Jayden Daniels is looking to reach the Super Bowl. The Eagles stand in his way.
Daniels was as poised as ever when the bright lights shone on him in Detroit. No matter what opposing teams throw at the rookie, he delivers every single time.
The Commanders now must travel to the Philadelphia Eagles in the final four. We have already seen this match-up twice this season, and both teams have won once. This is not only a rubber match but a standoff that will determine who represents the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Buckle up.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels must play the game and not the occasion
Daniels has proven that he stays calm in every situation, even as a rookie. This trend must continue as the Commanders look to book their place on the grandest stage of all.
Against the Lions, Daniels was faced with a ton of blitzes. This likely won't be the same case against the Eagles, as their defense only blitzed at a 19.1 percent rate. This was the fifth least in the NFL over the 2024 season.
The Eagles do not need to blitz to generate pressure on the quarterback. They have an elite defensive line that will be licking their chops at the match-up against an offensive line that is now without stalwart right guard Sam Cosmi after he went down with a torn ACL against the Lions.
In both regular season match-ups between the divisional rivals, Washington's run game struggled. Fans shouldn't expect that to change this time around. The former LSU star is going to have to rely on his legs and his passing ability to defeat this Eagles' defense.
Since the Eagles do not blitz heavily, Daniels won't have many easy lanes to pick up first downs with his legs after he scrambles outside of the pocket. There will be times when he does that successfully. However, Philadelphia will have more defenders with eyes on the quarterback. They should be in a position to tackle him beyond the line of scrimmage. They will likely utilize a spy, although not having dynamic linebacker Nakobe Dean is a blow.
Daniels must remain poised and not panic. Staying in the pocket as long as he can and buying time for his wide receivers to get open will be the key to winning this game.
The Heisman Trophy winner must think about the pass first. More times than not there will be a defender ready to pounce on him as soon as the signal-caller starts rushing.
We know that Daniels knows how to win in every situation. He has a clutch gene that no coach can teach. This must be alive and well when the Commanders enter the hostile Lincoln Financial Field atmosphere.
Saquon Barkley and the Eagles' high-powered offense will likely put a lot of points on the board. Daniels and the offense will have to keep up against arguably the best defense in the league.
It'll be tough, but Daniels is the man for the big occasion. No rookie quarterback has ever led his team to the Super Bowl. He is one win away from NFL immortality.
