Coach Dan Quinn’s initial comment about Jayden Daniels’s recent performances reflected an understanding of the public’s thoughts during the Washington Commanders’ mini-bye.
“I want to first start off by saying clearly and honestly — Jayden is not injured right now,” Quinn said.
The compulsion to make the matter-of-fact statement comes after Washington’s back-to-back loss to the Steelers and Eagles, and the rookie quarterback’s drop in production compared to a sensational opening seven games. The dual-threat accounted for one touchdown in the losses and a paltry 23 rushing yards combined.
Daniels set an extremely high bar for himself as Washington’s offense set various efficiency records over the initial weeks of the regular season, during which the rookie quarterback’s work thrust him into the MVP conversation. Then came a rib injury in Week 7 against the Panthers at the end of a 46-yard run that knocked Daniels out of the game after the first possession.
GO DEEPER
QB Betrayal Index: Lamar Jackson acing his toughest test; Justin Herbert finally gets a break
Following Thursday’s 26-18 loss at Philadelphia, Quinn stated that Daniels remained affected by the injury in “probably the first game back, and then it started trending better.” That next game saw Daniels complete a thrilling game-winning “Hail Mary” 52-yard completion to Noah Brown for an 18-15 win over the Bears.
Hints of uncomfortableness, whether physical pain or tackling defensive adjustments, became more apparent over the subsequent weeks. The quarterback, who set an all-time record with an 82.1 completion percentage through the first four weeks of a season, ranks 28th in completion percentage at 59.5 over his last four games.
Overall, Daniels completes 68.7 percent of his attempts and has three interceptions. Only four of his 14 offensive touchdowns have occurred in this latest four-game stretch, and his rushing yards cratered. Daniels tallied 23 yards on 10 carries in losses to the Steelers and Eagles after only once finishing below 35 yards on the ground in any game.
GO DEEPER
What we learned in NFL Week 11: Bills get gutsy, Steelers make a statement
Quinn attributed the injury and some decline in Daniels’ passing accuracy to the offense losing “valuable practice time” with the quarterback. Because of his rookie status, “We don’t have banked rep” with Daniels,” Quinn continued.
“Rhythm and timing is a big piece of it too. You have to be able to (practice) full speed,” Quinn said, to ensure the linemen and receivers are where they need to be on the field come game day.
Playing Philadelphia on a short week meant coming off a 28-27 loss to Pittsburgh and jumping directly into plans for a matchup where first place in the NFC East was in play. The Commanders (7-4) now trail the Eagles (8-2) by 1 ½ games. Washington hosts archrival Dallas (3-6) on Sunday at Northwest Stadium. The reeling Cowboys face the Texans on “Monday Night Football.”
Washington struggled to move the chains against Philadelphia, converting only 3-of-12 third-down attempts. That hampered Daniels and the offense from finding its groove and kept the Commanders’ defense on the field far too long. The Eagles scored 20 points in the fourth quarter.
As for actual injury news, Quinn said cornerback Marshon Lattimore is “trending” toward practicing this week. Lattimore missed three consecutive games with a hamstring issue — the last two since Washington acquired the four-time Pro Bowl selection from the Saints before the league’s trade deadline.
The coach said Washington was not surprised Lattimore’s injury lingered, but “I’m hopeful he is able to see the (practice) field some” before making any assumptions about facing Dallas.
Part of the Commanders’ early success comes from the team’s steady energy levels, good health and taking care of the “little things.” That is critical for teams lacking high-end talent across the roster. The vigor remains in year one of this rebuild — Quinn prefers “recalibration” — but not enough to defeat the two most well-rounded foes faced to date, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Injuries have spiked, leading to a rise in miscues. Starting in Week 6, Washington lost defensive tackle Jonathan Allen for the season (torn pectoral) and played without leading rusher Brian Robinson Jr. for three games. The top three offensive tackles were all sidelined for at least one game, further hampering the young quarterback and favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Daniels, who suffered a cut on his throwing hand against the Eagles, pushed back on any injury talk postgame. Washington won’t have its full bye week until Week 14 — after facing Tennessee on Dec. 1.
“If I wasn’t (capable),I wouldn’t be on the field right now,” Daniels said. “… Obviously, no player at this point is 100 percent healthy, and it was a short turnaround … We’ll get better from that. Go back, rest up and get ready for next week.”
Required reading
(Photo: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)
