When Jayden Daniels played his first few games in the NFL with the Washington Commanders, his former college coach expected him to handle whatever challenges came his way. Herm Edwards also predicted that Daniels would continue to improve.
“He understands that you’re going to win games from the pocket,” Edwards said in October. “You’ve got to win games from the pocket. That running is good and people get all excited, but at the end of the day you’ve got to play good within the framework of the pocket and he knows that and he can do that.”
Daniels has shown that growth in his last two games, completing almost 82% of his passes, up from 61% in the previous five games, when he was recovering from a rib injury. The Commanders have won their last two games, and at 9-5, they are still in contention for a playoff spot with Daniels leading the team.
“I would just say it’s just finding completions, getting the ball in my hands and letting the guys make plays,” Daniels said on his 24th birthday. “That’s kind of where we’re at now.”
Daniels still has the ability to scramble and run, and he’s coming off a 66-yard rushing game at New Orleans. Though the team could do without the eight sacks he took, Daniels threw 25 of 31 for 226 yards, including two touchdown passes to top receiver Terry McLaurin.
Improving his passing has been a key focus for Daniels and the coaching staff since he joined the team as the second pick in the draft.
“One of the things that we’ve worked really hard on is (Daniels) remaining a passer inside of the pocket,” coach Dan Quinn said. “He’s got legs to move, and so for him, remaining a passer longer, the guys stay in coverage longer, the receivers down the field are working. I think that part of the game, there’s been improvement and I would say we’re still progressing in that spot.”
Quinn noted that Daniels came out of college, first at Arizona State under Edwards and then two years at LSU, with a strong foundation in fundamentals. He also observed that Daniels has been making better decisions with the football lately.
That has shown recently. In the last two games, Daniels has thrown five touchdowns and just one interception, after throwing three picks during Washington’s three-game losing streak in November.
He remains a favorite to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and is currently leading Pro Bowl voting among quarterbacks in his conference.
After his birthday celebration, where teammate Mike Sainristil presented him with a cake, Daniels said he hasn’t spent much time thinking about all the praise and attention he’s been getting.
“I’m doing really good, can’t complain,” Daniels said. “It’s just keeping the main thing the main thing and being where my feet are. That’s what my parents always told me growing up is just be where your feet are. Don’t worry about the future, what happened in the past. All that matters in the moment.”
The next challenge for Daniels comes with the Philadelphia Eagles, who have the top defense in the league, both overall and against the pass. They will present another tough test for Daniels, who was beaten by the Eagles 26-18 in their first meeting last month.
Daniels feels he’s becoming an even better passer and attributes that growth to continuing to improve with each game.
“I mean, you’re either getting better or you’re getting worse, and I don’t want to get worse,” Daniels said. “(I’m) finding little ways to improve each and every game.”
