Jayden Daniels completed 18-of-34 passes for 164 yards and two touchdowns in the Commanders’ 24-22, Week 1 loss to the Eagles, adding five rushes for 31 additional yards.
It was a rough first outing for Daniels and the Commanders. Washington managed just 65 passing yards through the first three quarters, while Daniels completed 9-of-23 passes. In the fourth quarter, however, Daniels was far more effective, completing 9-of-11 passes for 99 yards and two touchdowns, with his first coming on a 10-yard pass to Stefon Diggs. On the following drive, Daniels would connect with rookie Antonio Williams twice, with the second resulting in a one-yard touchdown pass that Williams scraped off the turf but was ruled a touchdown after review. Needing a two-point conversion to tie the game, the Commanders ran a shovel pass to tight end John Bates that came up well short of the end zone, giving Philly the win after they recovered an onside kick attempt. Daniels was far from sharp in this one, but the Eagles deserve plenty of credit for keeping him in the pocket, forcing him off his spot, and making him uncomfortable. Of the five rush attempts Daniels managed on Sunday, only two came on designed runs. Five rush attempts feel like the floor for Daniels in any given week, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the Commanders were more intentional about limiting designed run calls after last year’s injury-plagued season. Daniels will be a high-end QB1 next week when the Commanders take on the Cowboys in Dallas.
