After an offseason of doubts, criticism, ridicule, and everything in between, Jayden Daniels got the chance to let his football do the talking. And this all started with an up-and-down effort against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The knives were out for Daniels over the offseason, through no real fault of his own. Whether it was the NIL dispute with LSU or questions about his durability after an injury-hit 2025 campaign, it provided the signal-caller with all the motivation needed to silence his detractors.
Unfortunately for Daniels and the Washington Commanders, the league handed them a brutal opening to the season. This started at Lincoln Financial Field, which is notoriously intimidating for opposing players.
Daniels needed all his wits about him and so much more.
He's always had the talent, and the new scheme implemented by offensive coordinator David Blough was expected to take his game even higher. After barely playing in the preseason, fans got their first real taste of what this might look like, and the results were mixed.
As it turned out, Daniels started slowly but finished strong. But the Commanders were unable to come through despite keeping it close right until the end.
With this in mind, here are five key observations from Daniels' performance against the Eagles to begin the campaign.
Major observations from Commanders QB Jayden Daniels' performance against the Eagles
Jayden Daniels' early jitters
There was always going to be some early rust for Jayden Daniels to shake off. He featured in just seven games last season, completing four. The Commanders also had him on the field for just three plays in the preseason, which was understandable considering the injury problems sustained by the signal-caller last time around.
Everything was happening a little too fast for Daniels during the opening exchanges.
Timing issues cropped up, and the Commanders couldn't get anything going offensively. It didn't help that the dynamic dual-threat was pressured on almost every dropback, with Philadelphia's interior tandem of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis getting whatever they wanted against Washington's protection.
This was a case of trying to hang in there. Daniels didn't connect on many of his throws over the first quarter, but an improved defense kept them in the contest. But if the Commanders want to make the desired improvements this season, they have to get better balance right from the outset.
Daniels tried to set the tone, but nothing much clicked.
Whether it's adjusting to the new scheme or the standard of opposition is debatable. However, this has to be more consistent moving forward if the Commanders don't want to find themselves in early holes.
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