Monday's press conference had to be awfully uncomfortable for Dan Quinn.
The Commanders’ head coach, of course, knew what to expect at his weekly Monday media chat. He was first asked if he feared the players would lose respect for him and the other coaches. The next question asked Quinn if he feared for his job security.
“I do know how the league goes. I’m well aware of that,” expressed Quinn. “Josh (Harris) and I talk regularly before games, after games, after good games, after tough games. That’s a normal process for us. And trust me, no one is pleased with this outcome and where we’re at.”
Quinn was very upset immediately following the final play on Sunday. Cameras caught Quinn throwing down his headset in anger and frustration. Of course, they had blown a 14-point fourth-quarter lead, yet still had a chance to win with a potential game-winning 42-yard field-goal attempt by Drew Stevens. But Quinn must have been furious watching his quarterback not throw the ball away to stop the clock, but instead attempt to run with no timeouts remaining.
“But the part we do have those hard conversations, we’re honest about where we are, what we need to fix, and what we need to work on. So, I like having that communication with him.”
Where they are is 1-3-1 with the 49ers on the road next. That’s the 5-0 49ers, by the way. Where the Commanders also are is 0-2-1 after the first round of NFC East play. Where they could have been is tied at 2-3 with the Eagles and Cowboys, and only one game behind the 3-2 Giants. That’s where they should have been and where it looked like they would be with about 50 seconds remaining on Sunday.
It’s a cliché, but Dan Quinn has an uphill battle the rest of the 2026 season. To avoid a losing season, and possibly Quinn’s firing, the Commanders will need to go 7-5 in the final 12 games to finish 8-8-1. Of course, we would rather the Commanders finish much better than 7-5 in their last 12 games. However, the context of the question Quinn was asked was his job security. Thus, that is the theme being discussed and what it might take for Quinn to be brought back next season.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Dan Quinn reveals frequent conversations with owner Josh Harris