The bye week offers the perfect time to watch and analyze the Dallas Cowboys' rivals. While the Eagles play on Monday Night Football, the Cowboys at least got to take in losses by the Commanders and Giants.
A Giants loss is nothing new, but it seems that Dan Quinn and Washington have regressed significantly after their dream 2024 season that culminated in making the NFC Championship Game. More than that, the Commanders' season has completely gone off the rails, and the free-fall continued on Sunday during their 44-22 loss to the Lions.
It's too early to say if Quinn's job is in jeopardy. He's certainly not in good standing, but the team isn't likely to decide until after the season. With the ship sinking fast, though, Quinn might have to pull the plug on defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., whom Commanders fans are ready to escort to the airport.
Dan Quinn might soon fire former Cowboys defensive assistant Joe Whitt Jr.
Before Sunday, Whitt had been calling plays from the booth all season. In a desperate attempt to create a spark and change the vibe, Whitt moved to the sideline for the Lions game.
That did absolutely nothing, as Washington's defense gave up 546 yards of offense, including 226 on the ground, an impossible 8.0 yards per play, and allowed Detroit to go a combined 7-for-12 on third and fourth down. For as bad as the Cowboys' defense has been, we're not sure they've put together a performance that bad this season.
In Whitt's defense, he's trying to make lemonade without any lemons. The Commanders' front office saddled him with an aging roster. With the exception of maybe four or five players, the defense needs a complete makeover.
It's a similar situation to the one in Dallas, but Quinn and Whitt's defense quit on them on Sunday while also losing their cool. Veteran defensive tackle DaRon Payne was ejected after throwing a punch at Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. That's more of an indictment on Quinn than Whitt, but it just speaks to the defense completely unraveling.
The Commanders' issues on defense date back to last season. Jayden Daniels' historical rookie year did a lot to mask those struggles, but Whitt has been a major flop since Quinn brought him over from Dallas.
That things arguably got worse by moving Whitt from the booth to the sideline suggests his days might be numbered. That would be a really sad turn of events for the former Cowboys assistant.