Commanders' Dan Quinn on win over Giants: 'We needed that'

The Washington Commanders kept their season alive with a stirring fourth-quarter comeback in a 24-21 road win over the New York Giants.

“We needed that. We needed every bit of it,” coach Dan Quinn said. “This is one we had to have, and our guys made sure we had it.”

A loss would have put Washington too far back to recover in the NFC East. The comeback win moves them to 3-5-1 with a shot to chase down the 5-3-1 Giants. Owning the tie-breaker over New York could be pivotal down the stretch. The victory ensures nothing, but they're still in the fight through Thanksgiving.

“Going into it, we thought this was going to be all four quarters,” Quinn said. “It felt like the most adversity, but also the most belief. It was a balance of both, and we definitely needed that.”

Credit Quinn for keeping a sinking ship afloat. The coach looked dead in the water after their awful overtime blunder in the last meeting against the Giants. The following week, the first half against San Franciciso was equally poor. But the Commanders turned it around, pushed the Niners, and have gone 2-1, with a competitive loss to the Rams, since the bye. The players haven’t quit on Quinn, which could ultimately save his job if they keep building momentum.

Thursday night was another chance for the players to quit -- down on the road with the season on the line --instead, they answered the bell. None more so than quarterback Jayden Daniels, who threw two late interceptions but bounced back with the game-winning touchdown strike to Stefon Diggs.

Diggs compared Daniels steely personality in those late-game moments to the late Kobe Bryant.

“Baby Kobe,” Diggs said via JP Finlay of NBC Sports Washington. “He ain’t flinch. He’s going to be the same kind of player at the beginning of the game and at the end of the game. For me, things are going to happen, good and bad. He isn’t going to change. I had 100% faith.”

Baby Kobe and a defense that pressured the Giants into mistakes and forced two massive three-and-outs late kept the season, and Quinn’s job, alive for now.