Jayden Daniels is going through his first genuine adversity since becoming the Washington Commanders starting quarterback. Something the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft was looking to put right against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12.
Daniels has the talent. That's not in question after a sensational start to his professional career. Almost every first-year quarterback goes through complications at some stage. How the former LSU star responds is crucial.
There was a little extra zip on Daniels' throws in practice this week. The longer recuperation period after Washington's game versus the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football helped. But nothing but a dominant display would do in the face of a division rival.
The Cowboys were under-strength and lacking in confidence heading into the contest. This represented an outstanding chance for the Commanders to get right and for Daniels to remind the world of the special traits he brings to the table.
As it turned out, Daniels and the Commanders once again floundered offensively. It was their most embarrassing display of the season so far and Washington's postseason hopes are hanging by a thread as a result.
With this in mind, here are five major observations from Daniels' performance against the Cowboys at Northwest Stadium.
Major observations from Jayden Daniels' performance vs. the Cowboys
Jayden Daniels' disjointed start
Anyone expecting Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders to steamroll an under-strength Dallas Cowboys defense got a good feel for how the game was going to go early on. It was a disjointed opening to the contest from the offense, who couldn't seem to find the right rhythm and looked out of sync from the first whistle.
Daniels just seemed off from a timing standpoint. The signal-caller wasn't helped by an underperforming offensive line and mistakes from his pass-catchers, but fans were expecting better after a short break on the mini-bye.
This is becoming an ongoing frustration. Daniels and the offensive took the NFL by storm over the first half of 2024. It seems like the blueprint on how to prevent them is out there. The Commanders and their star quarterback need to find better solutions or risk all their hard work earlier in the campaign going to waste.
That's the long and short of it.