What is Dan Quinn doing? Shades of Matt Patricia ahead of Lions divisional game

The Washington Commanders pulled out another last-second victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round, marking their first playoff win since 2005.

The franchise has had a remarkable turnaround after the overdue departure of former team owner Dan Snyder. In just Washington’s second season with new ownership, the Commanders finished with a 12-5 record. The last time Washington had a better record was during the 1991 season, which ended in a Super Bowl championship. 

As the NFC’s only Wild Card team to survive the opening round, the Commanders will now travel to face the top-seeded Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round on Saturday. Preparations for the upcoming matchup are underway at Ashburn, Va., but the Commanders made a questionable practice decision that raised some eyebrows.

The Commanders held an outdoor practice for an indoor game

The Commanders held Tuesday’s practice session outdoors despite windy conditions and below-freezing temperatures, according to JP Finlay of NBC4 Sports. During his media availability, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was asked about the decision to hold practice outdoors, but he dismissed the question with a non-answer.

“Have a good day,” Quinn responded.

While coaches often hold outdoor practices to simulate game conditions, the Commanders’ upcoming game will be played within the comfortable confines of Ford Field, which is a domed stadium.

Quinn was asked a similar question in August after the Commanders practiced in rainy conditions during training camp, and he was more forthcoming with his response. Quinn told reporters the team pays attention to the weather and held practice outdoors because they would “have a game in the rain [at some point] this year,” per Finlay. At this point of the season, however, the Commanders shouldn’t be preparing for potential weather conditions beyond the divisional round.

The Commanders’ practice session is reminiscent of former Lions coach Matt Patricia’s infamous practice decisions during the 2018 season. Patricia was lambasted for holding practice outdoors in the snow when the team’s next four games were all scheduled to be played in domed stadiums.

“It’s about the preparation,” Patricia said about the practice decisions at the time. “It’s about how we practice. It’s about our execution. And then it’s about how we perform on Sunday. That’s all that really matters.”

The Lions lost three of those four indoor games, but it’s difficult to question Quinn’s decisions after he transformed the team and instilled a winning culture into a young locker room in his first season as head coach. 

If the Commanders upset the Lions, they will be on the road for the NFC Championship Game against either the Philadelphia Eagles or Baltimore Ravens. Both of those games would be played in outdoor stadiums. Early 10-day forecasts suggest temperatures would be above freezing in Baltimore and slightly below freezing in Philadelphia, per The Weather Channel.