Jayden Daniels' added urgency
When the Washington Commanders weren't up for the fight and executed poorly in the first quarter, Jayden Daniels got the offense together and delivered some harsh words about the standards and what he expected from everyone. But the signal-caller also needed to raise his own urgency to help the team.
There was much more evidence of that down the stretch. Daniels grew more comfortable as the game wore on, and there was a real desire to get the Commanders moving downfield through the air. After the ground attack struggled before a late surge, this was desperately needed.
Daniels did enough to make things happen. His release was quick, and he has no elbow issues anymore. He is also trusting his receivers to come through, which was a big question mark coming into the clash without wide receiver Terry McLaurin to lean on.
Treylon Burks, Stefon Diggs, and third-round rookie Antonio Williams were all consistent when their numbers were called. Tight end Chig Okonkwo made a phenomenal catch when Daniels heaved it up from his own end zone in arguably the game's overall highlight.
When the big plays were needed, the Cajon High School graduate came through, and Daniels' added intensity clearly fueled his teammates.
A solid overall showing from Jayden Daniels
It was far from a vintage performance from Jayden Daniels. There were moments he would like to have back, and turning opportunities into more touchdowns could have made this comfortable for the Commanders.
However, it was a solid showing. In the end, the result was all that mattered.
The Commanders would have been a lost cause if they'd been beaten this one. They were sluggish in the first quarter but gradually took charge of proceedings after that. Daniels led the way, protecting the football and displaying the arm accuracy needed to keep things ticking over.
If the Commanders needed another gear to achieve victory, Daniels could probably have provided it. He did just enough, but at times the offense looked like it was in cruise control against a struggling Philadelphia Eagles team.
Either way, the Commanders got the job done. Daniels acknowledged that it wasn't perfect, but it was enough. That was everything for a team under so much pressure, but complacency is not an option.
The Eagles are free-falling, but that isn't the case with all of Washington's opponents moving forward. Daniels has to raise his performance, and that goes for everybody else as well if the Commanders want to improve their NFC East championship chances.
That's the minimum requirement. But after a shaky start, Daniels responded positively to help his team get a desperately needed win on home soil.
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