Dec 25, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn (center) looks on from the sidelines against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Commanders coach reveals 'sleepless nights' over tackling woes

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Joanne Coley | Last updated Dec 31, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Dan Quinn has never shied away from addressing the Washington Commanders’ performance. Heading into Week 18 with a 4–12 record, what has weighed on him most this season isn’t the record or their effort, but the failure to execute when it matters most.

“The one that I've had lots of sleepless nights on [laughs]... the consistency of those and executing those in those moments, we've missed them,” Quinn said.

Rather than pointing to a single issue, the Washington head coach acknowledged that the problem has been layered. "When it's a multitude of things and there's layers to it, you want to keep digging and I'm into that space for sure."

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'Winning Time' failures

Quinn pointed directly to what he calls “Winning Time," the critical decisions that often swing the momentum of the game. It’s not always the final play, but the critical 3rd and 4th downs and Red Zone moments.

"Yes, that execution of nailing exactly what to do in that space... It's the ones of third and fourth downs, some of the two-minute ops to go,” Quinn said.

The frustration stems from not fully capitalizing on those moments across all phases of the game. “Those moments, yes of not being able to nail them and recognize this is that play, this is that moment that calls for the hyperfocus. To not nail those in all three phases, that's been challenging for sure.”

When teams execute cleanly, even losses can be easier to accept. “And if you can, you can put your head on the pillow saying, okay, we did all the right things that didn't go our way,” Quinn added.

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The 'reckless' defensive approach

Quinn also tied the team's inconsistency to the defensive side of the ball, specifically in tackling. In his view, defenders have moved away from the fundamentals in a “reckless” attempt to force turnovers.

“It hasn't been as good wrap and driving your feet through the contact as it is, ‘I'm going to be reckless and go take my one chance at the ball,’” he said.

That approach has backfired. “So, the art of tackling is really about leverage and it's owning that leverage,” he explained. “The ones that we've missed, I would say by large majority have not been somebody who was reckless punching at it as opposed to tackling.”

'Tell the Truth' Monday

Ahead of the final game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Quinn said the team confronted these failures head-on.

“So, firstly I thought today, with the team included a bit of a ‘Tell the Truth Monday’ with Dallas [Cowboys] and the recap that went with that,” Quinn said.

While Quinn praised the team for its competitiveness, he made it clear that effort alone isn’t enough. “I did love our fight, but our execution still has work to do... there's also plays that like, ‘hey man, this, this part has to be better and how can we fix that’.”