issue, sometimes you don’t want to let somebody you’re with know,” Quinn said Wednesday ahead of Washington's game against Miami in Madrid.
“You’re counting on them. They’re counting on you," Quinn added. “But really, you're leaning in, that’s the biggest strength we can do. And in that space, all I want to do is help and give support, and then the real work begins for the person who’s in that spot. And that’s exactly what Mike did. ... And it’s part of the reason I’m so proud of him."
McDaniel often describes that moment as a much-needed wakeup call. Years earlier, he had been fired from his job as an offensive assistant with the Houston Texans and had continued to struggle with his sobriety.
But since that day — Jan. 4, 2016, McDaniel remembers — he vowed to never drink again. McDaniel had relayed that conversation with Quinn to his wife, saw the disappointment in her face, and has been sober since.
“Dan Quinn holds a special place in my heart, in my career,” McDaniel said Wednesday. “He was there, ground zero, when I became sober and supported me and believed in me and gave me the opportunity to continue what I love to do. For that, I‘ll be forever indebted to him.”
Sunday's game will be the first time the two face each other as head coaches as the NFL wraps its 2025 international slate with the league's first regular-season game in Spain.
The Commanders and Dolphins are both 3-7. While the Dolphins are coming off a win over the Buffalo Bills that could mark a turning point in their season, the Commanders are in a free-fall, going from 3-2 to 3-7 with a five-game losing streak.
“That's a big confidence booster for our team,” Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said. “We were able to enjoy that win for 24 hours. We want to put that to rest and we want to focus on the Commanders this week and find every possible way that we can to help win the game.”
The Commanders have barely been competitive during their five-game skid, losing by 21 to Kansas City in Week 8, by 24 to Seattle in Week 9 and by 22 against Detroit last week. Quarterback Jayden Daniels will miss his fifth game this season with an injury, this time a dislocated left elbow.
“At the end of the day, in order to get things going in the right direction, you have to be transparent, you have to be honest,” said backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who again will start in Daniels' place. “And I don’t think we are who we think we are.”
Quinn needed to do something after a succession of poor performances by Washington’s defense, so he opted to take over as the defensive coordinator, demoting Joe Whitt Jr.
“Whenever you have a move like that,” linebacker Bobby Wagner said, “then that kind of means the players are not executing at the level that they need to be. ... We have to execute better, regardless of who’s calling the defense.”
Washington has given up 2,737 yards passing and 8.9 yards per pass attempt — both the worst in the entire NFL. Last week, the Lions scored on each of their first eight possessions.
Nearly half of the 22 starters on offense and defense that the Commanders were expected to have at the start of the season will miss Sunday’s game.
That’s mostly because of injuries, but they’re also without defensive tackle Daron Payne, who was suspended for one game without pay by the NFL for punching a player in last week’s loss.
The other nine: Daniels, RB Austin Ekeler, WRs Terry McLaurin and Noah Brown, DEs Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise Jr., CBs Marshon Lattimore and Trey Amos, and S Will Harris.
Ekeler, Armstrong, Wise and Lattimore are done for the season; Brown, Amos and Harris are on injured reserve.
Dolphins left tackle Patrick Paul will be playing against his brother, Commanders left guard Chris Paul, for the first time in their careers on Sunday.
Patrick Paul has had a stellar second season with the Dolphins and has been one of Pro Football Focus' highest-graded tackles in the NFL. And after earning the starting left guard role earlier this season, Chris Paul has been a bright spot on Washington's offense.
"It’s another special moment," Patrick Paul said. "My rookie year we had him in preseason but now we have a regular-season game, so we’re all going to Spain. The whole family is coming out – family, cousins, everybody. I think I requested maybe 10 to 12 tickets. I’ve got a big crowd coming to Spain, so it’ll be fun.”
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AP Sports Writer Howard Fendrich in Washington contributed to this report.
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