The Washington Commanders fell 17-13 to the Detroit Lions on Aug. 22 at Ford Field. Moreover, the Commanders gave Jayden Daniels a brief cameo in the team’s second preseason game.
Daniels only made one pass attempt and was sacked during his time on the field. Nonetheless, after the game, the Commanders star addressed a major concern that the team could be having heading into the 2026 NFL season.
Washington’s offensive line will have to ensure that Daniels stays upright and clean, but for now, that remains a work in progress ahead of the final preseason game.
“I think it’s still a work in progress,” Daniels said postgame about how he and the offensive line are gelling. “Like I said, it’s only preseason. We still have practices and everything. By the time we get to Game 1, we’ll have it set in stone.
“For me, it’s really just trusting those guys up front, trusting the play calling, trusting my reads, getting the ball out, doing what I have to do and playing on time.”
Jayden Daniels on Taking the Field to Play Football Again
Moreover, Daniels also addressed going out on the field for the first time this preseason after sitting out the opener against the Miami Dolphins.
“Listen to what coach tells you,” Daniels added. “No, I mean, it’s just good to go out there and operationally live bullets. Joint practice is great practice. It’s a different type of urgency when you’re going up against somebody else that is live. So it was good to get back out there and, like I said, play football once again.”
Daniels also noted that it was challenging to come out of the game against the Lions. After dealing with an injury last season and missing the preseason opener, it came as no surprise the Commanders star wanted to be out there, but he sees the big picture.
“I kind of understand I’m going into Year 3 now, so I understand you can’t play all 60-plus plays in the preseason game,” Daniels said. “The main goal is Week 1 and then games after that. So you try to just build up, ramp up and try to knock off the rust here and there. From there, you kind of just go out there and trust your coach and trust everything they have to say.”
What Stefon Diggs Is Bringing to Commanders Offense
Speaking of the Washington offense, the team has a new wideout in Stefon Diggs. One of the Commanders noticing what the veteran can bring to the team’s offense is offensive lineman Sam Cosmi, who recently provided an update on what he’s seeing.
“[Diggs is] very explosive in the aspect of his shiftiness,” Cosmi said during an Aug. 19 appearance on 106.7 The Fan. “He’s been able to find and get wide open, and he has a presence coming in immediately.
“He talks to the offense as soon as he comes in, tries to really build us up, especially if he’s rotating in and we’ve already had six plays, and we’re kind of tired. He’s encouraging us to keep going [and] keep fighting, which has been a good thing to see.”
Jayden Daniels Gets Blunt on Commanders’ Biggest Concern After Loss