After missing the Washington Commanders’ defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, quarterback Jayden Daniels was back in the lineup for a crucial Sunday Night Football clash with the Seattle Seahawks. This was the morale boost everyone associated with the franchise needed at a critical time.
There was no Terry McLaurin for Daniels to depend upon once again. The wide receiver reaggravated his quad/hip flexor injury in his first game back, and reports suggest he might be out until after the bye week. But with the former LSU standout under center, fans always feel like Washington has a chance.
It was not going to be easy. The Seahawks are among the leading contenders in the NFC, boasting a formidable road record and a well-balanced offense with very few weaknesses. That is not the case with the Commanders this time around, so Daniels was under significant pressure as the national NFL audience watched intently.
On a night where the Commanders retired legendary wide receiver Art Monk’s No. 81 jersey and wore their Super Bowl era jerseys, there was an extra sense of occasion at Northwest Stadium. There is nobody made for the big moments like Daniels.
As it turned out, it went worse than anyone imagined, and not even a talent like Daniels could drag thhe Commanders out of their freefall.
With this in mind, here are five major observations from Daniels’ performance against Seattle in Week 9.
Major observations from Jayden Daniels’ performance against the Seahawks
Jayden Daniels’ hamstring
It was all systems go for Jayden Daniels in practice this week. The Washington Commanders ramped up his workload and were suitably impressed by his response. Even though he didn’t carry an injury designation into the contest, fans were anxiously awaiting to see if the low-grade hamstring strain suffered against the Dallas Cowboys would limit his ability to be impactful.
Things got off to a cataclysmic start. But the one solace for fans throughout a disastrous evening at the office was Daniels moving freely and without restrictions. On a night where positives were extremely hard to find, this was one of them.
Just as well. Daniels was forced to do a lot of the hard yards himself; the receivers weren’t getting open, and the run game couldn’t get going. This left the signal-caller taking off almost immediately, with no trust in anyone else to get the job done.
Daniels looked explosive and decisive. If he’s playing at less than 100 percent, his movements didn’t show it. But it was clear from pretty early on that this was not going to be Washington’s night as the Seahawks got off to a blistering start that had some fans heading home soon after the second quarter began.
