The debates around whether Jayden Daniels should play again this season were put to rest in Week 14 against the Minnesota Vikings. And in all honesty, the Washington Commanders were never going to sit down their franchise player.
It's been another grueling road back for Daniels after he suffered a dislocated elbow against the Seattle Seahawks. The Commanders have taken every possible precaution during his recovery. After another strong week of practice, which also included full participation for the first time on Thursday and Friday, that was enough for those in power to give him the green light.
This didn't sit well with everybody, but five games is a long time for anyone to be missing when they could play. Daniels is far too competitive for that. However, it's not hard to see why fans were carrying some trepidation into the clash.
The Vikings' defense is blitz-happy and among the league leaders in pressures. They can make things extremely uncomfortable with some early momentum, so all eyes were on Daniels to see if there would be any tweaks in the game plan to keep complications to a minimum.
As it turned out, the Commanders suffered another ugly loss — their eighth in succession. And to make matters worse, Daniels didn't even make it through the entire game.
With this in mind, here are five significant observations from Daniels' performance at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Major observations from Jayden Daniels' performance against the Vikings
Jayden Daniels was out of sync
Things didn't click early for Jayden Daniels. The Commanders had no answer for Brian Flores' blitz packages, and he completely overwhelmed Kliff Kingsbury to the point where almost no legitimate momentum could be generated.
Daniels wasn't clicking. He had no time. The timing was also off, and there was a lot more hesitancy. This is not the assured, confident figure that took the NFL by storm in 2024. There is tentativeness where once there was nothing but supreme confidence. And the Vikings could smell blood right out of the gate.
Things got much worse for Daniels as the game wore on, but his inability to find his groove early in the contest had a ripple effect with much bigger ramifications. Nobody should have been expecting miracles after he missed so much time this season, but considering the opposition wasn't exactly in great form either, fans were right to expect just a little bit more.
That set the tone for the entire contest. And now, there is nowhere for the Commanders to hide after a demoralizing afternoon at the office.
Jayden Daniels' frustrating first half
It was a frustrating first half for Jayden Daniels. The Washington Commanders were two steps behind the Minnesota Vikings on both sides of the football. Kevin O'Connell's offense controlled the clock, which also included a 98-yard touchdown drive that lasted more than 12 minutes. But from the visiting team's side, it was uninspired.
Daniels wasn't getting enough time in the pocket to go through his progressions. On the rare occasions where the Vikings didn't bring pressure, the wide receivers weren't getting open. And offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury went away from the ground game that had some success during the opening exchanges.
There was one memorable throw when Daniels found Terry McLaurin on a nice play design, but that was about it. This was reflected in the quarterback's first-half stats, which were underwhelming at best.
- 50 percent completion (8/16)
- 67 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 0 interceptions
- 1 sack against
- 11 rushing yards (3 carries)
- 61.2 passer rating (ESPN)
The Vikings looked better prepared and much more motivated. Their methodical approach ensured Daniels couldn't control the tempo, and it showed. Washington was chasing the game almost immediately, and things could have been a lot worse than the 14-point halftime deficit ended up being.
Daniels had a mountain to climb, not for the first time this season. And things were about to get much worse.
Jayden Daniels' elbow
Jayden Daniels is an intelligent guy. Playing with the same reckless attitude wasn't going to cut it in his first game back since sustaining a dislocated elbow. That was reflected in his approach, which was a lot more conservative than what fans are used to seeing from the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
There were a couple of heartstopping moments early on where Daniels dove headfirst on scrambles. Not exactly ideal, but the Washington Commanders were having a hard time picking up Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' exotic blitz concepts, which meant the offense was struggling to generate any positive momentum.
Daniels also didn't leave everything on the line during a third-down run near the sideline. His left arm was exposed to punishment if he'd done so, but the signal-caller opted to evade the oncoming tackler with minimal contact and live to fight another day. That spoke volumes.
That proved to be the case a little later in the game. Daniels threw a screen that Andrew Van Ginkle intercepted. The quarterback pursued the edge rusher in a veiled attempt to make a play, which was unwise. He got blown up by Isaiah Rodgers and landed heavily on the arm. That summed up his day, and the second-year pro did not return.
Jayden Daniels and the Commanders have questions to answer
Fans were deeply concerned that Jayden Daniels was coming back too soon. He's the ultimate competitor, and it's hard to sit a player for five games if they are medically cleared to participate. But after reaggravating the problem, serious questions must now be asked of head coach Dan Quinn, the medical team, and the quarterback.
Did Daniels force the issue? Is Quinn under that much pressure that he gambled with the player's health? Did the medical team feel almost obliged to clear him for contact after participating in two straight practices? There is no telling for sure, but this is apparent mismanagement whichever way one looks at it.
Just why Daniels thought chasing Andrew Van Ginkle was a good idea is anyone's guess. He needed to be smarter. The chances of him bringing down the edge rusher were remote in any case. This is a prime example of a lack of awareness that could have protected him, which is why he's missed so much time this season.
Quinn must have been happy with the medical reports and his progress in practice. What the head coach needed was for his quarterback to realize the seriousness of his predicament and adjust accordingly. Instead, his carelessness once again became his demise.
That's an ongoing problem.
Commanders need to save Jayden Daniels from himself
Jayden Daniels is not going to alter his playing style in a short timeframe. And if the dynamic quarterback is not going to assess risk more efficiently, the Commanders need to take matters into their own hands.
Daniels needs saving from himself. The comparisons with Robert Griffin III, although immensely unfair on everyone involved, are not getting any quieter. But unlike that situation, this one can still be salvaged.
Just not this season.
It's a lost cause. The Commanders are on an eight-game losing run and have nothing left to play for over the final four contests. With Daniels suffering more elbow problems, the time to take him out of the firing line for good should be strongly considered, regardless of whether he declares himself healthy.
Because he clearly isn't. And the Minnesota Vikings exploited this weakness ruthlessly en route to a convincing victory on home turf.
A lot of people in Washington need to take a long, hard look in the mirror. They must recognize this situation for what it is and make the tough choices necessary. If that means making Daniels unhappy by sitting him down, so be it, but things cannot continue like this for much longer.
Daniels will be in Year 3 of his rookie contract next season, and the Commanders look further away from a Super Bowl than ever.