Tag: Rookie QB Jayden Daniels

Bill Belichick praises Commanders’ Daniels and Kingsbury

The legendary coach has high praise for Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury.

Bill Belichick knows something about NFL quarterbacks and offenses.

He made a career of being a defensive coordinator, and it provided him the opportunity to be a head coach in Cleveland and New England.

During a broadcast of his television show, “Coach,” with guest Michael Lombardi (ML), Belichick gave glowing praise for the Commanders 2024 season, particularly Jayden Daniels and Kliff Kingsbury.

Here is a portion of the dialog.

ML: “It just shows you the magic of a young quarterback who’s willing to do the time and work hard.”

BB: “Which we all know he is a hard-working kid.”

BB: “You have to give a lot of credit to Kliff Kingsbury. He’s done a good job with that offense, run the ball, a bit more patient with the running game, maybe than what he was in Arizona.”

BB: “And Daniels has made some plays on his own. He still throws the ball outside the numbers a lot, he still scrambles and can make plays with his legs. I think the teams that are playing him, have to figure out, ‘This isn’t just another quarterback, we gotta play him the right way’. ”

BB: “But so far, he has done a lot of damage in the National Football League.”

Here is a video clip of the segment.

Belichick began coaching in the NFL at the age of 23, was a member of the NY Giants defensive coaching staff from 1979-90, the Cleveland Browns head coach 1991-95, the New York Jets defensive coordinator 1997-99, and the New England Patriots head coach 2000-23.

How is Commanders’ Jayden Daniels ahead of schedule?

Comparing Jayden Daniels to other recent highly-drafted quarterbacks.

Jayden Daniels is ahead of schedule in more ways than one.

Daniels led an overtime drive in which he told the Commanders offensive unit to jump on his back, leading Washington to a 30-24 win Sunday night at Northwest Stadium.

The walk-off win occurred when Daniels found tight end Zach Ertz in the end zone. This clinched the game and the Commanders’ playoff birth, improving their 2024 record to 11-5 going into the season finale at Dallas.

The Commanders’ rookie quarterback is also ahead of Bears’ rookie and 2024 first-overall selection Caleb Williams. You recall Williams went to the Bears, who actually won seven games in 2023, but had the first overall draft pick because the Carolina Panthers had given up the farm to the Bears in a 2022 trade.

The Commanders (4-13) chose Daniels second overall, and not a single NFL analyst declared Daniels had a better supporting talent on the offense than the Bears did for Williams. Yet, the Commanders are 11-5, and the Bears have lost ten straight, never recovering from their ‘Hail Mary’ loss to the Commanders.

Even more, did you know that looking at each of the other quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall since 2016, Daniels has earned a playoff birth faster than every single one of them? Yes, not a single one of the seven rookie quarterbacks drafted first overall made the playoffs in their rookie season.

Now, of course, it might be argued that the first overall pick went to the worst team. It is true in cases, but it is also not true in cases where there was a trade (Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, Jared Goff).

Keep in mind Daniels was chosen by a Washington team that had not had a winning record since the 2016 season, and finished 2023 4-13, losing their last nine games, several in embarrassing blowouts.

  • 2016  Jared Goff: (Playoffs year 2)
  • 2018  Baker Mayfield: (Playoffs year 3)
  • 2019 Kyler Murray: (Playoffs year 3)
  • 2020 Joe Burrow: (Playoffs year 2)
  • 2021 Trevor Lawrence: Playoffs year 2)
  • 2023 Bryce Young: (Playoffs year ??)
  • 2024 Caleb Williams: (Playoffs year ??)

What did Commanders’ Jayden Daniels say after win over Eagles?

What Jayden Daniels said after win over Eagles.

Jayden Daniels passed for five touchdowns in the Commanders’ 36-33 win over the Eagles. What did he say after the come-from-behind win?

Did Daniels doubt the Commanders could come back to win?

“No, not at all. I always believe that we can win a game no matter what. The game is never over until the clock hits zero.”

The rookie quarterback referred back to a repeated message from head coach Dan Quinn this week:
“This whole week DQ preached it’s going to be a five-quarter game no matter what. Obviously, it’s a very good team over there and what they’ve done over the years and how they’re established in this league. You have to go out there and put up a fight. The game is never done until the clock hits zero.”

He praised receivers Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder: 

“It means a lot just to have people step up and make plays. Obviously, Terry [McLaurin] gets a lot of attention, rightfully so, but those guys in these types of moments they have to step up and make plays and they did.”

Daniels was asked about what keeps him focused in those last minutes:

“I don’t know. I love those types of situations. Those are–it’s on thin ice and plays need to be made. That’s what you live for if you really love this sport you play for those big-time moments where it comes down to the end. Until the end, everything’s against you, your backs against the wall, how will you respond?”

Did Daniels notice the Eagles had 12 men on the field on the Zaccheaus 49-yard touchdown?

“I did see they had twelve on the field. I think it was [Darius] Slay that was running off late. I knew we essentially had a free play at that and we had a holding call in which they had held on to Zach [Ertz] and I found OZ and he did the rest.”

Apparently, OC Kliff Kingsbury had them prepared for that final touchdown pass play:

“We hit that in practice. That’s the same exact concept, same exact throw so it was kind of just like I see two high safety, middle field open and I already hit this in practice so it was time to just make the throw and end the game.”

What were his emotions after the final touchdown?

“Everybody was excited. It was kind of just like those types of moments you don’t get too many of those. Obviously, I threw a pick the drive before and I got a second chance to make it right.”

What does this win mean for the Commanders morale?

“It just boosts the morale even more, but we still have to put in the work every week. What happened today, you sit on it for twenty-four and you move on to the next one. We have Atlanta next week.”

 

The good and bad of Commanders’ QB Jayden Daniels

Daniels made some plays Sunday that only a few quarterbacks in the NFL could dream of making.

Sunday’s Commanders’ win was about as ugly a win as you can imagine, so how did rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels play?

Let’s be real, shall we?

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was sacked eight times. Eight times! I re-watched the eight sacks. Honestly, on four of the eight, Daniels appeared to freeze, hold the ball, not see an open receiver, and, like Sam Howell last year, ended up eating the ball for a sack.

Yet, on the other hand, there could have been another four or five sacks, where Daniels used his foot quickness to escape. At times, Daniels was a magician weaving in and out of trouble, keeping his feet.

On the first touchdown to Terry McLaurin, Daniels fell, fumbled the ball, recovered it, got up, and found McLaurin in the end zone. It was remarkable, and only a handful of NFL quarterbacks could have made that play.

What I am saying is for as bad as Daniels was taking sacks, he was also nothing short of magical on some plays.

For example, in the third quarter, facing a third and 14, Daniels took off on a beautiful run, gaining 24 yards and sliding to avoid being hit. Yes, Daniels was bad, but he was also good and spectacular on some plays!

Yes, Daniels missed Terry McLaurin twice deep in the second half. It occurred on two separate possessions, and McLaurin would have unquestionably scored on both plays. Therefore, that should have been 14 Commanders’ points.

Yet, on the other hand, Daniels also completed 25 of 31 passes for 226 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer rating of 118.5. This was another game in which Daniels had no turnovers.

Yes, Daniels looked like a rookie regressing in some areas, but it is also just as true: Daniels made plays most NFL quarterbacks cannot make.

Jayden Daniels will sometimes disappoint and frustrate Commanders fans. But at other times, he is not only good but also one of the better quarterbacks in terms of his ability to manage the ball, his completion percentage, his QBR, and his running ability.

Enjoy his “growth and development.” It looks like he will be a really good addition to Washington.

 

NFL Week 15: Commanders OT Brandon Coleman vs. Saints DE Chase Young

Sunday’s key matchup could be Brandon Coleman against Chase Young.

Team sports can often come down to a key matchup.

If one team can exploit a matchup, it may be enough to play a significant role in a game.

On Sunday, former Commanders’ defensive end and now current New Orleans Saints DE Chase Young will be matched up against Commanders rookie offensive tackle Brandon Coleman as the Commanders face the Saints in New Orleans.

Young, the second overall selection of the 2020 NFL draft, was said to be “a generational talent” coming out of Ohio State. His workout videos are fantastic, but the game results have not been a match since his rookie season.

Young was the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year, but his play fell sharply in 2021 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He never regained his level of play, although he considered himself a team leader of the defense.

Coleman was the Commanders’ third-round selection (67th overall) in the 2024 draft. Getting his feet wet and rotating with Cornelius Lucas early, he has now emerged as the starter (8 games).

Will the rookie from TCU be ready for Young, who will no doubt want to show Washington that they made a mistake in not signing him to a second NFL contract? Young has been rushing well and making an impact. Coleman will need to be alert and aggressive.

For instance, Young recorded ten quarterback pressures against the Giants, a Saints high for 2024. According to Next Gen Stats, Young is fourth in the NFL in quarterback pressures this season. Yet, interestingly enough, Young has only 3.5 sacks this season.

Young may not be finishing well enough to get the sacks, but Coleman must have a good game to prevent Young from pressuring Jayden Daniels. The crowd noise of Saints fans could also be a factor for Coleman. He will have to get off to a quick start, especially in passing situations.

Coleman vs Young; this will probably be a good contest on Sunday in New Orleans.

Dan Quinn makes it clear what he thinks about Commanders QB Jayden Daniels in cold weather

Dan Quinn is not worried about cold weather and Jayden Daniels.

Winter is setting in the DMV area, and Dan Quinn was asked about it Friday.

One of the media members asked about quarterback Jayden Daniels’s reaction to the cold weather. Here is the video of this portion of Quinn’s press conference.

Indeed, the prediction for Sunday is the high temperature will be 44, with a morning low of 24. This means when the players are warming up on the field around 11:30, it will be about 40 degrees, with the high temperature coming around halftime.

“We’ve been out in practice all week and so, looking at similar practice, so that’s for him and for all his teammates. We’re an outdoor team, and this is where we play, man,” replied Quinn.

Quinn wasn’t upset, but he certainly didn’t like the question. This was revealed when he elaborated a bit further.

“So, we practice outside for a reason. We only had one practice inside since training camp. And so, it didn’t have to go in there at all, didn’t have to go outside. We had one last Friday that we had to, but by and large we’re going to practice outside as often as we can and he’s done a good job with that.”

Quinn was then asked a surprising question if Daniels playing in warm weather had come up during the draft process. His response?  A simple, single word, “No.”

The follow-up came immediately, asking, “Is that something you think about with a team in general? You practice outside, was there anything else you can do to prepare?”

Shaking his head side to side, Quinn replied, “No.”

To me, the most telling element of the exchange is how Quinn immediately turned his head to the other side of the room, his body language suggesting, ‘Next question, and about something else.’

Wouldn’t you know it? The next question asked what winter element gives quarterbacks trouble when playing in the cold.

“Wind for sure, yeah. Because that, the gusts and that can go because there’s different kinds. Like if it’s snowing, it’s not as cold as some other days that you can get really cold, like the minuses and those things. But yeah, definitely wind’s the biggest one.”

For those wondering why weather was a focus during the Friday press conference, Jayden Daniels was born and raised in California. He played high school football at Cajon H.S. in San Bernardino, CA.

Daniels then played his first three college years at Arizona State before playing his last two seasons at Louisiana State University (LSU).

In Quinn’s defense, perhaps the subject of Daniels in warmer weather never came up prior to the draft because to he and Peters, if Daniels was available, they were hands down going to select Daniels.

What everyone said after the Commanders’ loss to Steelers

A collection of quotes from Commanders, Steelers and analysts following Sunday’s game.

Though the Commanders led by ten points in the second half, they lost 28-27 to the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday at Northwest Stadium.

Here is a collection of post-game quotes from players, analysts, coaches and media personalities.

Jayden Daniels

“Yeah, it’s not, it’s not all on him (Newton). That’s what everybody’s gonna see, just that one big play. But it’s not all on him, and we’re all together. No matter what people outside the building are saying, are thinking, man, it doesn’t matter. What matters is what’s in the building and how we love each other, how we support each other. We have each other’s backs.”

“I mean, I don’t like losing, so I don’t want to feel like this, this feeling. I don’t want to have losses, you know, competitive. I want to win in everything I step foot in and I put my mind to so I wouldn’t say it’s any motivation. Just like, ‘man, how can I go back to work and kind of get this feeling in my system.’ When I win, I want to keep winning. When we lose, I don’t want to lose. I want to win again.”

Mitchell Tischler

“It’s ok to be frustrated by the play but the personal attacks at BSJ are uncalled for, he’s been nothing less than respectable and accountable and while wins and losses matter, how you handle it matters too.”

“Veteran QB > Rookie D-Linemen … pretty emblematic of a mistake-filled game for the Commanders.”

“Zach Ertz has been in this league for too long to not run that route to the first down line … looks super close, hope review overturns it.”

Benjamin St-Juste

“Sometimes I get caught up in trying to make the play so much that I try to guard everything. In those situations, you’ve got to pick and choose, and you’ve got to pick the right option.”

John Keim

“According to TruMedia, Pittsburgh sent five or more rushers on 19 snaps, a season high. The previous high was 11 vs. the Giants last week. Daniels was 7-16 in those situations. Three sacks.”

“An absolute dime from Wilson to Williams. Yes, Washington could have used Lattimore today.”

“Washington proved it can hang, but man they left too much out there. Some definite missed chances on O. The miss to McCaffrey was huge.”

“No magical ending. No moral victories. But this team is right there. And reinforcements soon.”

Dan Quinn

“The missed opportunities sting the most.”

“I said that this is a 24 hour rule and so we got 24 hours. By the time we get in for tomorrow afternoon, we’ve got to clear it and we’ve got to go. And so we hadn’t talked a lot about next week the previous week. They know what’s ahead and we’ll be prepared for that.”

“I said I love what they stand for, for one another. And I don’t know if I learned that, but it was confirmed again, and so I was hurting for them. That locker room’s hurting, but there’s also these lessons that we have to apply to know that we do have to learn from them and go on and this just happens to be that lesson comes back quickly, as we get into our next game.”

“I would hope that the missed opportunities are the lesson to apply because I thought it was just maybe a little uncharacteristic. I thought maybe a few drops, maybe a few plays that weren’t quite like us. I love that we are in this kind of fight. These are the kind of ones that you need to build some resilience and some resolve, but we are establishing that kind of toughness and identity that we want to be about.”

Sam Cosmi

“I have so much faith in this team…There’s nothing more that I want to do than to beat Philly,[anyclip-media thumbnail=”undefined” playlistId=”undefined” content=”dW5kZWZpbmVk”][/anyclip-media] so they’re going to have a pretty pissed team on their hands.”

Craig Hoffman

“That play is why you trade for Lattimore. In a must-have man-to-man situation, they know they needed better guys in coverage. Unfortunately he’s not ready yet. Mike Williams, PIT’s addition, was.”

Mike Tomlin

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

What everyone said after Commanders’ road win over Giants

What did everyone say after Washington’s win? Here’s a collection of postgame quotes from players, coaches and analysts.

It wasn’t nearly as dominant as two weeks ago (Panthers) or as exciting as last week (Bears), but the Commanders took care of business, defeating the Giants 27-22 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Here is a collection of postgame quotes from players, analysts, coaches and media personalities.

Jayden Daniels

“We did a tremendous job getting downhill and running the ball…Dexter Lawrence and Brian Burns, those guys are hell of players. So to not get sacked by those guys, kudos to my O-line.”

“Knowing where to go with the ball, knowing when to get the ball out helps a lot, but a tremendous job by the O-Line of using their fundamentals and giving me enough time to get the ball off.”

“You have to live in the moment. This could be all good, but hey, we have a game next week. I’m just happy for the fan base that they can be proud of the product we are putting out on the field.”

Nick Allegretti

Nick Allegretti had to pop one of Brandon Coleman’s fingers back in place mid-game. “I almost went down because I’m queasy,” Allegretti said. “He said just pull it so I just looked away… we got it back in. Never had to do it to a teammate. Glad it worked; didn’t enjoy that.”  via John Keim

Dan Quinn (on Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels)

“It’s really about winning. That is a big deal. That’s what Terry McLaurin thinks about, winning. He absolutely delivers…I feel his energy. I feel his presence in the game, whatever it takes to go…Terry is a pro’s pro, we are fortunate. He has been so much fun to coach.”

“For a quarterback to really have the regard for the football and the decision-making process — he’s playing the position well, not just throwing it well.  “…That, to me, is one of the things I’ve been most impressed by.”

Dan Quinn on Chris Rodriguez

“I want to start off by recognizing Chris Rodriguez. He didn’t know he was going to until 90 minutes prior. When you get into that spot and demonstrate you are ready, it goes a long way to your teammates. There’s a lot of unseen work to be ready. You don’t get all the reps. Sometimes that comes in the after practice time, the before practice time to be ready. I thought a strong finish at the end of the game by him.”

Terry McLaurin

“Shoot, His ability — I’m just going to say it straight up, it was like he walked that ball to me. … The receiver position is one of the most dependent positions on the football field. There are so many things that you have to depend on to go right for an opportunity, but when you play with a quarterback that you can continue to build with, how competitive he is, how smart he is and his ability to make the throws when we need him most, that’s fun for a guy like me.”

Andrew Wylie on Jayden Daniels

“He can do whatever he wants back there…It’s something special to watch.”

Grant Paulsen

“The Commanders went on the road and beat the Giants. Swept them for the season. 7-2 for the first time since 1996. 5-1 in the NFC and 2-0 in division. Most wins in the NFC as of right now. WASH ran for 150 yards; pounded the Giants into submission in the second half.”
Denton Day
“This is one you hang your hat on  and say, ‘We went on the road to a division rival’s home, you beat them twice and oh by the way, you have now played the Giants twice and you have punted two times.”
Craig Hoffman
“Look around the league. Look what happened to Baltimore last week. Wakcy things happen in division games, especially on the road and Washington avoided that. They handled business against a team they should have beaten. In the fourth quarter, New York never had the ball with a chance to take the lead.”
Olamide Zaccheaus on Dan Quinn
“He does a lot of things well. He does a good job of bringing the right people into the building. I feel like we have a great group of selfless individuals, who just want to play hard and win. He gives us the space to be our selves…He’s a straight shooter. What he says, he means.”
Logan Paulsen
“It was impressive today how all three backs played today, in their roles. And when you give the backs credit you have to give the offensive line credit. I thought those guys really threw it down today. They were really getting after it in pulls and protection. They did a great job, and you don’t get this kind of production from your backs unless the offensive line is playing physical.”

Quick facts from Commanders’ Week 9 win over the Giants

Several numbers that stood out from the Commanders’ win over the Giants.

The Commanders were not dominant, yet they did win a NFC East divisional road game, defeating the New York Giants 27-22.

Here are some of the quick facts from the seventh win of the Commanders’ season:

  • Today’s win was Dan Quinn’s 50th NFL win as an NFL head coach.

  • With two fourth-down conversions in the first half, the Commanders are now 11 for 11 on fourth down this season. Per @EliasSports, this is the first time since at least 1980 (when the stat began being tracked) that Washington has started a season 11-for-11 on fourth down.

  • Today, Dante Fowler’s two sacks gave him his 10th multi-sack game.
  • The Giants came into Sunday’s game, leading the NFL with 35 quarterback sacks. Today, against the Commanders, they had zero.
  • Jayden Daniels numbers: 15/22,  209 yards, two touchdowns, 128.8 passer rating, 0 interceptions, 0 sacks.
  • By beating the Giants today, Washington completed a season sweep of the NY Giants for the first time since the 2021 season.
  • The Giants had the ball exactly four minutes longer today, 32:00 to 28:00. The Giants also gained 164 yards rushing to the Commanders’ 149. But Washington did force one Giants turnover without committing a turnover. The Commanders also sacked Jones twice, while Jayden Daniels was not sacked.
  • With the win, the Commanders are now 7-2. This is the first time Washington is 7-2 since the 1996 season, when that team collapsed, finishing 9-7 and missing the playoffs.
  • With two receiving touchdowns today, Terry McLaurin now has four career games in which he has scored two touchdowns.
  • Today, Dante Fowler reached the 50-sack plateau and forced a 14th career fumble.
  • Jayden Daniels is the first Washington rookie quarterback to sweep the New York Giants.
  • With six receiving touchdowns in 2024, Terry McLaurin has had the most receiving touchdowns since his 2019 rookie season.
  • Terry McLaurin, with his two touchdowns today, now has 31 in his career, becoming the tenth in franchise history with 30 touchdowns.

 

When they last met: Commanders and Giants

What happened the last time these rivals met?

“When they last met” is an ongoing series during the NFL season, recalling the preceding game between Washington and the next opponent on the Commanders’ schedule.

Washington 21, NY Giants 18 – Week 2, September 15, 2024

Austin Seibert, playing in his first NFL game of 2024, successfully kicked seven field goals, the last of which gave the Commanders a walk-off 21-18 victory over the New York Giants in Landover, Maryland.

GM Adam Peters claimed Seibert after Washington released kicker Cade York.

On the other side of the field, the Giants lost their kicker, Graham Gano, which resulted in the Giants attempting two-point conversions twice but missing both of them.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels was spectacular over most of the field, completing 23 of his 29 passing attempts for 226 yards and no interceptions. However, Daniels was sacked five times, and the Commanders never reached the end zone.

Instead, Seibert was called upon and came through with field goals from 27, 45 and 26 yards in the first half, keeping Washington close to the Giants, as they trailed only 12-9.

Seibert tied the game in the third quarter with a field goal from 27 yards. He then gave the Commanders a 15-12 lead, connecting from 29 yards with 2:47 remaining in the quarter.

In the final quarter, trailing 18-15, the Commanders got into position, allowing Seibert to tie the score from 33 yards with 7:12 remaining.

When the Giants turned the ball over on downs, Daniels drove the Commanders down the field one last time, and Seifert’s 30-yard field goal as time expired, gave Washington their first victory of 2024, evening their record at 1-1.

While Daniels manufactured a 99.1 passer rating, Brian Robinson churned up 133 rushing yards on his 17 rushing attempts, and Zach Ertz led the Commanders with 62 receiving yards on his four receptions. Washington moved the ball so well all day that punter Tress Way was never needed to punt.