#jayden-daniels

#jayden-daniels

HIM?! THAT'S THE GUY?!

When Jayden Daniels embraced Caleb Williams on the field after their Week 8 heartstopper last season, the two quarterbacks couldn't have known how decisively their paths were about to diverge. Daniels, the Washington Commanders star who was drafted No. 2 in 2024, threw the winning Hail Mary and walked into a spotlight that kept getting brighter as he won Offensive Rookie of the Year and led the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game.

McCaffrey's silent resurgence this season is among the most significant positives to take from the first five games. The No. 100 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft has become more influential in the passing game. He's also among the league's most prolific kick returners to further raise his influence when the team needed him most. Bringing in a deep ball from Jayden Daniels for a massive gain against the Los Angeles Chargers proved just how far he's come in a short space of time.

This immediately invoked memories of last season's encounter between the two clubs at the same venue. When it looked like the Bears were heading for a statement victory, the Commanders had other ideas. Jayden Daniels heaved a prayer near the end zone as time expired, which fortunately fell into the grateful arms of wide receiver Noah Brown for a Hail Mary miracle. It was an astonishing moment - one that sent the NFC adversaries on entirely different paths the rest of the way.

Through the first two weeks of the season, he leads all quarterbacks in QB contact, 29, both as a passer, QB hits and scrambling. You could say, well, he played two difficult defenses. He led all quarterbacks in QB contact last year. He led all quarterbacks in scramble rate contact last year. It's just not sustainable, and he is a quarterback who can win from the pocket. I think [there has to be] some tough conversations with Daniels about his style of play with an eye towards his continued longevity because he is too special to absorb this much contact.

The Green Bay Packers defeated the Washington Commanders 27-18 after the Green and Gold held Washington to 230 total yards of offense and an average of 3.54 yards per play. This was the fewest offensive yards the Commanders have had since drafting quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders also had no answer for Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love. He completed 19 of 31 passes for 292 yards, two passing touchdowns, and 12 rushing yards.