Grading Jayden Daniels after his Eagles response keeps Commanders alive

Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders knew what they had to do against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday Night Football. The performance didn't matter; winning did.

The Commanders achieved this objective. And after some early jitters, Washington's franchise player got into his groove just in time.

Daniels wasn't happy early in the game. Everything was out of sync in the first quarter. The signal-caller was wayward in his distribution, the pre-snap penalties were frustrating, and even when he found his playmakers, they were making too many mistakes.

Jayden Daniels rallied his Commanders' troops after a sluggish start

This irked Daniels enough to get everyone on offense into a sideline meeting. He was passionate, making sure everyone knew that the standards weren't high enough. It's not typical of his approach normally, but it definitely resonated.

The players responded. Daniels did his part by becoming more efficient without taking too many risks in the first half. And after the break, he turned things up another notch.

After leading the Commanders' fightback, Daniels was in control. He stayed strong in the pocket when pressure inevitably arrived. He knew hits would come, but the former Arizona State standout stood his ground to make plays.

When Daniels got the chance to get out on the move, his runs caused problems for the Eagles. And they lit a fire under the quarterback, spurring him on down the stretch.

Daniels' urgency was evident in the closing stages. He was more aggressive, getting the football out with incredible velocity. Treylon Burks, Stefon Diggs, and third-round rookie Antonio Williams all came through for their signal-caller.

As for tight end Chig Okonkwo's catch when Daniels heaved up a prayer from his own end zone? It was nothing short of extraordinary.

The Eagles couldn't keep up. Washington scored 27 unanswered points after falling behind 10, which let Daniels rely on the run in the game's dying moments.

Jayden Daniels did more than enough for Commanders to beat the Eagles

And they secured a priceless win that keeps them in the NFC East hunt.

It was a solid if unspectacular performance from Daniels. He probably had another gear or two he could have used, but it wasn't needed against an under-strength and clearly demoralized Eagles team.

Daniels was always in control. He protected the football well once again and has yet to throw an interception this season. Making plays off-structure was another eye-catching positive, as was his pocket awareness and ability to identify pressure.

But how much more intentional Daniels was as a passer in scramble drills was arguably the biggest positive of all.

The No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft has always been eager to do it all himself; to play the hero when forced to improvise. Daniels may have been tempted to do the same without Terry McLaurin, but he trusted his other pass-catchers instead.

And this trust has only grown after they all stepped up in McLaurin's absence.

It's only one win. The Commanders are still 2-4-1, so the margin for error moving forward remains nonexistent.

But they are not out of the running yet, and if Daniels keeps building confidence and chemistry with his receivers, they should get more wins on a more favorable schedule.

Jayden Daniels' performance grade: B+

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow