Jayden Daniels was fighting against the tide in Week 9 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Washington Commanders were missing most of their prolific wide receivers, and the offensive line wasn't exactly stable either, without left tackle Laremy Tunsil to rely on.
The Rams weren't at their best. But Daniels and the Commanders couldn't come through in crunch time.
Now, the Commanders are 2-5-1, with serious questions about this project's direction heading into Thursday Night Football against the New York Giants.
Jayden Daniels was fine, but the Commanders need more than fine
Daniels started the game well. He had some notable zip on his throws and stood his ground in the pocket as pressure arrived almost at will. It wasn't perfect, and he did lose a fumble, but it was a solid enough outing without quite doing enough to get over the hump.
This was winnable, too.
The Rams haven't lit it up this season, as most experts anticipated. But quarterback Matthew Stafford had wide receiver Puka Nacua, who was nothing short of sensational once again. And when their big defensive players needed to step up in the clutch, they did so, led by a three-sack outing from the returning Myles Garrett.
The former Arizona State star kept fighting. He kept pushing the football downfield right until the end, but it wasn't enough. Daniels' protection crumbled, and not even his mobility could save him.
Daniels made the most of his under-strength supporting cast. Van Jefferson Jr. led the team in receiving, and tight end Chig Okonkwo also made some nice plays. But when the Commanders needed a little bit more, they came up short.
That was the most frustrating part of the contest.
Jayden Daniels knows that time is running out for the Commanders
The Commanders were close, but not close enough. That goes for Daniels as well, and the decision to check it down to Okonkwo as time expired was a microcosm of what went wrong.
This also speaks to the point discussed at length this week about Daniels refusing to take risks.
There was nothing to lose by heaving it into the end zone on the final play. Instead, Daniels took the easy road, and the game was lost from there. He has yet to throw an interception this season, but the Commanders have only two wins to show for it.
Daniels admitted after the game that the Commanders are running out of time. Thursday's game against the Giants is a must-win, and if they fall four games behind the NFC East leaders, Washington's season is all but over.
And there is also the small matter of the trade deadline to get through before then.
Without looking at the All-22, Daniels was fine. He kept things ticking over with a subpar supporting cast and a line that just cannot be trusted, especially on the edges.
But with the Commanders undermanned and hanging by a thread, fine is not enough.
Jayden Daniels' performance grade: B-
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