Jayden Daniels was chasing throughout
The Washington Commanders' defense is a complete abomination and has been for some time. Any veiled hope fans had of a significant turnaround quickly disintegrated, with quarterback Sam Darnold picking them apart at will to pull well clear during the opening exchanges.
That left Jayden Daniels chasing the contest. Nothing unusual for the signal-caller, but the deck was stacked against him. Playing catch-up is never good, but when the Commanders are so understrength and clearly lacking confidence, it becomes an almost impossible task.
Daniels tried valiantly to turn the tide. He was the only player displaying any real sense of urgency. The LSU product was a one-man show too many times last season, and it's not sustainable if this ambitious Washington project wants to get back on track.
Something is seriously amiss. One could make a strong case that it was the case last season, too. The difference was Daniels, who masked many of the team's failings. But that can only hold up for so long.
In truth, Daniels was always fighting a losing battle. And on a night where the Commanders were honoring legendary former wideout Art Monk by retiring his No. 81 jersey number, it was a complete embarrassment.
Jayden Daniels' frustrating first half
To say it was a frustrating first half for Jayden Daniels and the Commanders would be an understatement. They were blown away by the Seahawks, who put up 31 points as Sam Darnold had a 100 percent completion, more than 250 passing yards, and four touchdowns.
Not what anyone expected, of course. But whenever the Commanders looked like they might be generating some momentum, a sloppy error came soon after. Whether it was penalties, fumbles, or Daniels throwing an ill-advised interception, it quickly became a comedy of errors that sapped the life out of an expectant fan base at Northwest Stadium.
Daniels hit Zach Ertz for a couple of nice completions. He also found Jaylin Lane on a crosser and rushed for a touchdown. Aside from that, the dynamic presence under center couldn't get anything going, as reflected in the stats.
- 63.64 percent completion (7-of-11)
- 64 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 0 sacks against
- 37 rushing yards (7 carries)
- 1 rushing touchdown
- 41.5 passer rating (ESPN)
There are only so many roadblocks Daniels could face. This half once again exposed the Commanders for what they are: an old, unprepared, and undisciplined squad who have lost all faith in their capabilities.
On the bright side, things couldn't get much worse.