Tag: Jayden Daniels

LSU Football’s Will Campbell makes cut for two major awards

LSU’s Will Campbell was named a finalist for two major awards

Postseason awards are coming down to the finalist and semifinal rounds as college football’s regular season draws to a close.

LSU football offensive lineman [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag] was named a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy and a finalist for the Lombardi Trophy.

The Outland Trophy is awarded to the nation’s best interior lineman on offense or defense. Campbell is one of seven semifinalists, three of whom play in the SEC.

The Lombardi Trophy is presented to the best lineman on either side of the ball with character, discipline, and excellence on and off the field considered. Campbell is joined on the finalist list by Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, South Carolina defensive end Kyle Lennard, and Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter.

Former LSU defensive tackle and College Football Hall of Famer [autotag]Glenn Dorsey[/autotag] won both awards in 2007.

2024 marks Campbell’s third year with the Tigers. He became an instant starter during his first year and has grown into a leader of the offensive line that helped former LSU quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] win the Heisman last season.

The Monroe, LA native played every snap in eight games this season, including all six SEC games, and leads the team with 733 total offensive snaps. He gave up just one sack in 480 pass-blocking opportunities and his 2.7 pressure rate ranks top five among the nation’s offensive tackles.

Over his career, Campbell raked in two second-team and freshman All-SEC honors along with earning a Freshman All-American nod in 2022.

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels explains why he wraps ribs during games

It’s not due to the injury.

In the ongoing saga of “Is Jayden Daniels still injured or not,” fans see the Commanders’ rookie quarterback on the sideline of games having his ribs wrapped.

Considering he suffered a rib injury in the Week 7 win over Carolina, it wasn’t a stretch to assume Daniels was having his ribs wrapped due to the injury.

Not according to Daniels. The star rookie passer was asked Wednesday why he has his ribs wrapped on the sideline during games.

“It’s to stay warm,” Daniels said Wednesday. “I mean, it’s getting later in the year as it gets colder; you don’t want your body parts to get cold. So, it’s just to stay warm.”

Daniels has played in four games since the injury. He’s looked great at times and looked like a rookie for the first time last week against the Eagles. While his numbers have decreased over the last four weeks, some of that can be explained by playing against more difficult defensive teams. Daniels is still having a terrific season.

Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn have insisted he’s no longer dealing with the rib injury.

Regardless of what Quinn or Daniels say, some will insist the injury still impacts him. The Commanders host the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

Why Commanders offense is struggling the last two games

Why has Washington’s offense struggled the last two weeks? There are multiple reasons.

The Washington Commanders offense is looking to rebound from two subpar performances.

The Commanders, in the last three games, have been outscored 39-11 in the fourth quarter.

In their last game, a 26-18 loss to the Eagles (8-2), the Commanders generated only 264 offensive yards, averaging 4.2 yards a play.

One of the early season successes for OC Kliff Kingsbury’s offense was the largely effective conversions on third and fourth downs. However, against the Eagles, the Commanders were only 3-12 on third down.

In particular, Jayden Daniels was not getting the ball down the field, as Terry McLaurin never even had a reception until 10:27 in the final quarter. Daniels was visibly inaccurate more often than usual.

In addition, Daniels only passed for 191 yards, though he attempted 32 passes. This resulted in Daniels averaging 5.9 yards per attempt, much lower than he was accomplishing earlier in the season.

The offensive line is beat up, though able to continue to play. Rookie Brandon Coleman had his worst pass-blocking performance in the last two weeks, but then again, he is playing with a shoulder that is not 100 percent. Guard Nick Allegretti and center Tyler Biadasz are playing injured.

Local DMV sports media might consider thinking a bit more before lashing out at Kingsbury, as some have. They suggest the Commanders’ offense is falling off because Kingsbury’s offenses always do later in the season.

That may or may not be true this season with Washington. What is undeniably true is that the Commanders’ offense is wounded right now, and the bye week can’t come soon enough for Washington.

The offensive personnel has many members playing injured. Consequently, their performance is bound to decrease. Kingsbury has not been the one bouncing passes, dropping passes, and being unable to pass in the last two weeks.

Understand the Steelers and Eagles are both division leaders through Week 11. They are simply better teams than the Commanders right now.

Yes, the offense has been struggling lately, but injuries to an offensive personnel already not one of the elites in the league while playing against two quality opponents only stand to reason there were going to be more struggles.

NFL Power Rankings: How do the Commanders fare entering Week 12?

Here’s where the Commanders landed in a multitude of power rankings heading into Week 12.

The Washington Commanders suffered back-to-back losses for the first time in 2024 when they fell to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday. It also made their road to the playoffs more difficult, although still attainable.

The Commanders had no answer for Saquon Barkley, and Jayden Daniels playing through a rib injury is taking its toll on the offense. Things aren’t running as smoothly right now, and it’s affecting the team’s momentum. Team morale, though, remains high as everyone feels this team is capable of doing great things.

In Week 12, the Commanders face another division rival in the Dallas Cowboys. But without Dak Prescott, the Cowboys’ offense has been hard-pressed to do much of anything. Nothing is ever certain, and nothing is a guarantee, but the Commanders should rebound this weekend.

As we enter Week 12, here’s a look at where the Commanders place in a multitude of power rankings.

Nate Davis, USA TODAY:

The team contends nothing is wrong with rookie QB Jayden Daniels … even though he’s played his least efficient (59.1% completion rate, 74.9 passer rating) and impactful (23 rushing yards, 1 TD generated) football during the current two-game losing streak.

Barry Werner, List Wire:

There are going to be days like this no matter how fast the rebuild. The Commanders had no answer for Saquon Barkley in the fourth quarter. Jayden Daniels for one night was ordinary. Call it being a rookie.

NFL Nation, ESPN:

Preseason hot seat: CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr.
Current temperature of hot seat: Boiling

Forbes opened the season as the starter, but he missed two games with a thumb injury, and he hasn’t started since. The 2023 first-round pick has played just eight snaps in the past four games combined. Washington needed him to improve from a tough rookie season, but he has not, which in part precipitated a trade for corner Marshon Lattimore. Washington will need to address the position even more after the season. If it cuts Forbes before June 1, it will cost them $9.1 million in dead cap money and provide no cap relief — and actually would cost them $4.9 million. That could mean he sticks around another year.

Ben Rolfe, Pro Football Network:

The way the Washington Commanders started the season gave them some wiggle room for an almost inevitable wobble at some point. They’ve lost to four good teams this year and three who rank inside the top 10 of our rankings.

The manner of the defeat in Week 11 was not ideal, with the offense largely looking blunted. But it’s still a top-five unit, and Washington’s defense did a solid job for large parts of the game against Philly, which will be encouraging.

The Commanders’ schedule ranks as the third-easiest the rest of the way, and that starts this week with a Cowboys team that is in tatters. They must not overlook the next two weeks against Dall and Tennessee because if the Commanders can get into their bye at 9-4, they will potentially only need one more win to secure a playoff spot.

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News:

The Commanders are looking more like a shaky wild-card team, as the tougher teams on their schedule have given them difficulty. The first-place Eagles were the latest after falling to the Ravens and Steelers. Washington has a favorable slate ahead to rebound and finish strong.

Frank Schwab, Yahoo! Sports:

The Commanders trailed 12-10 at Philadelphia with eight minutes left when a fourth-down gamble didn’t work. It was a closer loss than we’ll remember. If Washington handles business in its next three games vs. Dallas, Tennessee and New Orleans, the Commanders will be at 10 wins and that’ll be fine.

Mike Florio, Pro Football Talk:

The offense is getting sluggish, and the coaching on Thursday night was not good enough.

Diante Lee, The Ringer:

The 2024 season will be remembered as a success for Washington no matter how tings end, but head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury have to find a way to regain some offensive rhythm. That unit hasn’t fallen totally off a cliff, but the passing game has come back to earth over the last few weeks and that’s shining a light on other deficiencies on this roster. Quarterback Jayden Daniels has completed just 59.5 percent of his passes in his last four games, and he hasn’t avoided pressure as easily as he did before he suffered a rib injury against the Panthers. Without his superpowers lifting the overall level of this team, it’s hard to imagine Washington looking like a true playoff threat down the stretch.

Eric Edholm, NFL.com:

It’s hard not to notice the downward trend the Commanders’ attack has been on since Jayden Daniels suffered a rib injury in Week 7. The problem is, they need their offense to carry them past their defensive issues. A step up in competition might be a factor; either way, for the first time since September, we’re starting to see some cracks in their armor. They’re a miraculous Hail Mary away from having three losses in their past four games, with two narrow wins over teams with losing records keeping them afloat in that span. Washington continues to have an 81 percent chance of making the postseason, per Next Gen Stats, but a lack of consistent playmakers and an inability to finish off games is a bit concerning. Facing the Cowboys and Titans at home gives the Commanders a chance to rebound. If they continue to struggle to move the ball or put points on the board, then it might be time to worry a little.

Former Washington coach believes the injury has impacted Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

He also expressed his biggest offensive concern and it’s not Jayden Daniels.

Jayden Daniels is not hurt, according to Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.

“I do think it has affected his playing, and I think it has affected the play-calling as well,” countered former Washington head coach Jay Gruden in his appearance Monday with “Grant and Danny” on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, D.C.

Gruden coached the Redskins from 2014-2019 and still keeps a close eye on the football team. Yes, that was pun intended.

Watching the Eagles game last Thursday night, Gruden, of course, is correct. The Commanders were not throwing the ball down the field, and Daniels was not moving with the same energy and quickness he had earlier.

Gruden continued, “For him to be ultra-successful and for this offense to be where it needs to be, to get to the playoffs and win games in the playoffs, he (Daniels) has to be able to use his legs to be an aggressive runner. And he is not right now because his ribs are hurt.”

What about the Commanders losing consecutive weeks to the Steelers and then the Eagles? Gruden replied, “Both teams can get aggressive with their fronts and keep Jayden in the pocket. The biggest concern moving forward is who is going to get open in man-to-man situations other than Terry.”

Gruden also pointed to how the Commanders were so good on third and fourth downs in their first several games this season. Yet the Commanders against the Eagles at one time were only a dismal 1-9, finishing 3-12 on third downs. He said Kliff Kingsbury may attempt to be more aggressive on first downs.

Gruden also expressed his hope that the coaches and players would get away for a day or two during their mini-break so they would return refreshed and ready to face the Dallas Cowboys next Sunday.

Sunday’s NFL results prove why Commanders are just fine

Why Sunday’s NFL results prove the Commanders will be just fine.

After the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Washington Commanders 28-27 last week, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin was asked about comparing Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels to Ravens star Lamar Jackson.

“Man, be real slow comparing people to Lamar Jackson,” Tomlin said. “That’s a multi-time MVP. That’s Mr. Jackson. We’ll see Mr. Jackson in a few days.”

Daniels completed 17 of 34 passes for 202 yards in the game but was not helped by several Washington dropped passes.

On Sunday, Tomlin did see Mr. Jackson — and that was not good news for Mr. Jackson.

The Steelers improved to 8-2 by defeating the Ravens 18-16. Pittsburgh won despite not scoring a touchdown, but the game’s big story was how it defended Jackson.

Jackson completed 16 of 33 passes for 207 yards with a touchdown and interception. Jackson rushed for 46 yards. Jackson’s passing numbers were eerily similar to Daniels’, but the narrative surrounding the two passers couldn’t be any more different.

No one says the sky is falling for the 7-4 Ravens and Jackson. After Washington lost its second straight game last week to drop to 7-4, several analysts questioned how good the Commanders were. Others were critical of Daniels.

Slow down.

Daniels didn’t play well in last week’s loss to the Eagles — on a short week. He isn’t the first talented quarterback to struggle on a short week against a good team, and he won’t be the last. As ugly as the game felt, the Commanders led for over three quarters. They wore down in the fourth quarter. That happens when you’re a tired team facing a healthy and rested team. And let’s not forget, the Eagles are really good.

Now, back to the Steelers and Commanders. Pittsburgh’s defense is legit. It’s Super Bowl good. And yet, Washington scored 27 points against the Steelers and made numerous mistakes. There was also the questionable fourth-down spot late. What happens if Commanders’ receivers catch at least one of those drops? Or if tight end Zach Ertz gets upfield for one more yard? We are talking about a different narrative.

The Commanders blew it against the Steelers. They weren’t outmanned or outclassed. Against the Eagles, Philadelphia’s talent advantage did eventually show up late, wearing down the Commanders in the trenches. However, they went toe-to-toe for most of that game and still only lost by a possession.

On Sunday, you saw what Pittsburgh did to Baltimore — a Super Bowl favorite. Remember, the Commanders went toe-to-toe with Baltimore six weeks ago, losing by a touchdown on the road.

As far as Daniels, he performed better against Pittsburgh than Jackson did.

So, if you think the sky is falling for the Commanders after two straight losses and that they’ll revert to their pre-2024 form, relax. The last two weeks should tell you Washington will be just fine. They host the reeling 3-7 Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, followed by a Week 13 game against the 2-8 Tennessee Titans.

Is Commanders QB Jayden Daniels still the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite?

Jayden Daniels remains the favorite over Bo Nix.

Is Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels still the favorite to win the 2024 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award?

After Denver’s Bo Nix completed 84.9% of his passes, throwing for 307 yards and four touchdowns in the Broncos’ 38-6 rout of the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, some believed that Nix had overtaken Daniels as the favorite for Offensive ROtY.

Not so fast. While Daniels hasn’t played as well over the last two weeks, he hasn’t been terrible, and he’s battling an injury. Nix has steadily improved after a disastrous start to his NFL career, and the Broncos are competing for an AFC wild-card spot.

The Commanders and Broncos were projected to be terrible in 2024, and each benefitted from the rookie quarterbacks. Six quarterbacks went in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft, with Daniels going No. 2 and Nix landing at No. 12.

Back to the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. For weeks, it seemed like a foregone conclusion it would eventually go to Daniels. Now, Nix has narrowed the gap, but Daniels remains the overwhelming favorite, according to BetMGM.

Here are the top contenders:

  • Jayden Daniels: -600
  • Bo Nix: +400
  • Brock Bowers: +2500
  • Caleb Williams: +4000
  • Marvin Harrison Jr: +4000
  • Drake Maye: +5000

While Nix has closed the gap, Daniels remains in the driver’s seat unless his season completely goes off the rails.

 

Commanders’ Dan Quinn insists Jayden Daniels is not injured now

Quinn did offer a reason why Washington’s offense has taken a step back recently.

Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has started four games since injuring his rib area in a Week 7 win over the Carolina Panthers. Washington is 2-2 in those four games, with both losses coming in a four-day span last week.

In those four games, Daniels completed 59.5% of his passes — down from 75% through the first seven games. You can’t deny there’s been a difference, whether it’s due to better opponents or injury.

Daniels insists he’s fine, even saying the team wouldn’t let him play if he wasn’t. Head coach Dan Quinn said after Thursday’s loss that the injury was no longer affecting Daniels.

After a weekend off, Quinn met with the media on Monday and reiterated that Daniels wasn’t injured. He did give insight into why his numbers have gone down.

“I want to first start off by saying clearly and honestly, Jayden is not injured right now,” Quinn said. “But we did lose valuable practice time with him and his teammates when he was injured. And that’s hard on all the guys. It’s a really, really important part of what we do. And we don’t have banked reps in here, so we’re very much looking forward to getting back onto a full week and regular practice sessions with the guys. So, over the last few weeks, we’ve had to put that together in small bits.”

Quinn’s explanation does make sense. Daniels only missed two full days of practice, but he could’ve been hindered in the following weeks.

Here’s a counterpoint to Quinn’s statement that the ribs are no longer impacting Daniels: Why are trainers working on Daniels’ ribs?

Quinn can only go by what the doctors and Daniels are saying. Of course, Daniels will say he’s fine, and the doctors see no reason why he can’t play, as rib injuries are often more about pain tolerance than what you see on an X-ray.

The Commanders hope the long weekend after 11 straight games provided them a mini-break as they head into Week 12 against Dallas.

Ranking the most explosive offenses in the SEC. Where is LSU?

Who are the most explosive offenses in the SEC? See where LSU and others fit after week 12

Explosive plays go hand-in-hand with winning football games. If you rip off more chunk plays than your opponent, you have a pretty good shot.

In 2023, LSU’s offense was one of the most explosive in college football history. [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], along with [autotag]Malik Nabers[/autotag] and [autotag]Brian Thomas Jr[/autotag], were big plays waiting to happen.

We haven’t seen the same level of big-play threat from LSU in 2024 and it’s a key reason for LSU’s three-game losing streak.

Today, we’ll rank the most explosive offenses in the SEC to see where LSU fits in and evaluate which offenses are the best at generating the big play. We’ll look at overall offense first then peak at some passing and rushing splits.

Let’s jump right in.

SEC Offensive 20+ Yard Play Rates

Team 20+ Yard Play Rate 20+ Yard Play Rank
Ole Miss 10.72% 1
Texas 10.58% 2
Alabama 10.02% 3
Arkansas 9.74% 4
Georgia 9.22% 5
Auburn 9.21% 6
Florida 8.85% 7
South Carolina 8.62% 8
LSU 8.13% 9
Kentucky 7.24% 10
Tennessee 7.21% 11
Texas A&M 6.74% 12
Mississippi State 5.97% 13
Vanderbilt 5.03% 14
Missouri 4.97% 15
Oklahoma 4.29% 16

Takeaway

LSU is closer to the bottom than the top of the conference with an explosive play rate of 8.13%. That’s nearly five points below LSU’s mark from 2023.

We’ve seen this impact the entire operation. A lack of explosive plays puts pressure on LSU to execute perfectly down after down in the red zone, something this offense isn’t capable of doing.

It’s also forced LSU to be near perfect on third down. That’s an area where LSU’s excelled, but relying on third and long conversions isn’t a sustainable way to win games.

With no consistent deep threat, defenses can stack the box and take away LSU’s run game and short passing attack.

It comes as no surprise that Lane Kiffin’s offense is setting the standard this year. Ole Miss, Texas, and Alabama are the only three offenses above 10%.

Sitting at the bottom of the SEC are Missouri and Oklahoma. That wasn’t the case last year, but both offenses took a major step back in 2024.

A name that stands out in the top five is Arkansas. The Razorbacks aren’t consistent, but when they’re on, few units are as explosive as Bobby Petrino’s.

Loss to Eagles highlights major Commanders’ need

Thursday’s loss to the Eagles highlighted a major need for the Commanders.

Terry McLaurin entered Thursday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles ranked No. 3 in the NFL in receiving yards. Against the Eagles, McLaurin would finish the game with one reception for 10 yards.

After the game, the narrative was that Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell put the clamps on McLaurin and didn’t let go. As always, people love a good narrative. That’s not to discount Mitchell. He’s really good already. And he played a terrific game against the Commanders. In Mitchell, the Eagles found a star.

But there was more to the story. Mitchell did have some help. Philadelphia’s safeties chipped in to help limit McLaurin’s impact and force quarterback Jayden Daniels to look elsewhere.

Which brings us to this — and stop us if you’ve heard it before — McLaurin needs more help. So does Daniels. Washington has been looking for a quality No. 2 or 1b to McLaurin’s 1a since his second season (2020). The loss to the Eagles highlighted why that remains a need, especially when facing the top teams.

Noah Brown has excelled for the Commanders this season. However, he profiles more as a No. 3 receiver. Rookie Luke McCaffrey continues to get open, but he has yet to develop that chemistry with Daniels. He’ll be fine. Daniels needs another outside playmaker who will make opponents regret double-teaming McLaurin or even draw double teams himself.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins comes to mind. The 25-year-old is playing on the franchise tag and is expected to depart Cincinnati this offseason. He has the size and pedigree to give the Commanders another star wideout for years to come and grow with Daniels.

Higgins will come with a premium price tag. The good news is that Washington has cash, cap space, and a young quarterback with whom other receivers want to play.

Whether it’s Higgins, another free agent, or a rookie, the Commanders must get Jayden Daniels more help. Defenses can’t get double McLaurin the entire game if Washington has another player opposite him who can routinely make them pay. Adding another playmaking wide receiver can also help Daniels take his game to the next level.