No Surprise–Daniels Starting Season Opener for Commanders
The Washington Commanders coaching staff has seen enough. After two preseason games, head coach Dan Quinn announced QB Jayden Daniels as the starter for the season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, September 8, at 4:25 p.m., Eastern.
Despite Saturday night’s 13-6 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Daniels continues to impress coaches in the first quarter. The previous week in New York, Daniels placed a 42-yard throw directly into the arms of a covered Dyami Brown on his second throw of the game for his first completion in the NFL. Moments later, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner ran into the end zone safely untouched on a play action fake for a 7-0 lead over the Jets.
In Miami, the second pick in the 2024 draft drove the team on his first drive of the game into field goal range only to have kicker Riley Patterson miss a 49-yard field goal attempt. Miami took the ball and quickly drove for a touchdown.
Daniels then returned to drive the Commanders offense again into field goal range and this time Patterson made good on a 43-yard field goal for a 7-3 score. The Commanders are still looking for a kicker.
But the coaches knew Daniels had command of the offense and his comfort level with Kliff Kingsbury’s scheme is no surprise.
However, a scramble down the sidelines for a 13-year run and a first down led to Daniels getting hit. It was a surprise for the Commanders head coach. Daniels got up, looked at the angry Quinn and started shaking his head, perhaps with a smile like—oops, I shouldn’t have done that.
Quinn would later joke that Daniels was “on double secret probation” for not sliding. Commanders fans only need remember RGIII, the once promising QB whose career was cut short due to careless running against the Cleveland Browns late in the 2012 season and then staying in the NFC divisional playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks when he could barely walk.
Yes, in Miami, QB Jeff Driskell ran down the field in the second quarter and added a few more yards for the Commanders prior to getting tackled but a franchise QB doesn’t have that luxury.
From what coaches have seen so far, Daniels is ready to run the offense but now the rookie QB needs to remember that if he runs the offense, he better learn to protect the offense’s biggest weapon—himself.