Jayden Daniels' first half
It was a solid enough first half for Jayden Daniels. The Washington Commanders had an advantage going into the interval, but the offense didn't start clicking until relatively late in the second quarter.
There were some evident nerves early on. The Commanders had their backs against the wall in a must-win situation, and that always comes with a little hesitancy right out of the gate.
Slowly but surely, the Commanders found their groove. And this team goes as far as Daniels takes them.
Despite not having a consistent ground game to rely on, Daniels was still making things happen. He was working well in and out of structure, and his rapid-fire release highlighted the conviction with which he was going about his business.
There were a couple of throws he would like to have back, but the signs over the second quarter offered hope that more could be on the way after the interval.
This was reflected in Daniels' first-half stats. He was accurate, kept things ticking over, and picked his spots effectively without quite setting the game alight.
- 73.33 percent completion
- 112 passing yards
- 1 touchdown
- 0 interceptions
- 0 sacks against
- 3 rushing yards (2 carries)
- 116.5 passer rating
More importantly, the Commanders held a slender lead at the half. But as fans know, the fun was just getting started.
Jayden Daniels on the move
The Commanders fired Kliff Kingsbury and promoted offensive coordinator David Blough to provide Jayden Daniels with a more pro-style offense. They wanted him to spend more time under center and implement a strategy that keeps him out of harm's way more efficiently.
What's been lost is the clear strengths Daniels has and where he is most comfortable. For one of the first times this season, Blough mixed up some of Kingsbury's tendencies with his own, using more rollouts and plays out of structure for the quarterback.
It had the desired effect.
When Daniels rolled out of the pocket, he made things happen. It kept the New York Giants' vaunted defensive front seven from getting to him quickly, giving him extra time to go through his reads and add a little creativity to his game.
This didn't happen on every play. But the balance was much more effective at MetLife Stadium.
There was obvious hesitancy not to put too much on Daniels, who is still playing with a brace on his dislocated elbow. At the same time, the signal-caller is playing with no restrictions, which should open up the offense even more from here on.
And with 12 days before the Commanders' next suit-up against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, Daniels is only going to get stronger.
Add us as a preferred source on Google