The Washington Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels wanted to test their skills against the Baltimore Ravens, a strong team with many talented players.
After a tough 30-23 loss on Sunday, the Commanders realized they have a lot to improve on before they can think of themselves as a top team in the league.
“Although we were in it at the end,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said, “it felt lopsided.”
With a four-game winning streak that put them at the top of the NFC East, the Commanders faced a seasoned team featuring a tough defense and an offense led by two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and veteran running back Derrick Henry.
Even though they only lost by a touchdown on the road against a team that played in the AFC title game last season, Washington (4-2) couldn’t ignore how Jackson tore apart their defense and how Baltimore’s defense limited the league’s highest-scoring team.
The Commanders’ only lead was 3-0, and they were down 27-13 going into the fourth quarter. In their last two games, they easily beat Arizona and Cleveland, allowing Quinn to rest his starters. This time, they had to fight hard until the end.
Even though their winning streak ended, the game wasn’t a total loss.
“I told the team, these are real important games for us to be in, to know what it’s like to go and fight,” Quinn said. “We fought all the way to the end. That’s what I was looking for.”
Daniels completed 25 of 34 passes for 269 yards and threw two touchdowns, both to Terry McLaurin. However, Jackson outperformed him, completing 20 of 26 passes for 323 yards and a touchdown.
Jackson was supported by Henry, who rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns. In contrast, Daniels had a running game that only gained 52 yards, missing injured starter Brian Robinson Jr. Even with Robinson, it’s doubtful he would have made much difference against the league’s top-run defense known for its toughness.
“To this point, for sure,” he said. “Obviously, what they do, how they operate, how they try to punch you in the mouth.”
Daniels didn’t win the game, but he gained the respect of Jackson, who watched from the Baltimore sideline.
“I believe he deserves all the hype he’s getting. He played a tremendous game out there,” Jackson said. “They just came up short. For six games, he’s been playing amazing.”
Daniels spent a lot of the game trying to avoid pressure while looking for receivers who were well-covered. It wasn’t easy, but he and the Commanders likely learned from the experience.
“These are the type of games you want to be in. It’s the type of game that we’re probably going to be in moving forward,” Daniels said. “You’ve got to be able to pull those out.”
Not this time. But maybe next time.
Commanders running back Austin Ekeler, who gained 21 yards on nine carries, said: “It’s a situation where we came out, we battled, they made a few more plays than we did. But guess what? We’re going to come back, bounce back and be ready to go again.”
