While the rest of the NFL sees Washington’s incredible turnaround — going from just four wins last season to 14 this year and advancing to the NFC Championship game — as a great story, the team believes they can beat the Eagles and reach the Super Bowl.
This belief has been the team’s mantra all year. The Commanders started the season strong, and it quickly became clear that head coach Dan Quinn and his staff had transformed a toxic culture in Washington, earning the team’s trust.
Still, merely making the playoffs was seen as a huge accomplishment. The Commanders won their final five games with last-minute heroics, proving their resilience. After defeating Tampa Bay with a walk-off field goal in the wildcard round, the season already felt like a major success.
Then came last Saturday night, when few thought Washington could upset the No. 1 seed Lions at Ford Field as two-score underdogs. But Washington didn’t just win; they dominated Detroit from start to finish.
On Thursday, Quinn emphasized that the Commanders are not done and don’t view the season as complete. The team believes they are capable of more.
“We have found our identity, but we still haven’t found our ceiling,” Quinn said. “We’ve raised the floor, but we haven’t reached the ceiling yet.”
Quinn is a top candidate for NFL Coach of the Year, and deservedly so. The culture he’s instilled in D.C. has produced a scrappy team that thrives as underdogs, and it’s paying off.
Former Washington player Will Compton, now co-host of the “Bussin With The Boys” podcast, shared details about Quinn’s pregame speech before the Lions game.
“Dan Quinn gave this speech — everyone talks about how he’s a great leader and how players gravitate toward him,” Compton said.
“He described a military scenario where they take a man, hold him under water, and no matter how much they scratch, claw, and fight, we’ll be the ones standing over them. That’s what we’ll do to the Detroit Lions.”
Compton, shocked by the analogy, added, “When I heard about that speech, I was like, are you serious?”
Taylor Lewan, Compton’s co-host and former Titans star, commented on the impact of such speeches.
