Jayden Daniels has the chance to shock the world.
The Washington Commanders secured a 12-win season for the first time since 1991. A lot of the credit for the team's success goes to the rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The season has been one to remember for the Commanders. Now it's time to focus on the playoffs and write another chapter in this fairytale at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Daniels and the Commanders will travel to Tampa to take on the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football for the chance to move on to the divisional round. More importantly, Washington can get one step closer to hoisting a Super Bowl for the first time in 34 years.
The former LSU star finished the 2024 regular season completing 331-of-480 passing attempts for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also carried the ball 148 times for 891 rushing yards and six scores. This explosive season combined with the Commanders' unbelievable success has the No. 2 pick well on his way to winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Individual accolades don't motivate Daniels. What comes next when the stakes get higher is far more important. That starts at Raymond James Stadium with the primetime spotlight glaring.
This will not be the first time Daniels has faced the Buccaneers this season. He tackled Todd Bowles' squad on his first NFL start in Week 1. It'll be a different story this time around, however, as the dual threat has been fully unleashed.
Jayden Daniels must exploit Buccaneers' weaknesses to help Commanders advance
The Buccaneers have struggled when playing against quarterbacks with elite rushing ability. In games this season against Lamar Jackson and Bo Nix, the defense completely lost the game for their team. That provides the Commanders a window of opportunity to exploit this weakness with Daniels leading the charge.
Daniels also rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns in his first match-up against Tampa Bay. That will help, but the Buccaneers also have to watch out for his passing prowess as well.
The Cajon High School product must attack this weakness by utilizing his legs every chance he gets. This will allow the offense to sustain drives and tire out the defense. Eventually, they'll run out of gas and hopefully drain the motivation out of the Buccaneers entirely.
Luckily for Daniels, the Buccaneers' secondary is not any better than their ability to stop quarterback rushes. They were in the bottom half of every meaningful passing statistic. They could also be without standout safety Antoine Winfield Jr., which would be a major help to Washington's hopes of a playoff triumph.
Daniels won't have to run the football because the passing game is not working. Instead, his rushing ability will just be an elite luxury he can utilize when things aren't developing as expected.
Kliff Kingsbury and Daniels should both be planning on giving Terry McLaurin a plethora of targets. The significance of this moment calls for big-game performers to step up and make a lasting contribution. Washington needs its Pro Bowl starters to click early and often.
The Buccaneers do not have a top-tier cornerback. Their best option is Jamel Dean. He is not a bad player, but nowhere near a lockdown-type. Attacking him could reap huge rewards and help the Commanders book their place in the divisional round.
