Jayden Daniels' miscalculation
Even after a second-half collapse that saw the New York Giants claw their way back into the game, the Washington Commanders did just enough to get into field goal range at the end of overtime.
Then, everything changed.
Just over a minute remained. Jayden Daniels didn't look in any real urgency to get the snap off, and instead of clocking it or throwing it away, the signal-caller chose to run.
And by the time everyone realized what was happening, the game was over.
This is absolutely inexplicable.
Either Daniels or Dan Quinn — or potentially both, in all honesty — didn't realize the Commanders had no timeouts left. It was absolutely horrific in-game management, and it cost Washington in the worst possible way.
Injuries happen. Blown assignments happen.
This was inexcusable.
It was one of the dumbest plays I've ever seen. The lack of awareness and urgency from Daniels and the entire offensive coaching staff, with everything at stake, was embarrassing. When something like this happens, there is plenty of blame to go around, and everyone deserves some.
The Commanders needed this win. They didn't get it, regardless of who was at fault. And they only have themselves to blame.
Jayden Daniels made an encouraging return
Aside from the disastrous final play, it was an encouraging return overall for Jayden Daniels. He won't care, given how the contest ended, but things could have been a lot worse for the quarterback in his first game back from a dislocated elbow.
Daniels looked sharp when given time in the pocket. The athleticism hasn't left him, and neither has the explosiveness to break off big yardage. But when the Giants started sending blitzes, that's when the complications arose.
The Commanders couldn't pick them up effectively, and Daniels struggled to make things happen. Time is all he needs, and even though there were some signs of rust, he was poised and made big throws when it mattered most.
Unfortunately, all anybody will remember is the fiasco that ended the game and saw the Commanders tie a must-win game against divisional opposition.
Daniels took accountability after the game. He said it was a collective failure, and he vowed to be better moving forward, but it needs to be better from the top down. That's pretty damning, but he'll have gained a lot of confidence from getting back into the groove and looking like himself.
Sadly, the fairytale ending wasn't to be. But Daniels was way, way down the list of Washington's problems.
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