The Washington Commanders improved to 5-2 on the season but witnessed their franchise quarterback leave the game with a rib injury. At home, the Burgundy and Gold put on a clinic on both sides of the ball.
Ironically, Washington won big despite Jayden Daniels only playing one snap the entire game. He would leave the game in the first quarter due to a rib injury. The Commanders’ defense held the Panthers to 180 total yards on Sunday. Andy Dalton threw two interceptions and finished with a 3.2 QBR rating.
After Daniels left the game, Marcus Mariota entered the game and threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns. He finished the game with a 64.7 QBR rating, and he averaged 8.9 yards per pass. Washington ran the ball efficiently between Brian Robinson Jr. (71 yards), Daniels (50 yards), Jeremy McNichols (42 yards), Mariota (34 yards), and Austin Ekeler (17 yards).
Washington and the Bigger Picture
Despite the Commanders’ strong performance and their bounce back from last week’s loss, Daniels’s injury reveals a larger problem. The young quarterback isn’t afraid of the moment, and he can beat you with his arms and legs, but he continues to welcome unnecessary contact.
Needless to say, the major concern continues to be the LSU product’s inability to slide at times. Daniels hurt himself on the game’s first snap on an option read play, which led to 46 yards. Two Panthers tackled him and awkwardly landed in a folding position.
HC Dan Quinn provides a status update on QB Jayden Daniels: pic.twitter.com/Bffwl6EJPo
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) October 21, 2024
Right now, Washington is sitting in first place in the NFC East but it doesn’t mean anything if their quarterback can’t stay healthy. Football is a physical game but quarterbacks have to pick and choose when to take unwarranted contact.
After the initial play, it was clear that Daniels was experiencing some discomfort from his side. This could be a lingering injury because he has to continue to move that muscle while going through his throwing motion. There has not been an update on whether or not he will miss time but there will be an update sometime this week. The initial x-rays indicated that there were no fractures but he is scheduled for a follow-up exam.
Learn from the past
Washington is familiar with the importance of protecting their quarterback. Robert Griffin III exploded onto the season his rookie season and was a dual threat that not many had the answer for. However, his career altered after he tore his knee. Granted these are two separate injuries but it’s an example of players struggling to get out of their own way.
Similar to Daniels, he struggled to slide and took an unnecessary hit which resulted in an awkward tackle. Granted this play could have happened regardless but he had the opportunity to get down before the defenders got to him. Head coach Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, and the quarterback coach will need to emphasize the importance of running out of bounds or sliding earlier. The goal is to make it to the postseason and beyond. No one expects the Commanders to win the Super Bowl this year but one of the goals is to have their franchise quarterback as they continue to rebuild.
#Commanders QB Jayden Daniels, who left Sunday’s win early because of his ribs, suffered an injury that is not considered to be serious but does require treatment and monitoring throughout the week, sources say.
His status vs. the #Bears is up in the air. pic.twitter.com/YWrOxsTEn1
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2024
The 18-game season is not for the faint-hearted and the only way the Commanders will have a chance to make the postseason is if their starting quarterback is healthy. Again, the read options are a staple in the playbook but it’s up to Daniels to make wise decisions.
Washington should let Daniels rest
Daniels’ mother tweeted today that the quarterback is fine and he stated yesterday that he is in good spirits. This Sunday, the Commanders will host the Chicago Bears at Northwest Stadium for a chance to improve their record to 6-2. Moving forward, it will be important for the organization to protect Daniels and put him in situations to avoid unnecessary hits.
If Washington tries to rush back Daniels, they should take a look back in the past on what happened to RG3. Quinn needs to trust in Mariota for the next two weeks as they take on the Bears and New York Giants. It would not be smart to rush their rookie quarterback back against the Bears considering their defense is top ten and one of the more physical defenses. The Commanders will be able to smoother Caleb Williams and limit Chicago’s offense all game.
On the flip side, the Commanders have already defeated the Giants who are struggling on all aspects of the ball. Mariota should start the next two weeks because of his veteran presence and Kingsbury’s offense is similar to Oregon’s west-coast/spread offense.
Mariota had a strong game Sunday against the Panthers but he played this way before he parted ways with the Atlanta Falcons in 2022. During his time in Atlanta, he threw for 2,219 yards and 15 touchdowns which isn’t the worst considering the receiving core at the time.
The Commanders’ backup quarterback had a 61.3 percent completion rating. He will be able to carry the team until Daniels returns because he can throw with accuracy, he reads through his progressions quickly and he is still able to move up the pocket.
Both upcoming games are winnable and will provide Daniels with much-needed rest and ease back into the lineup.
Main Image: Amber Searls-Imagn Images
