Dan Quinn’s role in perhaps the most inexplicable and calamitous passage of clock management in NFL history won’t cost him his job just yet, but the head coach of the Washington Commanders has been warned he’s dealing with a “spider bite” that signals the beginning of the end.
That’s the view of 105.7 and 106.7 The Fan’s Steve Czaban. The host of the “CzabeCast” called what he saw in Week 5 “a ‘spider bite’ screw up by Dan Quinn.”
What Czaban saw was Quinn and quarterback Jayden Daniels get it all wrong in overtime against the New York Giants. Their botched final play in overtime condemned the Commanders to a 27-27 tie, instead of a much-needed win.
The debacle sparked an immediate debate over who’s more to blame. Some think Daniels passed the buck, but others believe it’s time to fire Quinn.
Czaban believes what happened against the Giants isn’t “gonna be fatal right now. Modern owners don’t have the stomach for the drama of canning coaches early in a season anymore. But Quinn will limp through the jungle this season before lying down to take a rest, and that will be that.”
The idea that Quinn’s still safe might be inconceivable for some, but there are compelling reasons why Czaban’s prediction might come true.
Dan Quinn’s Position Continues to Weaken
Quinn’s immediate and viral reaction to the Commanders not preserving the clock for a potential game-winning field goal spoke volumes. A notable member of the team’s ownership group reinforced that feeling by quickly calling out the game-management disaster.
Quinn can’t hide from everything his team got wrong with the game on the line, and to his credit, the 56-year-old fronted up and took full responsibility.
There wasn’t really much else Quinn could do, but protecting his players in public only kept the focus on his role in the Commanders’ epic gaffe. Quinn’s the primary decision-maker, so the fallout from this mess will ultimately land on his shoulders.
Unfortunately, replacing their head coach midstream will be difficult for the Commanders.
Commanders’ Staff Situation Could Save Under-Pressure Head Coach
Quinn took a risk when he named two first-time play-callers this offseason. Ironically, the decision to hire Daronte Jones as defensive coordinator, and promote David Blough to OC, might save Quinn.
Blough and Jones are rookies in senior roles, so they may struggle to handle the top job, even on an interim basis. The Commanders would need to restore confidence after jettisoning Quinn during the season, so either Jones or Blough would be a tough sell.
Elevating Blough would be the toughest sell after his own role in the late farce against the Giants. He was communicating with Daniels, but the QB somehow appeared not to know the situation, how many timeouts he had, nor how to adjust from the original call.
The problem is Daniels wasn’t the only one who appeared confused about the call. Wide receiver Treylon Burks also sounded unsure of what the coaches had sent in from the sideline.
Burks explained how “at that point, I’m gonna speak for myself, you line up and you run the play that’s called. You let the rest be taken care of with, you know, God and the coaches,” per 7News DC’s Scott Abraham.
Did the Commanders offense know they didn’t have any timeouts left?
Treylon told me, “you line up and run the play that is called.”
Letting his offensive coordinator call a play key players either aren’t clear about or comfortable executing, is an indictment of Quinn’s leadership. Setting the course and taking care of the big-picture details are the primary jobs of a head coach, and Quinn failed spectacularly against the Giants.
The Commanders still lack experienced and viable candidates to replace him from within. That fact, along with any goodwill left over from Quinn leading Washington to the 2024 NFC Championship Game, should keep him in place for the time being.
Commanders’ Dan Quinn Warned About ‘Spider Bite’ Future