Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn went all in on Jayden Daniels this year. Quinn said he saw certain things he liked that could help Daniels succeed as a rookie. But Week 1 didn’t go like a dream scenario, and here are two overreactions from Daniels’ NFL debut with the Commanders.
Daniels finished 17 of 24 passing for 184 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He also rushed for 88 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. But the end result showed the Buccaneers on top with a 37-20 decision.
Overreaction #1
The Commanders made mistake to start Daniels this soon
If you look at Daniels’ numbers, they aren’t bad. In fact, zero interceptions is very positive. Also, his two ground scores are part of the reason he didn’t have a touchdown pass. Quinn said Daniels did fine in the opener, according to commanders.com.
“I thought he got to fully express all the things that he has of using his legs, you know, being aggressive down the field,” Quinn said. “Like him, like a number of the players tonight, there’s going to be a lot of takeaways and things that we’re going to like, things that we want to improve upon.
“But what I can tell you is we got one hell of a competitor in him. We’re just getting started with him and the guys. That’s why when you have a performance like tonight where it doesn’t go your way, you want to question how you prepare, and these guys really put it in and were ready. So when you don’t deliver when you put the work in, it stings more.”
One thing Quinn said he didn’t like came in the form of 16 rushing attempts for a smaller-framed quarterback.
“Some of the ones we like where he could extend the plays with his legs, that’s what does make him unique,” Quinn said. “But, yeah, we certainly don’t want the ones that are inside and where helmet gets knocked around. Those are things that we can work through for sure.”
The problem in the final score had very little to do with Daniels. The main problem came in the form of a leaky defense that will likely be a problem area all season. The Commanders don’t have enough talent on that side of the ball, and whether it’s Daniels or whoever at quarterback the losses will likely come.
Should Commanders have held Daniels back?
Daniels taking over as the Day 1 starter makes sense. The Commanders have been starving for a franchise quarterback. Holding him back might have sent the signal he couldn’t hold up under the pressure or didn’t have the physical ability to handle the role. Once again, Daniels’ season can’t be measured solely by wins and losses. However, the Commanders don’t want him to end up in the same boat as Bryce Young and Justin Fields with a terrible record.
Quinn said the Commanders learned a lot of lessons against the Buccaneers, according to athlonsports.com
“I wanted this one badly for the players, and that’s why it stings,” Quinn said. “Certainly, a story tonight missed opportunities. I think third down, if I had to look back on it right now, that was the biggest and certainly the story of the game. So lot to work on and Tampa was a better team today. You need the struggle to see the identity develop, you don’t want it, but you do need it and that part is hard and that struggle happened tonight so we’ll take these lessons and we’ll work on them.”
Overreaction #2
RB Austin Ekeler will be bit player this season
Six touches for 62 yards isn’t the type of statistical finish Ekeler is accustomed to in the NFL. But that’s what he got on Sunday, perhaps leading some to believe he won’t be a major part of the game plans in 2024.
But here’s the stark reality: Quinn likes Ekeler, especially his strength, according to athlonsports.com.
“Austin, I knew was a really good pass catcher,” Quinn said. “I probably didn’t know how strong he is. He is, you know, you would think he’s a small back. But he is strong and pound-for-pound probably our strongest player, so there’s not a spot that you couldn’t put him in.”
Also, the Commanders don’t have very many offensive weapons. In fact, an argument can be made Ekeler is the team’s second-biggest threat. The Commanders must find ways to get him the football and make big plays, like the 22-yard reception burst he had against the Buccaneers.
Along with overreactions are truths
The Redskins’ group of receivers may be worse than originally feared. And that’s a hard thing to accomplish because this group entered with little hype.
But when your wide receivers go three catches for 18 yards (Luke McCaffrey), two for 17, (Terry McLaurin), one for 15 (Olamide Zaccheaus), and one for five (Jamison Crowder), that’s one of the worst stat lines in the history of modern-era football. Sure, some of the blame needs to go to Daniels, the coaching staff, and the offensive line. But other NFL teams may have practice-squad rosters better than this bunch.
Yes, McLaurin can — and should be — one of the best in the NFL at the position. But if his teammates are so bad that defenses can smother him, how good will his season be? That’s especially true if Daniels won’t throw him the ball because of the extra attention. One thing that must improve is offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s design and approach. The Commanders need to look significantly better at the receiver position in Week 2.
