Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn addressed the media on Monday following the team’s 20-19 win over the New Orleans Saints to deliver some final thoughts before moving on to the Philadelphia Eagles. Here are some of the highlights from the press conference.
Health updates to key players.
The Commanders were dealing with a string of injuries heading into their matchup with the Saints, as both Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown — two key offensive players — are currently on Injured Reserve. Even more players got banged up on Sunday, both leading up to and after kickoff. Jeremy Chinn and Zach Ertz left the game after being evaluated for concussions, Tyler Biadasz was ruled out with an illness and Zane Gonzalez was inactive with a foot injury.
Both Ertz and Chinn are in the concussion protocol, meaning they will need to pass the proper steps set in place by the league before returning to play. Players in the protocol are typically out for at least a week, but it is possible for an earlier return. On Ertz specifically, Quinn said that the veteran tight end has a unique skill set in third down, red zone and two-minute situations that is difficult to replicate. The hope is that he will be available for Sunday against the Eagles, but if not, the Commanders will need to implement different personnel packages to find production elsewhere.
Quinn had more positive updates on Biadasz and Gonzalez. Biadasz is feeling better, the head coach said, and his fever is going down. He expects Biadasz to be available this weekend as he continues to feel better.
Gonzalez was close to playing Sunday against the Saints but was still dealing with issues in his left foot. The team didn’t feel like it was the smart move to let him play, which is why they elevated Greg Joseph from the practice squad on Saturday. If healthy, Gonzalez will be the kicker while Austin Seibert is on IR.