Jayden Daniels Commanders' Debut Reminiscent of Robert Griffin III?

With a perfect pass, a nifty fake and a hype-fueling debut, Jayden Daniels has Washington Commanders fans as excited about their quarterback as they've been in a dozen years.

RG3, anyone?

In August 2012, Griffin teased then-Redskins fans in his preseason debut. He froze Buffalo Bills' defenders with a play-action fake and then delivered a dart over the middle to receiver Pierre Garcon for a 20-yard gain. Washington lost its opener, but hope was born.

RG3 was the second overall pick in 2012; Daniels No. 2 in 2024. Commence the hype.

Daniels' debut Saturday in New York mirrored - if not topped - Griffin's. He launched a perfect pass for a 42-yard gain and then walked in for a 3-yard touchdown after a fake hand-off that any veteran would be proud of.

Like Griffin, the moment wasn't too big for Daniels. He was calm in the huddle, in control at the line of scrimmage and even let his personality ooze out with a huge smile after his long completion to Dyami Brown.

Hearken back to general manager Adam Peters after the draft: "He’s the best deep-ball thrower in the draft. And that’s even before we start watching him run — and the way he runs, he just takes your soul as a defense.”

More impressive about the deep throw? It was originally called as a screen pass that Daniels audibled out of.

“It’s an interesting question, checking into it. I thought of 'Top Gun,' when Tom Cruise asks ‘Do I have permission to buzz the tower?’” said Washington first-year head coach Dan Quinn said. “And the answer is ‘No Ghost Rider, the pattern is full.’ I think on that one, [Jayden] wanted to ask for forgiveness and not permission, and then throw an absolute dime over the top to Dyami to go. It was a really cool play. I think it probably illustrates for him, the awareness and checks and things that go into it. So, yeah, he did not ask for permission. He went ahead and buzzed the tower anyway. … He was smiling back at us. He knew he went off script.”

Related: Jayden Daniels Shines, But Commanders Fall to Jets

Said Daniels of the single play that energized a franchise, "It’s just something throughout practice, throughout the time I’ve been here that Kliff was like, ‘If you don’t like this look, check it'.” So, they came out in a certain look and we were running a play, I didn’t like it. It was going to be a dead play. So I just checked it and gave my guy a chance to make a play.”

Washington lost its opener. But like a dozen years ago, hope was born.