Final Commanders media availability before the season finale was today, and with JP Finlay out in Ashburn, we got to hear from several players not always prevalent - one of which was Jahan Dotson, who spoke about players needing to take ownership and responsibility for the team’s success.
Within that, this was his quote when asked about fans cheering for a loss Sunday for draft position:
“That’s just the natural thing of someone who’s not in this locker room and doesn’t see us here every day, working hard. You gotta just block that stuff out, and realize that the people in this room, the people we go to war with every Sunday, want to get W’s. We don’t care what draft pick we get; that’s something you could pay attention to, but at the end of the day, it’s just a distraction.”
And, on what the team needs going forward:
“As far as players, I’d say a sense of culture. We have to have a mindset in here that we want change; we can’t just accept this type of stuff, because this is hard on a lot of people. We can’t accept anything other than winning, and that starts with us players, regardless of who the coaches are. We have to go out every Sunday and put our best foot forward. The best teams you see in any sport are player-led, where captains step up and players follow; it’s a trickle-down effect, and that’s where we can start.”
Sounds like the guys are even admitting an era is about to end, and BMitch, for one, was glad to hear it.
“I’m happy to hear a player say what they can do; players always deflecting, I’m sick of that,” BMitch said. “I’m happy to hear a player say we want change, and have to make change, instead of just going through the motions. I’ve been saying this for weeks: you’re a pro athlete, the best of the best at your craft, you don’t need to wait for someone to tell you what to do and give you guidance; you should be adept enough to look at film and decipher what you need to do. And, if a coach tells you to do something, and you understand the concept of what’s going on, you have to make it work on game day. I have seen guys win in spite of bad coaching, because players make the plays anyway. I have seen players win a game, but never a scheme.
“I thought it was pretty fair; coaches have done a lot, but players have to take responsibility in this,” JP replied, as he and Brian remembered some great teams whose coaches were, in a way, along for the ride or just continuing what had been built prior.
“Somewhere along the way, a coach has to be able to tap into what’s inside those players, and make them understand on a daily basis that no one is better than them at their position,” Brian said. “They may not be, but if you believe it, you may be able to go out there and execute some things you may not ordinarily be able to. If the coach isn’t extracting that out of you, then guess what? He’s worthless, and if players can’t go play at a high level on a daily basis without someone having to say something to them? They’re the wrong players.”
