Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn answered questions from the media following the team's Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Here are some of his final thoughts before moving on to theNew York Giants.

-- Quinn started off by delivering the difficult news that tight end Zach Ertz, who was carted off the field during Sunday's game, tore his ACL and will not return this season. Quinn said after the game that Ertz was a key piece of the roster and reiterated that on Monday, saying that he helped set the franchise's standards.

"It's been significant for us for sure, the production on the field," Quinn said. "Obviously having a tight end available, we knew a rookie QB was going to be coming in here to be a factor, and so, he was an impact[player] and more."

-- Quinn also provided more direct information on quarterback Jayden Daniels and his injury. Daniels, who left the Vikings game in the third quarter, landed directly on his injured elbow, which prompted Quinn to sit him for the rest of the afternoon. While the injury is sore, there was no long-term damage, but the team will continue to monitor him for the rest of the week. There is no update on his availability this weekend against the Giants.

-- Assuming Daniels does play at some point in the next four weeks, the Commanders want to make sure he gets as many reps as possible without risking more injuries.

"That's the balance and kind of the one thing you don't want to have happen; like land directly on it," Quinn said. "And so, you could help on protections and some things on running and sliding on play like that. So...you're trying to find the balance of what do those reps look like. How are the lessons being applied and then making sure you're doing it as calling it competitively to go win it, but also, you know, with protecting the team in mind. So, it's both."

-- There have been several differences in the Commanders' 2024 and 2025 seasons, but one of the biggest has been the amount of noncompetitive losses. The Commanders have now lost five games by at least 20 points. Quinn said it was "a big topic" for him.

"Not finding that rhythm together and not forcing someone else to get out of theirs is a big part of that. Sometimes you feel, okay, it's tighter and the margins get even smaller and you can feel yourself not making the plays that you need to go make ... It's one that I'm digging in hard on, obviously to find why, to make sure that our cause together to make sure like that we are never in this situation again."

-- Although the Commanders are no longer in postseason contention, Quinn wants to make sure these games still matter. That was the central theme for the message he delivered to the team after the game.

"Finding that edge, finding that spark, finding what needs to get done so we never find our way into this space again. Watching January and February football sucks; we're the ones that did that. And we've got to make sure that we do everything in our power individually to make sure that these four weeks matter and it's important and we got to go find those edges."