5 major observations from Jayden Daniels' performance at the Buccaneers

Jayden Daniels' progressions

The margins are finer and the pace is quicker during an NFL regular season. This was something Jayden Daniels hadn't experienced before, so he'll be far better for this experience moving forward after getting a baptism of fire versus a Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense who were protecting a comfortable lead throughout the contest.

One of the most positive traits Daniels has is the ability to go through his progressions rapidly. He's a fast thinker and can deliver the football on time. It wasn't perfect, but nobody expected it to be.

Daniels had no trouble taking what the defense gave him with check-downs and short completions to his tight ends. It wasn't an easy situation once the Commanders got into an early hole. But one could argue he made the best of it to provide reasons for encouragement.

He's only going to get better with more knowledge of defensive schematics and pre-snap alignments from week to week. The Commanders have a lot of hard work to do collectively based on this showing, but fans can relax safe in the knowledge Daniels' progressions are the least of their problems.

Jayden Daniels' solid if not spectacular debut

It was a tricky game for Jayden Daniels, but he navigated it well enough all things considered. The Cajon High School product put together a solid if not spectacular debut. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to compensate for some failings elsewhere - especially where the secondary was concerned.

Daniels looked poised in the pocket and had complete control of the pre-snap reads. He missed a couple of throws - some more difficult than others - but that was always likely during his first taste of an NFL regular season outing.

The signal-caller completed 70.83 percent of his passes for 184 yards and a passer rating of 93.1. He also looked the part on the ground, but this was always going to be a work in progress.

There were more positives than negatives surrounding Daniels' production. Some encouraging signs emerged and some areas to improve also came to light. This is all part of the growing process as he looks to cement his status as a genuine franchise-caliber presence under center.

Next up for Daniels is a home divisional game against the New York Giants, who were overwhelmed by the Minnesota Vikings to kick off their campaign. This represents a chance to pick up his first win if the necessary adjustments are implemented when preparations for Week 2 begin.

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