LANDOVER, Md. — Everyone handles pressure situations differently. Teammates are learning Jayden Daniels’ default setting is laughter.
On Sunday, the Washington Commanders rookie quarterback led a game-tying drive early in the fourth quarter against the New York Giants. As the clock approached the two-minute warning, Daniels faced his first NFL comeback opportunity. With it, Washington could earn its first home victory in over a calendar year and snap an overall nine-game losing streak.
“That’s what you live for, those moments,” Daniels said postgame. “That’s where names get made in this league.”
The No. 2 pick in April’s draft showed the arm talent and decision-making prowess with a 34-yard strike to wide receiver Noah Brown that put the ball in New York territory. Three plays later, from the Giants’ 24, Daniels attacked with his legs. His 14-yard gain down the right sideline off a read option put Washington at New York’s 10 and moved the chains.
One issue: He ended the play out of bounds, stopping the clock with 57 seconds remaining.
“He was supposed to stay inbounds,” wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus said. “And I was like, ‘Bro, stay inbounds.’ He was like, ‘I was trying!’”
Another look at @JayD__5’s first career game-winning drive pic.twitter.com/cp7zxTA2vn
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 16, 2024
Unbeknownst to Zaccheaus, Daniels did try turning upfield, only for the 215-pounder to get shoved out of bounds by Giants defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux. What the receiver did notice was the 23-year-old’s demeanor. The emerging face of the franchise was having fun.
“He was actually laughing,” said Zaccheaus, a recipient of an 8-yard reception on the final possession and three catches overall. “(Jayden) continues to show great poise in all situations.”
Quarterbacks pass the ball. That’s their primary function, and Daniels did it with flair in his final season at LSU and effectively in Washington’s 21-18 victory on Sunday. Washington’s coaching staff didn’t task the rookie with carrying the offense through the air. They did not stress over the potential for Daniels to make gaffes under game day pressure. The Daniels-led attack had eight possessions. Other than a kneeldown before halftime, the Commanders scored on seven. Daniels did not commit a turnover for the second consecutive game.
“He’s really got a lot of poise to him,” coach Dan Quinn said following his first win with Washington. “And the reason I say that is (decision-making). He’s very cool under (pressure).”
Daniels has easily outperformed the two other rookie quarterback starters, Chicago’s Caleb Williams and Denver’s Bo Nix. This is not because Daniels is an immediate statistical juggernaut; he has yet to throw a touchdown pass, and Washington went 0-for-6 in the red zone against New York.
However, Daniels and the ground game propelled the Commanders to generate 425 yards of offense without a turnover. Washington is third in drive score percentage at 58.8 percent after two weeks.
The combination of calm, consistency and caring has set a firm baseline from which to excel.
“I think that’s the great thing about (Jayden),” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said last week. “During this offseason, I saw his ability to get better practice to practice, situation by situation. He didn’t really make the same mistakes twice.”
The primary topic involving Daniels after the 37-20 setback against the Buccaneers centered on the numerous hits the slender quarterback took over his 16 official carries. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury recognized the “fight or flight” instinct taking the wheel in spots against Tampa Bay.
Sunday started the same, with four of New York’s five sacks occurring before halftime. Some of the sacks, seven quarterback hits and 10 carries (for 44 yards) directly related to Daniels’ uncertainty in the pocket. A jarring shot to his side while tackled on the run caused the rookie to sit out one play.
“It’s obviously gonna be a story that we’re gonna keep working through,” Quinn said. “We don’t want the hits.”
In the second half, the growth kicked in.
Daniels limited his physical exposure, with only three of his 10 carries coming after halftime. Kingsbury’s play calling helped. According to Next Gen Stats, Daniels’ average time to throw (2.33 seconds) was the third fastest in Week 2, and his intended air yards average (4.3) was the third lowest.
“We just wanted to get the ball out of his hands,” Zaccheaus said, “and we had a lot of free access on the outside. We just wanted to take advantage of that.”
On the second play of the game-winning drive, the Giants sent five pass rushers on second-and-10 from Washington’s 23 against six blockers. The sixth, running back Austin Ekeler, put Giants safety Tyler Nubin in a bind. On the snap, Nubin moved 3 yards toward the line of scrimmage, creating a window for Daniels over the middle and a shot at displaying week-to-week growth.
As the pocket began collapsing around him, Daniels stayed focused down the field despite the previous hits absorbed.
“It ain’t the first time,” Daniels said, “so it ain’t nothing new with me.”
With Ekeler staying home and Nubin pushed forward, Daniels ripped a pass in stride to the 6-foot-2 Brown in his first game since signing with Washington on Aug. 28.
NOAH. BROWN.
📺 #NYGvsWAS FOX pic.twitter.com/qg4YQAluXC
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 15, 2024
Nubin’s responsibilities may have also included spying on the player whose 132 rushing yards are the most by any rookie quarterback through two career games. That same player has completed 75.5 percent of his passes, ranking only behind Gardner Minshew II for the highest rookie completion percentage after two games. Daniels completed 23 of 29 attempts for 226 yards in Washington’s first division victory since Sam Howell led the Commanders past the Dallas Cowboys in Week 18 of the 2022 campaign.
“There will definitely be some plays that (Jayden) would like to have back in terms of staying in a progression, remaining a passer longer,” Quinn said on Monday. “When he gets outside the pocket, he can still threaten the line of scrimmage and rip it down the field. When we start doing that as well, it’ll open up even more big plays because the defender can’t come (up) and converge.”
New kicker Austin Seibert capped the drive with a 33-yard field goal, his franchise-record seventh of the game, as the clock expired. Asked about any interaction he had with a teammate who was less than a week in the building, Daniels commented, “I appreciate you.”
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The organization has felt that way about the young quarterback from the start because of his promise. The positivity increased as Daniels flew past each practice mile-marker and bonded with teammates who he will support over this season-long journey and years to come.
Then he tacks on the kind of pressure-packed throw that increases the amount of coach swooning, teammates believing, fans roaring and quarterbacks with a penchant for laughing to keep having fun.
(Photo: Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)
