Jayden Daniels shines despite loss to Buccaneers

It wasn’t exactly a perfect game for Washington Commanders fans in their season debut versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they were blown out 37-20. One bright spot of the defeat however was the play of their top pick in quarterback Jayden Daniels who looked every bit of the Heisman winning super athlete that was advertised out of LSU.

While the passing numbers for Daniels won’t overwhelm at just 184 yards through the air, his rushing ability clearly makes him one of the most versatile and agile threats in the league as he scampered for 88 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the day. Daniels’ accuracy can’t be understated either given he completed 17 of his 24 passing attempts, many of which were plays extended by his feet before getting the ball out to his target.

The deep ball wasn’t on display as it was in college for Daniels, but some of that has to do with his protection and likely some rookie jitters with some of his blatant overthrows. Daniels will likely quickly settle into his role as the top playmaker in Washington and could rapidly become the favorite for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award should he continue to impress.