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The reviews were mixed for how Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels played in a 37-20, season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 8.
The reviews for Daniels’ being able to keep his helmet on – a bizarre stat — were not as varied. Daniels’ helmet came off twice during the game. The first time when he was hit by NFL All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. at the end of a 12-yard run and again on the goal line when Daniels was trying to stretch over the goal line for a touchdown.
Winfield was called for unnecessary roughness on his hit. When Daniels’ helmet came off at the goal line it negated what would have been a touchdown. Daniels still ran for 2 touchdowns and led the Commanders with 16 carries for 88 yards.
“I grade myself hard: We didn’t win. I’m a competitor,” Daniels told ESPN’s John Keim. “But overall, it went pretty well. There was some stuff we left on the field. (But) I’m past it tomorrow. We’re off to New York.”
The Commanders return home for their Week 2 game against the New York Giants before hitting the road for two consecutive games at the Cincinnati Bengals and at the Arizona Cardinals.
Daniels Struggled Throwing the Ball in Debut
Daniels had 4 runs of 10 yards or more but struggled making similar big plays throwing the ball, including missing a wide-open Terry McLaurin on what would have been a long touchdown pass and threw his first pass behind running back Brian Robinson Jr., which was ruled a fumble that Washington ultimately recovered.
Still, the offense only thrived when Daniels thrived, and although he finished 17-of-24 passing for 184 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions, 138 of those passing yards came in the second half. He also put the offense in scoring position twice and came away with zero points on two missed field goals by Cade York.
“There were hints of what Jayden Daniels could do with his legs in training camp and the preseason, although the rookie intentionally kept it in check to focus more on what he could do as a passer,” wrote Commanders.com’s Zach Selby. “Sunday’s game against the Buccaneers was the first time Daniels truly flaunted that part of his skill set, and while it wasn’t enough to consistently light a spark for the Commanders’ offense, it did show what the unit could look like in the future.”
One thing the Commanders might focus on the future is getting Daniels to wear his helmet in a normal manner. Daniels wore his helmet high on his head in college at LSU and has continued to do so in the pros. It’s not complicated to understand why it keeps coming off — it does not appear to be on correctly in the first place.
Future of Franchise Clearly Sits With Daniels
Even after just one start, it’s clear the Commanders will only thrive in 2024 if Daniels plays well and outside of the No. 2 overall pick, most of the rookies from the most recent draft class did little to impact the game.
Third-round pick (No. 67 overall) Brandon Coleman made his first career start at left offensive tackle for the Commanders and third-round pick (No. 100 overall) Luke McCaffrey had 2 receptions for 18 yards. The Commanders’ second-round pick (No. 36 overall), defensive tackle Johnny Newton, was inactive for the opener with a foot injury.
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