Jayden Daniels was happy to make the farcical ending to the Washington Commanders’ 27-27 tie against the New York Giants in Week 5 a we problem, but the quarterback’s still under pressure to improve his own game in clutch situations, and JD5 has received some advice from an unlikely source.
Former Giants‘ starter Russell Wilson knows how Daniels can avoid a repeat of the botched two-minute drill that cost the Commanders the chance to kick a game-winning field goal last week.
Wilson, who won a Super Bowl with the 2013 Seattle Seahawks, revealed what Daniels must do next. Speaking to former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Long on the ‘Set, Hut!’ podcast for CBS Sports, Wilson explained, “I think for Jayden moving forward, right, is spending time in these two-minute situations. Go back to history, go back to playoff moments.”
Studying how the game’s greats handled pressure situations is the key. Wilson remembered how he “used to watch Joe Montana two-minute drills.”
“Spending time in these two-minute moments. Go back to history… I used to watch Joe Montana two-minute drills.”
This is a credible suggestion from a 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback. Even though Wilson was part of perhaps the most infamous lapse by a two-minute offense in NFL history.
The aftermath of that fateful moment focused on who called the play. Daniels is part of a similar debate after he inexplicably let the clock run out on the Commanders against their NFC East rivals.
Russell Wilson Knows Jayden Daniels’ Pain
Wilson’s likely never gotten over his role in the play that decided Super Bowl 49. The New England Patriots took the Vince Lombardi Trophy home after Wilson threw a goal-line interception to cornerback Malcolm Butler in the final seconds.
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Many felt Seahawks’ running back Marshawn Lynch should’ve gotten the ball. Instead, offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and head coach Pete Carroll okayed a pass.
Daniels and the Commanders faced a similar dilemma deep into overtime against the Giants. Preserving the clock for the field-goal try was key, but offensive coordinator David Blough gave Daniels the option to pass for more yards and make it an easier kick.
It was the risky option, but head coach Dan Quinn revealed he wanted Daniels to execute either “an outside throw or a clock. Those are the two (options): out-of-bounds throw or a clock,” per Barry Svrluga of The Athletic.
Neither of those things happened when Daniels instead ran and stayed inbounds.
Quinn still defended wanting to use up some of the clock, even though the Commanders had no timeouts. Decisions like these are why the coach’s future is in doubt, but one of Quinn’s former players, and an ex-teammate of Wilson, believes Daniels should get more of the blame.
Blame Game Is Still Hurting the Commanders
Decorated cornerback Richard Sherman was a key member of the famed ‘Legion of Boom’ defense that helped Wilson’s Seahawks win a Super Bowl. Quinn was the unit’s defensive coordinator, and Sherman defended his old play-caller.
Speaking on the “Richard Sherman Podcast,” Sherman stated:
Daniels needs to understand what’s going on in the game and know that hey, you don’t have any timeouts, you don’t have time, you can’t play around like this. Like if you guys are going to sneak it and spike it, then everybody has to be on the same page and you have to talk about that in the huddle, and I think that’s on him, that’s on the quarterback. And unfortunately, there’s a lot of responsibility put on the quarterback and he’s the quarterback of the team. When there’s no timeouts, the coach has a tremendous amount of trust in the quarterback that he is aware, and he understands the situation.
It’s a valid counterpoint to all of the heat Quinn is taking. Daniels hasn’t escaped criticism, but some believe he’s passed the responsibility for the epic late-game fail onto those above him.
Ultimately, there’s enough blame to go around for everybody involved. Spending time deciding who was most at fault isn’t helping the Commanders. It’s a luxury a 1-4 team can’t afford.
The Commanders should instead follow Wilson’s advice and have Daniels and his coaches take a page from history.
Ex-Giants QB Tells Commanders’ Jayden Daniels How to Improve