ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders are less than 24 hours from opening training camp and in a lot of ways the excitement around the team is at an all-time high.
At the same time, the hype about what this 2024 Commanders team might be is a bit all over the place with some predicting playoff games and others looking forward to picking in the top five of the 2025 NFL Draft.
The truth of the matter is we don’t fully have a grasp of what Washington football will look like this season, but head coach Dan Quinn does know his team is ahead of schedule in some crucial areas heading into training camp.
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Jun 5, 2024; Ashburn, VA, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn speaks with the media prior to an OTA workout at Commanders Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
“Their connection has been faster and stronger than I thought. So that part came really to light because so many people were part of the off-season program. So you saw that connection take place and I felt a good level,” coach Quinn said Tuesday, on the eve of training camp. “And then I felt a shift take place right around the end of the OTAs and into the mini-camp…and I’m expecting another one into training camp. So the communication and the connection amongst the players, that’s the spot that I was pleased with to see where we’re at.”
Quinn also said he knows that once you get pleased about something that’s when things can take a downward turn, so he’s not satisfied with it though he is happy about what he’s seen on that front up to this point.
In fact, Quinn says, how communicative his players are on the field will be a good measuring stick of how well Washington will get its training camp started.
“You’ll hear ’em before you see it,” Quinn said when asked how he’s going to gauge if his roster is coming into training camp ready to go. “That’s always something at the start of a training camp that you want to push because they may have not been communicating together. Not all 90 of us were together. So if you’re hearing the communication early, that’s a good sign that you’re going to be able to play fast.”
Playing fast is what coach Quinn’s style of football is all about. Aggression, speed, and not allowing the opponent to catch a breathe before they look up and the scoreboard is tilted in the Commanders favor.
To play fast you have to practice fast, and to do that, the team has to be on the same page. It’s an area they’ve excelled at so far, and one the head coach will be focusing on early to see if his roster is ready to turn things up a notch.
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Stick with CommanderGameday and the Locked On Commanders podcast for more FREE coverage of the Washington Commanders throughout the 2024 season.
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Source link : https://www.si.com/nfl/commanders/news/washington-commanders-starting-training-camp-ahead-of-schedule-says-coach-dan-quinn
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Publish date : 2024-07-23 13:00:00
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