5 major observations from Jayden Daniels' performance vs. the Bears

After a memorable start to his league journey, the first major concern of Jayden Daniels' professional career arrived this week. The Washington Commanders quarterback suffered a rib injury against the Carolina Panthers, which came at the worst possible time for someone who was quietly emerging as an NFL MVP candidate in Year 1 of his professional career.

The Commanders took their time with Daniels and took every precaution. His opening two days involved meetings and treatment. Friday saw the signal-caller limited in practice and he received a questionable designation for the clash. After coming through other hurdles unscathed, the No. 2 pick out of LSU got the start.

Daniels achieved his first objective by proving his health to head coach Dan Quinn and his staff. Getting one over on a decent Chicago Bears defense and No. 1 overall selection Caleb Williams was another matter.

As it turned out, an astonishing turn of events on the game's final play gave Daniels and the Commanders their sixth victory of the campaign. And it couldn't have been more dramatic.

With this in mind, here are five major observations from Daniels' performance against the Bears at Northwest Stadium.

Major observations from Jayden Daniels' performance vs. the Bears

Jayden Daniels alleviated early concerns

It was encouraging to see Jayden Daniels settle down early on. Fans were nervously awaiting what they'd see from the quarterback right out of the gate considering he'd missed a lot of practice and he was nursing a rib issue. However, he eased these fears over the opening exchanges.

Daniels looked mobile, took control of the pre-snap reads effectively, and got the football out at all three levels. His deep ball to Pro Bowl pass-catcher Terry McLaurin, in particular, was a notable highlight.

The Washington Commanders took things slowly with Daniels. This was a method used by Kliff Kingsbury during his opening two contests, relying heavily on the run and trying to keep the quarterback out of harm's way as best he could. But the fact he took a big hit from defensive end Montez Sweat and showed no ill effects was more pleasing than anything else.

Jayden Daniels' solid first half

It was a solid first half overall from Jayden Daniels. He wasn't helped by some crucial drops from his pass-catchers in key moments, but it was relatively pleasing aside from that.

If there was one knock on Daniels and the Washington Commanders' offense, it centered on their lack of conviction in the red zone. This contest took on a similar feel to their Week 2 win against the New York Giants. Fortunately, standout kicker Austin Seibert kept the scoreboard ticking over with ruthless accuracy.

This was reflected in Daniels' stats, which were also solid if not spectacular as the Commanders held a 9-0 lead at the interval.

• 52.63 percent completion
• 154 passing yards
• 0 touchdowns
• 0 interceptions
• 0 sacks against
• 31 rushing yards
• 79.7 passer rating (ESPN)

Daniels came through the physical aspect of the game well, which was the big worry after sustaining what was a painful rib injury in Week 7. He was outperforming Caleb Williams and doing just enough. Considering the circumstances, the Commanders couldn't have asked for much more.

Jayden Daniels' mechanics

One of the biggest potential complications surrounding Jayden Daniels' injury was the mechanical aspect. Having a rib issue could impact his upper body movement while throwing the football. Once again, everything checked out on that front in an eye-catching style.

Daniels had plenty of zip on his throws. He showed no signs of hesitancy and everything looked pretty normal. The quarterback throws a beautiful ball, although the Chicago Bears were making it difficult through sticky coverage and the ability to keep him contained in the pocket more often than not.

The Heisman Trophy winner will probably be sore on Monday. And Tuesday. And probably Wednesday. But the fact his throwing motion was fast and there were no wasted motions was an encouraging element to take from the contest.

It wasn't always perfect, especially when the Bears' defense gained some momentum in the second half. Even so, Daniels did well in difficult circumstances and clearly not at 100 percent.

Jayden Daniels' toughness

It wasn't easy. It wasn't perfect. But one thing that cannot be disputed is Jayden Daniels' toughness.

The Washington Commanders asked a lot of their quarterback despite a rib injury that left him out of action for almost the entire week. Daniels answered the call, staying in the pocket and trying to get things going. It was more disjointed than usual, but this was thanks in no small part to a smothering Chicago Bears defense that turned on the style in the second half.

Daniels took some serious punishment. Fans were wincing every time Washington's prized possession went to the ground. However, his inner desire and competitiveness came to the fore constantly.

This was all about grinding it out and hoping the defense met their end of the bargain. It quickly became a war of attrition, and the Commanders have the right guy under center when things get like that.

It's been a long time since fans could say that with any confidence.

Jayden Daniels' late miracle

This was en route to being a heartbreaking loss for the Commanders. They led for almost the entirety before finally falling behind with 25 seconds left. It was a gut punch for Jayden Daniels, but the signal-caller responded with an absolute miracle.

The fact he was even out there was miraculous. Daniels lost velocity on his throws as the contest wore on, which was understandable. But he dug deep right at the death to launch a Hail Mary that was tipped right into the hands of Noah Brown for a walk-off touchdown.

Northwest Stadium erupted. Dan Quinn was beside himself on the sideline. Even Daniels could barely believe what was occurring. It was a play that will go down in NFL history and lent further weight to the claims that something special is building in D.C.

Just astonishing. You couldn't make it up. But weirdly, Daniels deserved this good fortune for toughing it out when all hope seemed lost.

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