Sometimes, teams embrace a pressure moment; sometimes, teams shy away from the tense moment.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was asked Thursday if this team embraces the late game moments more than others, and if so, why.
Quinn’s reply reminds me of the sociological observation that love begets more love. Hate begets more hate. These are things we have noticed over the years in society. Quinn revealed in his reply he believes this and believes it is true in football as well.
So, why do the Commanders seem to welcome the tight, nail-biting finishes?
“We do embrace it for sure,” expressed Quinn. “I think it’s because of the volume of times we’ve been in it. I think that, the experience into those spots, like I talked about earlier, the hard fights doing it together, you do gain confidence from going through that.”
Week Eighteen
Marcus Mariota Passing TD (4)
to Terry McLaurin (13) pic.twitter.com/IqTngkxdvm— NFL TD Videos (@NFLTDVids) January 5, 2025
Quinn would know experientially more than any of us. We’ve only observed it from afar. Quinn has lived it.
“They’ve been in a lot of close games, not just over the last month or so, but really the entire season with the exception of the first game. And you do grow together, and these guys have really bonded and connected, and they trust one another, and I think that’s a big deal.”
It all began in Week 2 when Jayden Daniels led a scoring drive, resulting in kicker Austin Seibert’s final play, a game-winning field goal. The following week, Daniels, on a third-and-7, hit Terry McLaurin for a 27-yard game-clinching touchdown.
There was the ever-unforgettable ‘Hail Mary’ in a Week 8 win over the Bears. And now the last five consecutive games have come down to the final seconds, all becoming Washington wins.
“They trust one another; that’s a big deal. Not every team has that.”