Dan Quinn Sees Week 1 Advantage in Washington's Two First-Time Coordinators — Commanders Daily

Dan Quinn believes Washington’s two first-time play callers could create an early advantage against Philadelphia because neither carries an established tendency history. Plus, Odafe Oweh takes another step toward Week 1.

Aug 14, 2026; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn looks on from the sidelines against the Miami Dolphins during the first half at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dan Quinn acknowledges the risks of having two first-time play-callers, but explains why a lack of tendencies could keep the Eagles guessing in Week 1. | Philip Hughes | HTTR4LIFE LLC

The Washington Commanders will enter the 2026 season with two first-time NFL play callers: former quarterback David Blough on the offense and former Minnesota Vikings assistant Daronte Jones on the defense. The obvious concern is that neither has any regular-season NFL play-calling experience. Washington's HC Dan Quinn sees it from a different point of view: Philly doesn't have tons of situational tendencies to study. What creates uncertainty for Washington causes issues for Eagles coaches who don't know what to expect.

Quinn was directly asked about the advantages/disadvantages of having two new coordinators on Tuesday. "I think there’s advantages for sure. As the season begins, there’s not a tendency; there’s not a ‘This is what he does on second down or third down, this is the scheme you know from years past.’ So those are the advantages," Quinn said. "The disadvantages, obviously, just going through some of the experiences, as you know, just from like training camp and going through games to try to simulate as much as you can for play callers. But there’s no getting around that. They’ve prepared, they’ve put the work in, and so they’re ready to get rolling." It's good to hear Quinn acknowledge the experience disadvantage and not try to act like everything involved is butterflies and rainbows; there will be some growing pains.

Quinn has a point: established coordinators carry an open book of knowledge from one employer to the next, which also means they keep the keys to beating them right out in the open. A complete historical breakdown of third-down calls, red-zone habits, two-minute tendencies, and formations tied to familiar concepts is available the moment a coordinator with experience is vetted. While Philadelphia can study Washington's preseason film, they cannot study any meaningful regular-season sampling of an established tendency history from either Jones or Blough on their respective sides of the ball.

Both systems naturally benefit from opponents having incomplete information after Washington completely rebuilt its offense around Jayden Daniels this offseason. The Commanders are returning to a more traditional play-action offense under Blough by bringing back the huddle, lining the quarterback up under center more, and giving Daniels more responsibility at the line of scrimmage. Much of the team's summer was spent installing the system rather than actually showing what was included. This means opposing teams have less than normal to work with, even with the fact that preseason limits what teams can expose. Jones has built and trained the defense around disguise, with multiple fronts and personnel possibilities intended to create pressure to speed up quarterback decisions. It is highly possible that Philadelphia's staff may know Washington's personnel better than it knows how they will deploy them in game-time situations.

Of course, the other side of Quinn's answer tells truths that matter just as much. Blough and Jones have never handled the actual regular-season responsibilities of calling plays in the NFL, despite multiple simulations during the installation process. In his own words, simulation cannot completely reproduce a real regular-season game.

Week 1 will give everyone involved their first real chance to see how that balance works. Philadelphia will try to identify the tendencies Blough and Jones start to establish, while Washington will be learning how both coordinators respond once the Eagles begin making adjustments of their own. There are going to be growing pains at some point, but for at least one week, the lack of a play-calling history could actually work in Washington's favor. Once Sunday arrives, the book on both coordinators starts getting written.

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— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 6, 2026

Odafe Oweh Takes Another Step Toward Week 1

Odafe Oweh participated in walk-through practice Tuesday after head coach Dan Quinn indicated the entire injured group was trending in the right direction earlier this week. Oweh has been limited while nursing a calf injury. His availability will be a growing concern, with Washington already dealing with questions on the edge. Dorance Armstrong is suspended for Week 1, while K'Lavon Chaisson is dealing with his own injury.

Chaisson has been dealing with a sore knee for a few weeks now, and Washington needs clarity before it knows exactly what its edge rotation will look like Sunday. For now, participation in walk-throughs has to be viewed as a positive step they can build on.

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