Jayden Daniels under pressure
Aaron Glenn had seen enough in the second half. He knew the only way to make a veiled attempt to slow quarterback Jayden Daniels down was to bring the heat constantly.
The Detroit Lions blitzed heavily in the final two quarters. Not entirely unusual for Glenn's defense, but this came at a rate more associated with Brian Flores' unit with the Minnesota Vikings. It posed a different test for Daniels — one he passed with flying colors.
Daniels relied more on the run game. He got the football out of his hands quickly and put his elite-level elusiveness to good use when pressure arrived quicker than anticipated. The Washington Commanders' offensive line met their end of the bargain for the most part, giving their signal-caller the split-second advantages he needed to make plays in big moments.
Head coach Dan Quinn will be quick to point out that this was a team effort, and he's right. But the fact Daniels adjusted so quickly to Glenn's altered approach to bring the heat spoke volumes.
This is an adapt-or-die business. Making these instant corrections separates the good quarterbacks from the great. Judging by Daniels' prowess in this regard, he's well on his way to the latter.
Jayden Daniels is the greatest rookie QB ever
There is no doubt. Call off the debates.
Jayden Daniels is the greatest rookie quarterback to ever step onto a football field. And the Commanders' fairytale run is going all the way to the NFC Conference championship game.
The Commanders never know when they're beaten. They know that with Daniels under center, anything is possible. He's the driving force behind this franchise's renaissance and stepped up in the best way imaginable once again to dethrone the NFC's No. 1 seed.
It's the stuff of dreams. Maybe even beyond that.
Daniels and the Commanders are riding on the crest of a wave. They are in the final four and within one game of the Super Bowl. Their opponents won't matter. Washington's momentum is a match for anyone at this stage.
It's hard to find the right superlatives for what Daniels has done for this organization. He's picked the Commanders off the canvas and turned them into a legitimate force. Even when they were almost double-digit underdogs at the Lions, the belief never wavered. His inspiration knows no bounds — a beacon of positivity where once there was nothing but dismay.
Daniels shocked Ford Field and the entire NFL world to its foundations. But unbelievably, there is even more work to do.