Jayden Daniels' deep throwing
Being down early meant the Washington Commanders had to get more aggressive in pursuit of staying competitive. Fortunately for offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, his rookie quarterback is adept at getting the football downfield quickly.
Jayden Daniels' deep-throwing was one of his biggest strengths in college. He had no trouble looking long when the protection held up with his customary velocity and accuracy in Week 16.
Daniels' strike to Dyami Brown was highly impressive. This was swiftly followed by a beautiful touchdown throw to Terry McLaurin, continuing this blossoming connection that is among the league's best.
This is something Kingsbury should arguably be utilizing more. However, it's also worth remembering that the Commanders aren't exactly blessed with consistent pass-catchers aside from McLaurin.
Once general manager Adam Peters rectifies this issue during the offseason, expect Kingsbury to take more downfield risks with Daniels leading the charge. This will add another explosive element to Washington's offense that hasn't been evident at stages throughout the campaign.
Big mistake taints Jayden Daniels' decent first half
It was a decent first half from Jayden Daniels. Not jaw-dropping by any stretch of the imagination, but a solid opening to the game nonetheless.
Things would have looked better had it not been for a big mistake. Daniels overthrew rookie wide receiver Luke McCaffrey on a pass over the middle that was picked off. This wasn't exactly ideal, but turnovers and other costly individual errors were the tale of Washington's game.
It's easy to forget that Daniels is still learning his craft. He's way ahead of most rookies in NFL history at this stage of his career, but silly lapses are still evident. Once the Cajon High School product fixes this with more experience, it'll take his game to new heights.
This up-and-down first half was reflected in Daniels' statistics. Not bad considering the opposition's high standards, but enough to leave room for further improvements.
- 53.33 percent completion
- 108 passing yards
- 2 passing touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 1 sack against
- 32 rushing yards
- 88.3 passer rating (ESPN)
The Commanders were somehow still in the game. Daniels' production was one of the big reasons why they had a fighting chance.