Jayden Daniels' first half
Jayden Daniels was fighting against the tide immediately. The Washington Commanders didn't look ready to play, and neither did their quarterback. Something just wasn't clicking, and aside from a couple of nice throws, it was an underwhelming first half for all involved.
The Commanders were outclassed in every phase. Daniels tried his best, but there was nothing to shout about over the opening two quarters. And when it looked like Washington might be able to generate some momentum, costly penalties were once again their undoing.
It's just embarrassing at this point. Daniels cannot do it alone, and certainly not while playing with a brace on his dislocated elbow. The supporting cast isn't up to par, but the former Arizona State star must also be held accountable for the team's failings.
Daniels protected the football with pressure in his face, which is something. But that's about all you could say from his first-half efforts, which was reflected in the stats.
- 70 percent completion
- 88 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 0 interceptions
- 2 sacks against
- 6 rushing yards
- 97.1 passer rating (ESPN)
The San Francisco 49ers were having much more joy, racking up more than 300 yards of offense in the first half. Daniels and his unit just didn't get the chance to keep up.
More fourth-down confusion for Jayden Daniels
Jayden Daniels vowed there would be no more fourth-quarter blunders after what unfolded against the New York Giants. He relayed this message to his teammates and displayed the same resolve in front of the media.
But promises mean nothing if they cannot be backed up on the field.
Another botched fourth-down play happened in the first half. The Commanders went for it, and Daniels bizarrely threw the football away. Head coach Dan Quinn was spotted on the sideline calling for a field goal, unaware that he was out of downs.
And the fury on his face when he realized what was going on was impossible to ignore.
"Dan Quinn has got a lot of bullseyes on him right now for not knowing it was 4th down in the first half."
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) October 20, 2026
—@PatMcAfeeShow letting the Commanders head coach have it 😅 pic.twitter.com/4d6ULXIcV4
Whether Daniels thought the Commanders had another play is debatable. Throwing the football away without trying to make something happen hints at another lack of urgency, which is unacceptable. And when the blame game begins after the contest, it'll be interesting to see what comes from it.
Either way, this is unacceptable.
Daniels should be more aware, and he should be getting more help from the sideline. It's a complete mess, and it speaks to the dysfunction and how unprepared this team is almost every week.
They said it wouldn't happen again. It happened the very next week.
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