The Washington Commanders were the story of the NFL through nine weeks. At 7-2, Washington entered Week 10 facing the Pittsburgh Steelers and followed that up with a Thursday night game against division rival Philadelphia.
Less than one week later, the Commanders sit at 7-4, losing to the Steelers and Eagles in one-score games. Washington is now a game and a half behind the Eagles in the NFC East race.
Part of the Commanders’ recent struggles centers around the previously red-hot offense. Over the last two games, Washington has averaged 253 yards per game. The offensive struggles also coincide with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ struggles.
After a record-setting start to the season, Daniels has completed 39 of 66 passes and hasn’t looked nearly as sharp. Some of that could be due to the rib injury he suffered in Week 7. Washington’s offensive line has also struggled to protect Daniels over the past two games.
Still, Daniels puts the focus squarely on himself.
“I have to play better,” Daniels said after Thursday’s game. “There are some throws I want back for sure. I think we all just have to look at ourselves in the mirror and say how can we get better moving forward?”
Daniels also discussed the fourth-down play in which he was stopped for no gain, turning the ball back over to Philadelphia in the fourth quarter, down two points. The play looked doomed from the beginning.
“I’ve got to be louder with the cadence,” Daniels said. “So, I take fault on that. [Commanders C] Tyler [Biadasz] probably didn’t hear me, so it was delayed with the snap. It gets loud down there. We’re under center, especially in that type of situation at that part of the game. So, I just have to be louder.”
Do you see that? That’s leadership. Daniels understands he hasn’t played well and is putting the pressure on himself to be better moving forward. That type of attitude endears him to his teammates.
What’s Daniel’s frustration level?
“I’m frustrated because we lost,” he said. “So, I don’t like losing. I said that many times, but I feel like everybody could play better, including myself. It starts with me, and it triggers out to everybody else.”
Daniels and the Commanders get some much-needed rest this weekend before beginning preparations for the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12.
