Dan Quinn downplayed Jayden Daniels’ leg soreness, which led the Washington Commanders head coach to pull the quarterback at halftime of the final regular-season game against the Dallas Cowboys, sweeping backhand dismiss any possible concerns about his state of health for the playoffs.
“I’m not worried going into the week,” Quinn said Monday during a video conference with reporters. And I feel good about the health of the players in general, which is a good thing when it comes to this time of year. »
Quinn reiterated that he turned to backup Marcus Mariota because the game demanded more mobility at the position than Daniels could provide. The heavy favorite to be the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year is expected to practice this week and play Sunday night at Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers. This part will be presented at 8 p.m. on RDS.
“I respect the decision DQ (Dan Quinn) made,” Daniels said after Mariota orchestrated the comeback to beat the Cowboys 23-19. I’m getting ready for next week. »
Daniels’ playoff debut came in the same stadium where he played his first NFL game. The Commanders lost that week one game before winning four in a row to finish the season with a 12-5 record.
Quinn praised Daniels for adapting to a season longer than college by going through trial and error and finding the best way to take care of his body.
“There was a lot to learn,” admitted Quinn. He really did a good job finding his own rhythm. »
A return that could make the difference
According to Quinn, the Commanders are finally healthy after playing without Marshon Lattimore, Tyler Biadasz and losing rookie Brandon Coleman to a knee injury.
Having only played four games in the last month could be a reason.
“We knew there was going to be a silver lining with this late bye week,” Quinn said, referring to the fact that the Commanders had the latest bye week possible. We haven’t talked about it, but having him at the end gives the team maybe more energy than usual. »
The return of Lattimore, who has missed several games this season, is crucial, given the challenge of facing Mike Evans. The Bucs receiver made five receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns in the first meeting between these two teams.
What doesn’t work
The run defense is still porous and a problem. The Cowboys have 150 yards rushing, and Bucky Irving could have a field day if the Commanders can’t figure out how to slow him down.
The Commanders are giving up an average of 137.5 yards per game on the ground – the worst result among the 14 playoff teams and 30th out of 32 overall.
