The HC Dan Quinn Discussion Thread

[Voice_of_Reason]

I hope Dan Quinn sees and hears this stuff. That would be a positive 'distraction' - he needs to feel the pressure. I think there are too many smart people (including Al Galdi on our recent pod with him) indicating the hot seat For Quinn is real, not imaginary, for there not to be some truth to it.

You can't draft a guy like Daniels who then has a great year, and then go 5-12 the next year and NOT be on the hot seat. If they don't get to at least 10 wins this season, it's a disappointment.

Heck, John Harbaugh just got fired because he has a top 5 QB and 3 time league MVP and couldn't get to the SB with him.

There's only one team in recent memory that had a top 5-10 QB and had a losing record and the coach survived: Sean Payton with the Saints. (Brees was a top 3 QB, so it makes it is even more applicable.) They went 7-9 3 years in a row from 2014 - 2016 while Brees was throwing up 5000 yard seasons. Then they went 11,13, 13, and 12 wins in the next 4 seasons and somewhere in there got completely jobbed by the refs on a SB appearance. I guess loser Zac Taylor a Jay Gruden loser clone, is somewhat in the middle of that at the moment. But Burrow has gotten hurt a couple times which has helped hide his ineptitude.

But that's about it. If you have a top QB and you don't win, you get fired. That's going to happen to Quinn if they don't win at least 10, probably 11 games this year barring a ton of injuries again.

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

You can't draft a guy like Daniels who then has a great year, and then go 5-12 the next year and NOT be on the hot seat. If they don't get to at least 10 wins this season, it's a disappointment.

Heck, John Harbaugh just got fired because he has a top 5 QB and 3 time league MVP and couldn't get to the SB with him.

There's only one team in recent memory that had a top 5-10 QB and had a losing record and the coach survived: Sean Payton with the Saints. (Brees was a top 3 QB, so it makes it is even more applicable.) They went 7-9 3 years in a row from 2014 - 2016 while Brees was throwing up 5000 yard seasons. Then they went 11,13, 13, and 12 wins in the next 4 seasons and somewhere in there got completely jobbed by the refs on a SB appearance. I guess loser Zac Taylor a Jay Gruden loser clone, is somewhat in the middle of that at the moment. But Burrow has gotten hurt a couple times which has helped hide his ineptitude.

But that's about it. If you have a top QB and you don't win, you get fired. That's going to happen to Quinn if they don't win at least 10, probably 11 games this year barring a ton of injuries again.

I don’t know, in a process over results world, if they win 8 and management likes the direction they could run it back.

Now if Blough is pursued as a hc in any way for any reason, I think things are automatically up in the air.

If they play poorly, obviously DQ has a major issue. It will be hard to excuse two straight years.

Not sure he has a high win minimum especially with new coordinators.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I don’t know, in a process over results world, if they win 8 and management likes the direction they could run it back.

Now if Blough is pursued as a hc in any way for any reason, I think things are automatically up in the air.

If they play poorly, obviously DQ has a major issue. It will be hard to excuse two straight years.

Not sure he has a high win minimum especially with new coordinators.

If they go 9-8 Quinn is going to be fired. He wasn’t their first choice. They’ll never confirm it but he was probably no higher than choice 3: Ben Johnson, Macdonald and the. Quinn. It’s possible Raheem Morris was higher also but he wasn’t hired so quickly by Atlanta it didn’t matter.

He gets tremendous credit for getting the team to the championship game in year 1. But if they go 5-12 while getting blown out every week and then don’t get to the playoffs while revamping the entire coaching staff, he’s toast.

 

[burgold]

You can't draft a guy like Daniels who then has a great year, and then go 5-12 the next year and NOT be on the hot seat. If they don't get to at least 10 wins this season, it's a disappointment.

Heck, John Harbaugh just got fired because he has a top 5 QB and 3 time league MVP and couldn't get to the SB with him.

There's only one team in recent memory that had a top 5-10 QB and had a losing record and the coach survived: Sean Payton with the Saints. (Brees was a top 3 QB, so it makes it is even more applicable.) They went 7-9 3 years in a row from 2014 - 2016 while Brees was throwing up 5000 yard seasons. Then they went 11,13, 13, and 12 wins in the next 4 seasons and somewhere in there got completely jobbed by the refs on a SB appearance. I guess loser Zac Taylor a Jay Gruden loser clone, is somewhat in the middle of that at the moment. But Burrow has gotten hurt a couple times which has helped hide his ineptitude.

But that's about it. If you have a top QB and you don't win, you get fired. That's going to happen to Quinn if they don't win at least 10, probably 11 games this year barring a ton of injuries again.

Burrows too. Dreadful teams and losing years despite a top QB and great weapons.

 

[burgold]

Now if Blough is pursued as a hc in any way for any reason, I think things are automatically up in the air.

If Blough is great and becomes a hot HC candidate I think I would like them to strongly consider pushing Quinn to take a front office job and promoting Blough in his place. As a "CEO" HC, the front office probably wouldn't be an unnatural evolution.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Burrows too. Dreadful teams and losing years despite a top QB and great weapons.

Yeah I mentioned that. Zac Taylor is Jay Gruden. Supposed good offensive mind and born dumbass loser.

 

[SkinsLife]

Here is an interesting idea.. if O looks really good, but the D is just ok.. and lets say they finish with 9wins.. Blough will get HC opportunities thrown his way. Hot OCs promoted to HC is the hot new craze and everyone wants an O-minded HC. I see Quinn getting fired and replaced by Blough.. or maybe demoted to an assistant HC for a year.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

If Blough is great and becomes a hot HC candidate I think I would like them to strongly consider pushing Quinn to take a front office job and promoting Blough in his place. As a "CEO" HC, the front office probably wouldn't be an unnatural evolution.

You’d have to fire Quinn. He’s still young enough to coach another 5-10 years and he likes coaching.

The bigger question is would Blough take the job if you fired Quinn? McVay said he wouldn’t have taken the Skins job if they fired Jay to give it to him. Which is wild because Jay is a no nothing dumbass moron. But he was the no nothing dumbass moron who gave McVay his first OC job. So there is misplaced loyalty there.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Here is an interesting idea.. if O looks really good, but the D is just ok.. and lets say they finish with 9wins.. Blough will get HC opportunities thrown his way. Hot OCs promoted to HC is the hot new craze and everyone wants an O-minded HC. I see Quinn getting fired and replaced by Blough.. or maybe demoted to an assistant HC for a year.

See my post above. Question whether a login would take the job.

I actually don’t think Blough is getting HC opportunities after one year as OC and 3 years of coaching experience. Even if the offense is great, I think he needs to be in the job a few years. It took McVay 3 years as OC before he got the Rams job. I can’t imagine Blough is faster than that.

 

[SkinsLife]

See my post above. Question whether a login would take the job.

I actually don’t think Blough is getting HC opportunities after one year as OC and 3 years of coaching experience. Even if the offense is great, I think he needs to be in the job a few years. It took McVay 3 years as OC before he got the Rams job. I can’t imagine Blough is faster than that.

Ben Johnson was getting HC offers after his first big season as OC in Det in 22. so i dont think its out of the question that the same can happen with Blough. Teams know how hard it is to find a great O minded coach and plently are willing to take the risk after one good year, knowing they might not get another chance after 2 great years. If anything.. Mcvays success made this a more likely scenario. Everyone wants the next Mcvay and even Ben johnson(even though he only had one good year)

 

[Faithful Fan]

You can't draft a guy like Daniels who then has a great year, and then go 5-12 the next year and NOT be on the hot seat. If they don't get to at least 10 wins this season, it's a disappointment.

Heck, John Harbaugh just got fired because he has a top 5 QB and 3 time league MVP and couldn't get to the SB with him.

There's only one team in recent memory that had a top 5-10 QB and had a losing record and the coach survived: Sean Payton with the Saints. (Brees was a top 3 QB, so it makes it is even more applicable.) They went 7-9 3 years in a row from 2014 - 2016 while Brees was throwing up 5000 yard seasons. Then they went 11,13, 13, and 12 wins in the next 4 seasons and somewhere in there got completely jobbed by the refs on a SB appearance. I guess loser Zac Taylor a Jay Gruden loser clone, is somewhat in the middle of that at the moment. But Burrow has gotten hurt a couple times which has helped hide his ineptitude.

But that's about it. If you have a top QB and you don't win, you get fired. That's going to happen to Quinn if they don't win at least 10, probably 11 games this year barring a ton of injuries again.

Plenty of good quarterbacks have losing seasons without their coaches getting fired. The most recent example is obviously Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs going 6-11 last year. John Elway and Dan Reeves went 5-11 in 1990 but turned it around in 1991. Dan Marino and Don Shula had several losing seasons. Your Drew Brees example is interesting because his original team actually let him go (same with Matthew Stafford, Baker Mayfield, and Sam Darnold). Troy Aikman and Drake Maye were terrible as rookies. Etc.

Championships are an imperfect benchmark too. Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, and Donovan McNabb never won one. Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Brett Favre only had one. John Elway didn’t win one until late in his career. Yet middling quarterbacks like Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer, Joe Flacco, and Eli Manning have rings.

Also, the Ravens were stupid to fire Harbaugh. I’d bet they will be the worse for it, and though I hate to say it, the Giants will be better too.

I guess my point is that people’s thinking around franchise quarterbacks and coaches is far too simplistic. Football is a competitive team sport, so there are lots more variables than just quarterback and head coach.

 

[Conn]

Plenty of good quarterbacks have losing seasons without their coaches getting fired. The most recent example is obviously Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs going 6-11 last year. John Elway and Dan Reeves went 5-11 in 1990 but turned it around in 1991. Dan Marino and Don Shula had several losing seasons. Your Drew Brees example is interesting because his original team actually let him go (same with Matthew Stafford, Baker Mayfield, and Sam Darnold). Troy Aikman and Drake Maye were terrible as rookies. Etc.

Championships are an imperfect benchmark too. Dan Marino, Dan Fouts, Jim Kelly, Warren Moon, and Donovan McNabb never won one. Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, and Brett Favre only had one. John Elway didn’t win one until late in his career. Yet middling quarterbacks like Doug Williams, Mark Rypien, Brad Johnson, Trent Dilfer, Joe Flacco, and Eli Manning have rings.

Also, the Ravens were stupid to fire Harbaugh. I’d bet they will be the worse for it, and though I hate to say it, the Giants will be better too.

I guess my point is that people’s thinking around franchise quarterbacks and coaches is far too simplistic. Football is a competitive team sport, so there are lots more variables than just quarterback and head coach.

Not many teams with great QB’s have two losing seasons in a row, especially after having already experienced success before that and then backsliding, I think is what he was getting at. Quinn already had his bad season and didn’t get fired. Another one this year, hard to imagine another outcome. Reasonable people can of course disagree on where the line is for a “good enough” season to stay employed, how much playoff success is required, etc…but a losing season I think he’s gone.

 

[Darrell Green Fan]

I actually don’t think Blough is getting HC opportunities after one year as OC and 3 years of coaching experience. Even if the offense is great, I think he needs to be in the job a few years. It took McVay 3 years as OC before he got the Rams job. I can’t imagine Blough is faster than that.

Yeah that part jumped out at me as well. This offense could resemble the Greatest Show on Turf and that won't be enough to elevate a 1st year OC to head coach.

 

[Faithful Fan]

Not many teams with great QB’s have two losing seasons in a row, especially after having already experienced success before that and then backsliding, I think is what he was getting at. Quinn already had his bad season and didn’t get fired. Another one this year, hard to imagine another outcome. Reasonable people can of course disagree on where the line is for a “good enough” season to stay employed, how much playoff success is required, etc…but a losing season I think he’s gone.

Fair enough. I guess my point is somewhat tangential to this.

I’ve noticed a lot of people view Jayden Daniels as the anointed one, and everybody else (Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, the defense, the receiving corps, etc.) as problems. I disagree with this perspective. I tend to think Jayden has more to prove yet and the scapegoats are better than people believe. For example, I could argue that DQ’s aggressive coaching was the reason for our success in 2024 and Jayden’s inability to stay healthy was the reason for our failure in 2025, but that would also be too simplistic.

The truth is that it takes a good team of players and coaches to succeed, and many factors (injuries, strength of schedule, luck, etc.) contribute to failure. As I like to say, this is a highly competitive team sport; very rarely is a single player or coach the problem or the solution.

 

[SkinsFTW]

If Daniels starts 16-17 games healthy and the team finishes 8-9 then I agree that Quinn might be gone but I have a hard time seeing Daniels not getting himself injured at this point.

It's going to take a season or 2 of him
playing almost every game to erase what happened last year from my mind.

It possible but to me it's like 70/30 that he's going to be limping around or out half the games from here on out. JD has to prove that he isn't an injury waiting to happen now.

I'm not saying that Maye is definitely better anymore but he's 10x more likely to complete NFL seasons.

 

[Conn]

Fair enough. I guess my point is somewhat tangential to this.

I’ve noticed a lot of people view Jayden Daniels as the anointed one, and everybody else (Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, the defense, the receiving corps, etc.) as problems. I disagree with this perspective. I tend to think Jayden has more to prove yet and the scapegoats are better than people believe. For example, I could argue that DQ’s aggressive coaching was the reason for our success in 2024 and Jayden’s inability to stay healthy was the reason for our failure in 2025, but that would also be too simplistic.

The truth is that it takes a good team of players and coaches to succeed, and many factors (injuries, strength of schedule, luck, etc.) contribute to failure. As I like to say, this is a highly competitive team sport; very rarely is a single player or coach the problem or the solution.

It’s not really about being anointed or not. When you have a young talented QB, your staff either maximizes him or eventually gets fired. If a couple different staffs fail, then the QB likely gets ditched, but everyone was still likely fired. It’s just the way of the league, it doesn’t require thinking Daniels is a future HOF for it to be logical that there’s pressure on the staff to win when you draft a QB at #2 overall and he had the best rookie QB season of all time.

I’m aware you aren’t as high on Daniels as many, but not for nothing, so far in their respective careers in their current jobs Daniels has been better at his job (again, historically so and then followed by a mediocre injured year) than AP has been at his. Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this discussion, we’d have an excellent roster and all the weight wouldn’t be on the QB or the coaching staff to make it work. And Quinn has had very high highs and some pretty low lows in his career, with a much larger sample size than Daniels or AP, so probably not a fair comparison and he’s obviously a competent coach overall. The question is if these guys can maximize what they’ve got and have a stretch of really good years, or if they’ll fail to build anything together.

 

[Faithful Fan]

It’s not really about being anointed or not. When you have a young talented QB, your staff either maximizes him or eventually gets fired. If a couple different staffs fail, then the QB likely gets ditched, but everyone was still likely fired. It’s just the way of the league, it doesn’t require thinking Daniels is a future HOF for it to be logical that there’s pressure on the staff to win when you draft a QB at #2 overall and he had the best rookie QB season of all time.

I’m aware you aren’t as high on Daniels as many, but not for nothing, so far in their respective careers in their current jobs Daniels has been better at his job (again, historically so and then followed by a mediocre injured year) than AP has been at his. Otherwise we wouldn’t be having this discussion, we’d have an excellent roster and all the weight wouldn’t be on the QB or the coaching staff to make it work. And Quinn has had very high highs and some pretty low lows in his career, with a much larger sample size than Daniels or AP, so probably not a fair comparison and he’s obviously a competent coach overall. The question is if these guys can maximize what they’ve got and have a stretch of really good years, or if they’ll fail to build anything together.

I figure they all partake in the praise for 2024 and blame for 2025.

In 2024, DQ dialed up those 4th down attempts and JD converted them. JD’s rookie of the year was earned, he was easily one of the best rookies ever, and honestly DQ deserved coach of the year for taking a team that had only won a single playoff game in 25 years that far. AP gets some credit for both of their successes since he picked them and the veterans he brought in to support.

Of course they all failed in 2025. Those same veterans AP had hired were slower and hurt. DQ couldn’t get the team motivated early. Jayden could barely finish a game. It was a disaster. A lot of people lost their jobs—rightfully so, results matter—but some of it was bad luck with injuries and the schedule.

Winning in the NFL is not easy, and there is plenty of blame and praise to go around. As it relates to this thread, you could do a lot worse than a coach who has taken two historically bad teams deep into the playoffs. The Falcons were bad when he took over and haven’t been to the playoffs since he left. That 2024 team was the best Washington fans under 40 remember. But he’s still the 28-3 guy until he isn’t.

Same with Jayden really, he was the guy who made the magic in 2024. You always feel you have a chance in a close game with him at the helm. He has extreme athleticism and that “it” factor. But he has not proven much better than RG3 yet.

So I think we have a good team, but everybody involved has something to prove. We will know more when they play the games. If not for the brutal opening slate, I would have higher hopes, but I do think a winning season is a fair expectation.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Yeah that part jumped out at me as well. This offense could resemble the Greatest Show on Turf and that won't be enough to elevate a 1st year OC to head coach.

Not only first year OC, but a guy with 3 total years of coaching experience who’s exactly 30.

It’s possible somebody throws a HC job at him, but I think most folks would want to see the results a couple years in a row just to get more information.

But who knows. Anything is possible…

 

[SkinsNumberOne]

Not only first year OC, but a guy with 3 total years of coaching experience who’s exactly 30.

It’s possible somebody throws a HC job at him, but I think most folks would want to see the results a couple years in a row just to get more information.

But who knows. Anything is possible…

There are some crazy owners out there.

McVay, KOC, LaFleur… in ten years we churned out 10% of the league’s HCs while struggling with our own. Those HCs made the playoffs way more than we did.

That history is also looked at by some. Pilfer a coaching candidate from there, roll the dice, it can work out. If you establish a KC history, well- people aren’t running to pilfer OCs from KC.

From WAS? Absolutely. Yes it would be very early after y1. I could see it happening with the way NFL onwers operate, if there is enough desperation to make a splash. I don’t know if Blough himself would leave or not though. Cart <—- Horse

 

[HTTR]

Interesting after reading so many posts about how such an inexperienced coordinator is a recipe for disaster, now the concern is he’ll get poached after one year? The answer is I hope so! Because that will mean we had a hell of a year and Jayden likely has reestablished his greatness. If we have to go get another OC so be it, that’s kinda how it works in the NFL these days.

I do have to wonder if the ‘we must hire an OC’ trend is going to die down some after two defensive coaches made the SB last year.