Commanders' Dan Quinn Successfully Changing Ron Rivera's Culture?

Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn was so dead set on building a team mentality that during the first day of OTAs, he had all the players hang out and get to know each other before they ever started working on the playbook.

The thinking is that the closer they are personally, the harder they will fight for one another on Sundays. Quinn is a strong, vocal, and enthusiastic coach whose energy inspires his players.

In an interview with the Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, Quinn talked about the team coming together and being fun to coach.

“If you are in this locker room and meeting rooms every day, often days it’s loud and fun,” said Quinn. “We have a good time. We want to make sure we work our asses off and go for it in every way, really enjoy the people we do it with too.”

Team bonding is very important because it allows players to lean on one another throughout the long season. The ups and downs of a grueling NFL schedule can be tough. But Quinn insists that his guys are forming quite the bond.

“This crew is getting tighter all of the time,” Quinn said. “I saw that on the sideline the other night at Miami. When you see somebody make a big play, ten guys run down the sideline to meet him. That’s the type of thing you can see when a team gets connected.

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“When that energy comes from the guys that aren’t in the game, bringing to energy the guys that are. I’d hoped that would happen, so to see that take place down in Miami made me happy. To see that happen, that’s a big deal.”

Quinn preaching fun and energy is a far cry from previous coach Ron Rivera, who was intensely focused on discipline and scheme.

Washington obviously needs a culture change, as the Commanders haven't won a playoff game since 2005.

Attitude reflects leadership. That type of positivity and team mentality comes from the top down. Thus far in the preseason, it has shown through. The real test is what happens when the team faces adversity in the regular season.