The Washington Commanders have begun a new era, appointing Dan Quinn, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach, to replace the ousted Ron Rivera. Was this the correct decision, or did the Commanders simply replace Ron Rivera with another version of Ron Rivera? Adam Peters, the new General Manager of Commanders, has made an unexpected decision.
Dan Quinn gets a second chance to be an NFL head coach. His first head coaching position was with the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020. In his second year on the job, the Falcons made the Super Bowl and famously jumped out to a 28-3 advantage. Yeah, I believe we understand what happened there. Quinn was dismissed after Week 5 of the 2020 NFL season, with the Falcons starting 0-5.
And now, after a few years as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, he gets a second chance with Washington. However, this hire bears a striking resemblance to when the Commanders hired Ron Rivera. Rivera’s first head coaching post was with the Carolina Panthers from 2011 to 2019. Like Quinn, Rivera led his team to the Super Bowl the year before Quinn did with the Falcons.
Like Quinn, Rivera’s team lost. Both coaches’ head coaching records are around.500. In the regular season, Rivera has a.498 winning percentage, while Quinn has a.506 winning percentage. Both men have an old-school, defensive mindset and appear to be appreciated by their players.
So, did the Commanders upgrade from Ron Rivera?
It seems difficult to say yes at this moment. The most important aspect in this could be who Dan Quinn hires for his staff, particularly as offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. Washington has the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, thus they are in an ideal position to draft a quarterback, potentially Drake Maye from UNC.
Maye possesses all of the attributes required to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL, and the Commanders would be foolish to pass him up. But at this time, it’s difficult to evaluate whether the Commanders hired a stronger head coach than they had before.
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