ASHBURN, Va. — Dan Quinn recently shared the Washington Commanders will internally hold “Tell the Truth Monday” sessions following games this season. Whatever the level of openness from the head coach in those discussions, he only publicly hinted at the assessment of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ NFL debut.
“It really is one of the most important days for us,” Quinn said one day after the team’s 37-20 opening game loss at Tampa Bay. The discussions will focus on five specific areas including explosive plays and turnover margin. “The only way it works and that you guarantee the growth is to face the truth and really never to run away from it.”
After Washington’s defense allowed the Buccaneers to gain nearly 400 yards of offense and score on seven of their eight full possessions, there were plenty of worthy topics. Tackling margin, penalty margin and starting field position are the other primary categories. How Daniels, the No. 2 selection in April’s draft, performed is another angle altogether.
Quinn on Monday told local reporters that his tape review “confirmed” his initial assessment of Daniels’ debut, mostly “from the competitor side.” With the passing game, that meant there would “probably be a few throws that he would either like to rip” or stay with the passer progression long enough to see “where the progression may have taken him.”
In other words, more patience in the pocket may have led to taking advantage of opportunities down the field. According to Next Gen Stats, Daniels had the lowest average throw time of the week (2.35 seconds). This approach, or perhaps more honestly, the quarterback’s execution, factored into Daniels rushing 16 times.
Jayden Daniels ran the ball 16 times. Kliff Kingsbury didn’t call for 16 carries.
Quinn: pic.twitter.com/uUShzsw07g
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) September 10, 2024
Criticism of the play calling is straightforward and reasonable if one questions why Daniels ran from the 1-yard line twice inside the final two minutes with the Commanders down 23 points. Those inside runs meant taking hits; Daniels’ helmet popped off for the second time in the game on the first of the two handoffs.
“We didn’t have a lot of designed quarterback runs,” Quinn said. Film review concurred as Daniels, a Heisman Trophy-winning dual threat, often took off when pass-rush pressure materialized. According to PFF, the offensive line allowed two sacks — but only two quarterback hits — against a defensive line missing two of its three starters.
Following the game, Quinn remarked that Daniels was “confident, strong, clear-eyed about how to go attack.” Following the film review, the coach said, “But some of the (runs) that he did, I think if he’d ask (himself) again, he’d probably wanna let it rip to one of the (receivers).”
Two deep shots to wide receiver Terry McLaurin, including the first play after halftime, fell incomplete. Otherwise, Daniels kept his throws underneath. Next Gen Stats ranked Daniels fourth-lowest in average intended air yards (5.2) and finished at the bottom in completed air yards (1.6). Pro Football Focus’s average depth of target (aDot) of 5.5 slotted Washington’s starter 30th.
Daniels postgame did not lament the 16 run attempts. “I don’t put a number … on how many times I’m going to run. … I try to do whatever it takes to help the team win the game.” Let’s see what the rookie says when he meets with the media on Wednesday.
One solution involves utilizing running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler together. The pair split snaps, but typically, only one is on the field. As the best playmakers besides McLaurin, Washington may have no choice but to send more targets underneath or find ways to get the backs on the field together.
Brian Robinson Jr. all the way to the 1-yard line!
📺: #WASvsTB on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/EW5OWdxZYp— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
Washington ran 21 personnel — two running backs, two receivers, and one tight end — three times against the Buccaneers. One instance with the backs on opposite sides of the offensive line led to the Commanders’ longest play from scrimmage, a 32-yard pass to Robinson. He was tackled at the 1-yard line, and Daniels scored on the next play. Quinn said he was “very pleased” with running backs as receivers coming out of the backfield.
“It’s always something you want to do,” Quinn said. “Each game will have a little different flavor. What you’re looking for sometimes too, is how do teams match up against that specific look. … To find those matchups, you gotta do them. And so yes, I would say that is certainly one of the packages that we really like.”
Open or covered
Another metric from Next Gen Stats, aggressiveness, is a “measure of whether there is a defender within 1 yard or less of the receiver at the time of completion or incompletion.” Daniels scored 8.3 percent on his 24 attempts, the fourth-lowest among quarterbacks.
Again, there were chances for the rookie he didn’t see or chose not to pass. They might not have been “open” based on the standard in college at LSU, but NFL quarterbacks are held to a higher standard with tighter windows.
Daniels had the benefit at LSU of throwing to two wide receivers who were also selected in the first round. One of them, Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas, caught a touchdown pass in his NFL debut. The other, No. 6 pick Malik Nabers, will face his quarterback at Northwest Stadium on Sunday for Giants-Commanders. Daniels doesn’t have those levels of weapons in Washington relative to the defensive competition. McLaurin is a Pro Bowl-caliber player, but creating separation wasn’t a strength under previous coordinators. Same with Dyami Brown, who received zero targets.
Getting the boot
Washington’s kicker merry-go-round took another lap this week following Cade York’s release and Austin Seibert’s signing. It’s hard to blame the front office for the cycle starting after sexual assault allegations against free agent signee Brandon McManus emerged in the spring. It is, however, up to the group to find a solution.
Seibert, 27, becomes the fifth kicker for Washington this NFL year and it’s not even Week 2. It’s anyone’s guess if he’s the last. Seibert was with the Jets this summer, meaning Washington’s staff got a closer look at him during the joint practice and preseason game. His profile is the mirror opposite of York’s.
Though not blessed with a strong leg — Seibert is 2 of 6 from beyond 50 yards and 17 of 26 from 40-49 — he is highly accurate inside the 40, making all 20 attempts over five seasons. The veteran of four prior stops — Cleveland selected Seibert in the 2019 fifth-round — arrives having made his last 26 extra points.
The Commanders unsurprisingly released York on Monday after he missed both field goal attempts at Tampa Bay. There were hopes that the 2022 fourth-round pick, also by Cleveland, would be the solution after Washington sent a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick to the Browns in August. Those conditions were not met following Monday’s transaction.
Both errant boots occurred when the deficit was nine points or less. It was the same with the kickoff sent out of bounds immediately after Robinson’s 7-yard touchdown run pulled Washington closer at 13-7. That set up Tampa Bay with the ball at its 40-yard line midway through the second quarter, and the Buccaneers took over seven minutes off the clock en route to a third field goal before halftime.
Kickoff distance is a variable different from the league’s new rules. Still, Seibert’s career averages of 60.8 yards per attempt and 37.3 touchback percentage are behind last year’s starter, Joey Slye (65.0 average and 100 percent, respectively, last season).
Finish the job
Generating pass-rush pressure and sacking the quarterback are different. Like last season, Washington’s defensive front couldn’t capitalize on its opportunities. That’s a brutal reality when paired with a limited cornerback group.
The Commanders had one sack against the Buccaneers — Clelin Ferrell dropped Baker Mayfield. Washington generated 14 “hurries” per PFF but only three QB hits. Daron Payne had a team-high five hurries but zero hits. Fellow defensive tackle Jonathan Allen wasn’t credited for touching Mayfield on two hurries.
🗣️ @Cle_Missile‘s first sack as a Commander
📺 #WASvsTB FOX pic.twitter.com/DlU8gB6ouv
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 8, 2024
“I thought we were able to generate some pressure defensively, pass rush and some blitz,” Quinn said Sunday night. “What I wasn’t pleased with was our ability to finish on the (quarterback.) I thought we … let him outside the pocket where he could extend plays.”
It’s OK to blanche when coaches repeatedly discuss marrying the pass rush with coverage. The thing is, it’s a valid statement. Even the best defensive backs eventually give up room when quarterbacks can comfortably scan for receivers, and Washington corners are not considered anywhere close to high end.
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The corners cannot slow down receivers without pass-rush help, no matter who plays the position. This isn’t all about Allen and Payne. Still, the better they perform, the more attention is pulled away from linebacker Frankie Luvu, defensive ends Dorance Armstrong and Ferrell, and possible blitzers, not to mention cornerbacks requiring assistance.
(Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
