Jayden Daniels delivers near-flawless performance in primetime debut: ‘He’s special’
CINCINNATI — Actions speak louder than words, right? Well, if you fell asleep with ringing ears after listening to “Monday Night Football,” blame it on Jayden Daniels.
The Washington Commanders rookie quarterback delivered a stunning, sensational and spectacular away game in his primetime debut.
Daniels outshone LSU Heisman Trophy contender Joe Burrow with a near-flawless performance, frustrating Cincinnati Bengals pass rushers and tacklers with mysterious pocket moves and chain shifting under duress. The 23-year-old set a rookie record for single-game completion percentage (91.3) in his third game, led Washington to scores on all six drives (excluding kneeldowns) and held the team’s turnover to zero.
And then there were the passes. The soul-crushing, mind-boggling throws. Among them, a 55-yard shot in the second quarter and a pinpoint lob from 27 yards, at least 7 yards deep into the end zone for Washington’s final points. Like the national television audience, the player on the receiving end was stunned.
“Both pitches were dimes,” exclaimed Terry McLaurin. “Dimes!”
GREAT GAMES
BIG PLAYERS
BIG MOMENTS📺 #WASvsCIN ABC photo.twitter.com/1K0rzklNIG
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 24, 2024
Daniels’ teammates, including McLaurin who have endured years of quarterback changes and organizational turmoil, were elated after the 38-33 victory. Yes, for the win that lifted Washington to a surprising 2-1 record, but also for what they saw from the young quarterback.
It’s not just that Daniels completed 21 of 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns or rushed untouched for a 4-yard score. Or that he avoided compromising the ball in another interception-free game, leading Washington with 39 rushing yards. He also came up with a future trivia question that would baffle “Jeopardy!” champions by his first touchdown pass of his career to offensive lineman Trent Scott.
The style and acumen on display, especially when Cincinnati pulled within one score of Ja’Marr Chase’s second touchdown reception while the clock read 9:42, would be impressive to a seasoned gamer. The 12-play, 70-yard drive capped by McLaurin’s touchdown catch included a fourth-and-4 from the Bengals’ 39. Daniels calmly completed a 9-yard pass to tight end Zach Ertz.
Daniels and McLaurin hadn’t yet established chemistry in the game after two weeks. Much of the pregame talk at Paycor Stadium had focused on how Washington should feed its playmaker. Three plays after Ertz’s catch — with the Bengals running a cover-zero scheme — the duo hit a ball in the air that, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, was the most improbable completion of the season.
The 27-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels to Terry McLaurin had a completion probability of 10.3%, making it the most improbable touchdown of the season and the most improbable completion by the Commanders in the NGS era (since 2016).#WASvsCIN | @Commandants photo.twitter.com/mvDpQkG9ly
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 24, 2024
“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like it,” said Bobby Wagner, a veteran linebacker with 13 years of experience.
Few Washington fans have this century. The drought lasts shortly after Washington’s Super Bowl victory in 1991, the third under legendary coach Joe Gibbs. Joe Theismann, the franchise’s first quarterback to lift the Lombardi Trophy in 1982, placed on his X account“Washington, be excited about our team and our QB.”
The recent, dismal history includes no successful seasons since 2016, the year before two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was drafted.
“He’s special,” Allen said.
Daniels was the sixth starting quarterback in Week 1 in McLaurin’s six seasons. It’s understandable if the team’s best receiver didn’t declare the rookie Neo, the one and only. After this performance, let the proclamation sing.
“Hey, that kid’s got attitude. I think he matured tonight,” McLaurin said. “He’s done a great job in camp making those throws, but to come out here and do it when you have to do it with the game on the line — that’s what great players are all about.”
It’s not unreasonable to imagine the Bengals’ players dropping a few big four-letter words after falling behind 3-0. Every possession for both teams went past midfield. But while Cincinnati settled for three field goal attempts — kicker Evan McPherson missed one — the Washington offense, which Bengals cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt last week called a “college offense,” could not be stopped.
“I thought their quarterback played great,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “He was a tough guy. It just wasn’t enough for us today.”
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Was there anyone in the building who couldn’t gush about Daniels’ work? Yes, the laid-back, even-tempered quarterback himself.
“It’s amazing,” Daniels said of the win. “Not just for me, but for the whole team.”
When Commanders coach Dan Quinn decided to put the ball in the rookie’s hands on fourth down instead of kicking a field goal or punt, something Washington has not done it in two gamesDaniels acknowledged the “confidence in me to go out there and take action at a critical time.”
The play call that resulted in a 1-yard touchdown pass for Washington’s biggest lead of the third quarter, 28-13, made the 6-foot-1, 300-pound Scott “nervous as shit. Don’t drop the ball on ‘Monday Night Football.'” He didn’t. Whether Scott or Daniels gets to keep the ball is still up for debate in theory, according to the players — but not for Quinn. “Maybe we’ll figure something out for Trent,” Quinn said.
Daniels and the offense had minimal blunders. He rightly credited his offensive line for solid protection. Running backs Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson Jr. both found the end zone. In the second half, Ekeler threw a 62-yard kick return that led to Scott’s score. That Ekeler left the game with a concussion was one of the few negatives, along with the defensive struggles.
YOU LOVE TO SEE IT
📺 #WASvsCIN ABC photo.twitter.com/BlM0eOxlIi
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) September 24, 2024
Quinn said winning was a team effort in all three phases, “And we certainly did that.” That’s true, but questions about Daniels dominated the post-game conversation.
“He’s a really cool customer and he’s got a great attitude,” Quinn said of Daniels. “I thought it was a really strong performance from him.”
Daniels never came close to patting himself on the back during his postgame session with reporters. Nor is he afraid to say that while success in this new environment comes with a degree of surprise, he knows the work that led to such heights.
“What happens in the dark always comes to the light,” he said.
Asked what he showed the NFL: “I’m a competitor,” Daniels said. “I want to compete at the highest level. It’s a blessing to be able to go out there every (game) and do things that a lot of people in the world can’t do.”
That last sentence is about playing in the NFL. Granted, it’s also a testament to Daniels’ skill and potential. He’s confident, but not arrogant enough to proclaim his rising status. His actions spoke volumes, and the noise was deafening.
(Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
