Hogs Haven
A collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders
On Saturday, the Commanders announced that veteran defensive tackle Daron Payne has been ruled out of the matchup while dealing with a knee and finger injury.
Payne isn’t a player who misses games which goes to show how truly serious this ailment is.
Washington Commanders assistant general manager Lance Newmark was one of the finalists to become the next general manager of the New York Jets.
However, the Jets are flying in a different direction.
With Newmark not taking the Jets job, it looks like he will be back with the Commanders in 2025. However, if Washington continues to ride this wave of success, Newmark may not be with the Commanders for much longer.
When he got all of his veterans together for their first offseason conditioning sessions before the draft, Quinn invited a group of Navy SEALs to team headquarters for bonding exercises to help the Commanders begin to develop a strong sense of brotherhood. Quinn then split his players into groups and challenged them to compose a list of standards by which they believed successful teams operate. When the players reconvened, they compared notes and formed their tenets for the season — a list strong on commitment, accountability, dedication, unity and consistency. They called the document “The Commander Standard.”
This, according to Quinn, was how they laid the foundation for Washington’s new culture.
“Culture for a group,” Quinn said, “is all about how they do business together, because it has to be an everyday thing. … Environment is different from culture. Like, I’m upbeat by nature, and if you’re around here, you’ll feel an energy in people, and that’s how I live. I am positive. But that doesn’t make it your culture. The culture is the way you do everything together. It’s the meetings; it’s the discipline at the practice; it’s the way we communicate together and the standards you have for one another. So, sometimes I think people think of a happy place and assume that’s culture. No, that’s our environment.
“But we’re strict about what we do. We correct and teach a lot,” he continued. “I don’t think you have to be an (a–hole) to do it right, but you can’t look the other way either. So if Zach drops a pass, that’s on the tape. Bobby misses a tackle, that’s on the tape.”
Every Monday starts the same way for Quinn and his players.
The coach leads a meeting he calls “Tell the Truth Mondays.” During that session, the coach and his charges review their game from the day before. Good plays draw praise. Bad plays...
