The Washington Commanders fell to the Detroit Lions 17-13 on Saturday in their second preseason game. The result didn’t bother head coach Dan Quinn or Washington fans. Sure, you’d like to win them all, but it’s the preseason after all. It was what Quinn saw on the Commanders’ first drive of the game that was most concerning.
Quinn went with his first-team offense, expecting to continue the momentum from a solid training camp. It was the first action of the preseason for quarterback Jayden Daniels and wide receivers Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs—the result: three plays and one yard. The first play was an incomplete pass; Daniels was under duress after a missed block and was forced to throw it away. The second play featured two missed blocks, with Daniels taking a sack. Washington handed it off on third down and punted.
That was it. Daniels and the first-team offense were done for the night.
After the game, Daniels didn’t seem to mind, understanding that it’s the preseason. Quinn, who usually deflects any criticism, had the following to say.
“Sam’s really having a good camp,” Quinn said in reference to right guard Sam Cosmi. “Like, maybe playing the best I’ve seen him play in the couple, three years [since Quinn arrived in 2024]. Technique, he’s on it. I like what I’m seeing on the outside, you know, at left tackle. So, we got work to do to figure out where we want to get to at center.”Quinn didn’t name any names, but it was obvious. The center position is a problem with Nick Allegretti still out. Heck, it could be a problem with Allegretti in the lineup. We don’t know, as he’s barely practiced all summer after transitioning over from guard.
So, on Sunday, the Commanders made a change. Instead of a walkthrough on Monday, Washington will have practice. That means this will be a busy week for the Commanders, as they’ll travel to Baltimore for a joint scrimmage with the Ravens on Wednesday, followed by the final preseason game on Friday.
Quinn changing Monday’s walkthrough to a regular practice is not only because he’s concerned about the center position. That’s part of it, but it goes deeper. It’s a big deal because this is out of the norm for Quinn, who is a player’s coach.
Considering what we saw on Saturday, this is probably a good decision by Quinn.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders' Dan Quinn makes a big change
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