More than anyone else, Dan Quinn knows that the Commanders’ defense has to step it up.
It’s not like he would be surprised to learn that the Giants actually had the ball four minutes longer as they rushed for 164 yards in 31 carries in Sunday’s game in East Rutherford, NJ.
But a certain type of run bothered Quinn on Monday when he talked with the press.
“Yeah, I thought number one, I thought the quarterback runs of him being able to circle the defense was a big deal. And one of them may have been 24 yards or significant explosive run.”
Yeah, we lost, but this got me hyped! I’m not gonna lie. You can question a lot of things about Daniel Jones, but you can never question his toughness. pic.twitter.com/VnogVL6sDM
— Vibes – Eli Racks (@IamEliRacks) November 3, 2024
Quinn, of course, was accurate. He knows all too well what Daniel Jones did in that game and how other teams like the Eagles with Jalen Hurts will not shy away from trying the same sort of schemed runs against the Commanders.
“And then past that, I thought, I didn’t feel like the tackling was off base, but the explosive ones are the ones that can really change the course of the game. And we had one against Chicago and then the explosive run from yesterday. And you don’t get to say, ‘Except for this and this, it was on point.”
The former Cowboys defensive coordinator is in his second stint as NFL head coach, so he was not about to convey that he was lowering his standard in any manner.
“So, I think more than anything, making sure whatever the look is, whatever the run is, that you’re able to nail that piece down. And so, that’s where I thought we missed the mark in this game.”
He is right; the Commanders missed the mark. They did surrender entirely too many rushing yards.
Yet, their offense was good enough to cover for the defense on Sunday. But Quinn knows that in the playoffs, he must have a better defense if they are going to win a game.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves: up next, the Pittsburgh Steelers.