Following Washington’s 34-13 domination of the Browns on Sunday and in his Monday press conference, Washington head coach Dan Quinn credited the fans at Northwest Stadium for the energy they brought to the game and the impact they made on the outcome. Nearly 60,000 fans were on hand to see the NFC East leaders improve to 4-1 with their fourth straight win.
“Before we get rolling, I want to give a shout out to the fans,” Quinn said after the win over Cleveland. “I thought the fan support was awesome. It caused a couple of false starts, use of timeouts. So today home field advantage helped the defense play better on third down. In its own way, that was complimentary football. We felt that energy and support. You could feel the energy it brought, so that’s the home field advantage that’s such a big deal.”
Sunday’s game marked Washington’s return home after two consecutive games on the road. The team is 4-1 for the first time since 2008.
“It was just cool to be back home,” Quinn said. “We had been on the road for a long time. So to get back home and feel the energy of the home crowd. It was a blast.”
The 4-1 start has been a treat for Washington football fans. They have been suffering for more than three decades, following the Joe Gibbs-1 glory era that featured three Super Bowl wins and a host of other notable feats.
But much of the fan base has remained loyal and resolute, such as the legendary H-10 tailgaters who congregate across the street from the team store at Northwest Stadium. Led by the indefatigable Clyde Green, members of the tailgate have supported their team week after week despite experiencing many heartbreaking moments over the years.
Prior to the win over the Browns, long-time H-10 member Dave Lysinger (“Chief D”) gave a rousing toast speech to his fellow tailgaters:
“We’re back. We have suffered for years and years and years. We have new ownership. We have a new coach. It’s the same O-line as last year. What’s the difference? Coaching. Discipline. And us. Because we’re back, too. We’ve got to make some noise today. We’ve got to support our defense come hell or high water. Because we are Washington, and we love our team. Hail!”
In a welcomed observation, he added that no fans with jerseys of Washington’s NFC East rivals were in sight. The parking lot was all Burgundy and Gold!
“I don’t see an Eagles fan around here.”
“I don’t see a Giants fan.”
“I certainly don’t see any Cowboys fans.”
Fellow H-10 regular Linkdog Douglas is feeling the excitement of the entire fan base, saying the enthusiasm is starting to resemble RFK Stadium from the glory years. At the same time, he urged the fans to refrain from overconfidence in their surging team:
“I just want to be cautious. I’m happy that the excitement has returned. But any team can win on any given Sunday. We’re having fun and have shown a great team chemistry, but we shouldn’t get too high or too low. A lot of things can change between now and the end of the season.”
