Jayden Daniels' uncharacteristic first half
It was an uncharacteristic showing from Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the first half. They were disjointed, couldn't generate any momentum whatsoever, and struggled to find the rhythm fans have become accustomed to seeing from Kliff Kingsbury's offense throughout the campaign.
Everything was a little flat. Perhaps it was a long, grueling season taking its toll. Maybe it was the Dallas Cowboys' game plan making things difficult once again. Either way, this isn't what the Commanders or Daniels had in mind after a stellar series of strong performances in recent weeks.
Unsurprisingly, this was reflected in Daniels' first-half stats. The Commanders were fortunate to only be down three at the interval. If the Cowboys had managed better execution in the red zone, things could have been a lot worse.
- 50 percent completion
- 38 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 0 interceptions
- 4 sacks against
- 27 rushing yards
- 56.9 passer rating (ESPN)
It was a complete mess from start to finish. Receivers were dropping balls, Daniels couldn't fit the football into tight windows, and the run game was non-existent. That's a bad combination with the postseason next on their list of objectives.
Jayden Daniels' timing
Jayden Daniels' timing was way off. He's normally supremely accurate and has no trouble getting the football out quickly and into the hands of his primary playmakers in the passing game. That wasn't the case in this one.
Perhaps the most glaring example came with his connection with Terry McLaurin. Daniels and the wide receiver quickly emerged into one of the league's most dynamic tandems this season as the pair reached the Pro Bowl. This was not their best afternoon at the office.
There was a need to play Daniels for good or bad. Dan Quinn wanted to lock up the sixth seed and potentially get an easier route in the postseason. When things didn't go according to plan, his plans changed dramatically.
Daniels wasn't helped by some concentration issues from his wide receivers and an offensive line that couldn't provide adequate protection. But he'll be the first to admit that the distribution could have been much better before the Commanders took him out of the firing line.
This brings us nicely to our next point...