Commanders - 23, Buccaneers - 20
DAN QUINN: Just finishing up with the guys and heading into this week this was 100 percent the battle we expected.
Coming back here 18 weeks ago, they beat us. And it wasn't even as close as the score indicated. And so for us to show the improvement that we've made in that time was significant for us.
This is a really good team in Tampa. And we knew it would go down all the way to the wire. We talked about overtime and all the winning-time moments all week.
At the end, like for us to be in the turnover margin in the plus, that's big for us. When we can get that thing into that space, we're good.
I was certainly pleased defensively. Much improved in the first half. This is a good running team, good screening game.
And earlier in the week you may have heard me say complementary football was what we needed here. And I thought the best indicator of that was the long drive in the second quarter, might have been 16 or 17 plays, going back, getting a punt and then the four-minute at the end, getting the stop and have a chance to with four and a half minutes or so to go.
But, yeah, we really expected a tough fight tonight, and that's exactly what we did. We really expected it to go down all the way to the end. And it did.
Q. (Question off microphone)
DAN QUINN: It's two-fold. It's something we practice a lot. It's something that is part of our game. A lot has to do with No. 5. And sometimes he can make a play that takes place that was not the huddle call by using his legs and doing that. Today, early on, we got stopped, I believe, on our first one -- not certain of that -- but I wasn't going to stop us into that spot.
We were going to be bold but not reckless. And I think that's who we are the whole season. But when you do get stopped early, you just have to stay the course knowing that, hey, keep your chin tucked and keep swinging knowing that this is going to be a game that's going to go all the way down to the end.
Q. I asked you last week about (indiscernible) game, and not wanting to be in that kind of environment. How did that prepare you for this moment, a tie game, four minutes left (inaudible)? Could you talk about those moments?
DAN QUINN: Yes, as a coach, you practice it a lot, honestly, we do. But it is different in the games. And so being in a lot of those close games and not winning them all, there's a lot of lessons to take off of those.
There's been a lot of tell-the-truth Mondays where it went down to the end. We talked about why it went right or why it didn't. And in that space, collectively you can feel the belief from the team on the sideline.
This is a really connected team. They believe in one another. And you have to have connection to also have belief. I think they kind of go hand in hand.
Like I said, early on we didn't know who we were -- not that we didn't know who we were; that's not a fair thing to say. Early on we didn't have an identity yet. Didn't have the belief in one another yet, meaning the opening game.
So it took a lot of work to get into that space. And this team has now bonded and connected. And in these winning-time moments they have a lot of faith.
Q. You've been around football a long time. I know you've seen a lot of things, but for this team to continually win late (indiscernible) over and over and over again, what is different about this team compared to other teams you've been around?
DAN QUINN: Maybe it's the volume of close games you've been on. I've been on teams that were exceptional, but they were maybe not in a lot of close ones. So when that becomes the norm, I think you live in that moment more often. And I think that's what's taken place with this group -- they have a lot of belief in one another.
Jayden is a big factor on that. If he had his heart-rate monitor on and mine they would not be the same in the game. His stays pretty consistently good, and sometimes I'm like the duck -- if you just saw the feet going under the water, it's good. But he really is into that space exceptional.
And we do work at a lot. I think Kliff and the guys had a good game plan. I thought we would have to be bold in the game but not reckless. We missed our early fourth down, but that wasn't going to stop us in other ones.
And I thought a lot of different guys stepped up tonight, which is good, which is indicative of our team. But the complementary football is what we needed to win this game. They've been able to control the time of possession almost in a Philadelphia-like way and certainly over the last five or six weeks.
And we just said that can't happen; we've got to be bold enough to continue some drives. I thought in the second quarter that was our best example of complementary football where the defense wasn't gassed. They were able to sustain and play a better first half. And I think it went back and forth on that.
Q. I know (indiscernible) guys stepped up during the summer (inaudible). Having a game like he did today as a receiver (inaudible)?
DAN QUINN: Certainly proud of him because got injured just a few weeks ago. Worked hard to get back to make sure he was ready and able to deliver into that spot.
The one screen, I thought it was a great block by Wiley to get it. But it was nice to see Dyami step into that space. There's a lot of guys ready to step into those moments. As some players, we were entering into their first playoff experiences to go, as you get into it it's ball. And you get into it.
But the nerves sometimes leading up to it can feel a lot. There's a lot of extra energy. And we're supposed to use that energy for good in terms of the preparation of how we go. But I was certainly proud of him. I told him that in the locker room.
Q. After the Philly game, when you won at home, (inaudible) you feel like you're at the point where you could to beat anybody anywhere. You were hesitant and said, I don't think we're there; we're getting there. We're a few weeks off of that. Where do you feel you're in the evolution of that?
DAN QUINN: We knew we'd have to improve as we're going. There's still a lot for us to improve upon, but the complementary football was one of the things that I just wasn't going to back off of this week. If we had the time of possession that got out of whack, it would have been hard. Some of the weapons on offense, they are legitimate, you know, guys that are difficult to stop.
So that to me was a great sign to see us all together. I don't believe we punted. So to have long drives, I love when Tress doesn't punt, so those are usually good things for us.
But at the end incredibly proud, getting the ball, getting the chance. We had gotten stopped on the fourth down with the throw to Zach in the end zone. So to have the ball right there and give us another crack at it, at the end, that's what it was about.
Q. (Question about the last field goal)
DAN QUINN: I felt like I was in a Bounty commercial where the cup spills. And, like, nooooo! (Laughter).
And as it hit and went through I just paused and probably skipped a beat, but that's the emotion where it was at. Put it on the left and was thankful to knock it through. But it was definitely a long 8, 9 seconds field goal.
Q. Are you at the point with Jayden and the offense where it is a tie game and you get the ball with four and a half minutes left the expectation is we're going to score?
DAN QUINN: Somehow we were going to get into that space to go, whether we were going to go on fourth, go, when would we punt, when would we kick into those spots. But the expectation for us into that spot was what is the next first down look like.
So I don't honestly think too far ahead. I just think about how do I help manage the moment for the coaches. Do we go here, or do we kick here? We'll go at two. We'll kick it at three. Use the clock. Make them use their timeouts.
Those are the things that I say into that spot that kind of helps me think ahead of the plays.
But I don't think too far ahead other than, hey, if we score, it's one, it's two. And early on I chose, after the foul in the end zone, to kick one. I just didn't think we needed to go early into that, to go for two. So those are some of the decisions, I think.
Q. You saw Bobby Wagner (indiscernible) playoff games 12 years ago. How is he still able to impact games like this at his age?
DAN QUINN: He is a rare competitor. So much of his success is unseen work. I'm in early. He's already there. He'll be the first one in tomorrow. I'm certain of it. He's just that type of competitor that he doesn't back off of it.
He's very disciplined. And I think "disciplined" is like can be seen as a negative word. But in this instance I'm talking the focus and discipline to stay at it, like, that's not easy to do. And he's got incredible commitment to it.
He definitely affects the other players around us. So he was the last guy to come in today, and it was cool to see everybody pumped for him.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports