Jayden Daniels was the biggest reason the Washington Commanders came away with a win against the Philadelphia Eagles. He turned the screw and inspired his team to victory. Now, he must finish the job.
Daniels finished the game completing 24 of his 39 attempts for 258 passing yards and five touchdowns to go along with two interceptions. He also carried the ball nine times for 81 rushing yards to round off a memorable afternoon.
Every elite quarterback must have great anticipation on their throws. What does that mean?
Having anticipation means that the football is being thrown right as your receiver is making their break in their route. Before it is obvious they are open, the ball is coming out because the quarterback knows there will be a hole in the defense where their wideout is headed.
Daniels did this several times throughout this game. Jamison Crowder had two touchdowns — both were amazing anticipation throws by the Heisman Trophy winner. Of course, one of those scores ended up being the game-winner.
The other two major examples of Daniels throwing with elite anticipation were on deep shots in this game. On both the touchdown to Terry McLaurin and the huge splash play to Dyami Brown, the signal-caller simply trusted both of his guys to outrun their defender and be in position to make the catch. Something the Commanders accomplished with aplomb.
Commanders need Jayden Daniels at his inspirational best in Week 17
Without Daniels' elite rushing ability, the Commanders likely would not have won this game. Even when you think the play is dead, it's not when the former LSU star is under center. His ability to scramble and make defenders miss to pick up yardage is remarkable.
On a 4th-and-11 with the game on the line, Daniels refused to leave Northwest Stadium with a loss. With no one open past the line to gain and pressure rushing in, he ran straight out of the pocket and evaded multiple tackles with a unique blend of speed and elusiveness.
Daniels simply breaks defenses' hearts.
The red zone efficiency by Daniels and the offense continues to become more of a strong suit for the team. The offense scored a touchdown on an elite 75 percent of their trips inside the 20-yard line against the Eagles.
Three of Daniels' passing touchdowns came in the red zone. This not only proves how big of a threat the signal caller is in this critical area of the field, but how good the offense is at getting to this point.
If there was one flaw in Daniels' performance against the Eagles, it was his two interceptions. One pick was just simply a horrible decision that almost cost the Commanders the game with three minutes left in the fourth quarter. The other was a good decision, it just had poor accuracy.
The Commanders enter Week 17 in a win-and-in game against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football. If the Commanders lose this contest, their playoff implications can get a lot more complicated. The job must be finished.
Atlanta's defense had two pick-sixes against the New York Giants in Week 16. Daniels can not afford any mistakes like that against a tough Falcons secondary.