Jayden Daniels had his work cut out for him against the Philadelphia Eagles. But after a rocky start from the quarterback, a late rally almost snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
It was nice to see Daniels back on the field in a regular-season setting. The Washington Commanders aren't going to get far without him this season, but this was the game where ring rust was always going to factor heavily into the equation.
That proved true early on.
Commanders offense looked shaky early before Jayden Daniels rallied them late
Daniels looked shaky. The offensive line couldn't block Philadelphia's dominant defensive tackle tandem of Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter, putting his back against a wall right out of the gate. Therefore, his attention immediately shifted to finding a way to navigate the early storm.
Something seemed off. Not entirely surprising, given how long Daniels was out last season, his lack of preseason playing time, and his adjustment to offensive coordinator David Blough's new scheme. But the Eagles weren't going to give the Arizona State product a grace period.
On closer review of the game film, Daniels was lucky he's mobile.
Pressure came early and often. One could make a strong case for the No. 2 pick in 2024 holding onto the football for too long, but it's not like his primary pass-catchers were able to create consistent separation either.
Thankfully, they made the right adjustments at halftime. Whatever was said or altered worked, and things looked much more cohesive after the break.
Daniels was getting the football out with more conviction. Playing up-tempo allowed him to get into a rhythm, and when the Eagles' defensive front began to tire in humid conditions, he got some crucial extra time to go through his reads.
Jayden Daniels finding his groove down the stretch should encourage the Commanders
It showed, and it dragged the Commanders back from the brink, within touching distance of a memorable upset.
That wasn't to be after wide receiver Stefon Diggs' inexplicable decision to celebrate his touchdown using the goalpost and a failed two-point conversion after rookie third-round pick Antonio Williams went in for six. But anyone who thought this was a complete dud from Daniels' perspective needs to examine things a little more closely.
Was it perfect? Not by a long shot.
But nobody should have expected it to be after so long away from the regular-season pressure cooker. And on the road at the notoriously intimidating Lincoln Financial Field, no less.
Jayden Daniels' performance grade for Week 1: B
Daniels cares about winning and not much else. But once he had time to reflect, it wasn't the complete disaster some in the media and fan base initially thought.
This was an important milestone for Daniels. Getting through it unscathed will have given him confidence, and he will be much better at getting back into the groove moving forward.
And looking at the way he finished the contest, the elite qualities are still there.
Finding the consistency to put everything together for four quarters in the next challenge. With some challenging games ahead, the margin for error is already shrinking for head coach Dan Quinn's squad.
Daniels won't lose sight of that. But fortunately for the Commanders, he's got the skill set to do something about it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google