The quarterback gives Washington a chance of getting its season back on track. But there are other issues to resolve.
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On the surface, the return of Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels just three weeks after he dislocated his left elbow again appears brash. And to be clear, there’s no way around the fact that putting him back out there comes with the risk of a more serious, long-term injury.
Daniels and Washington’s brass are comfortable with that.
“I’m straight, honestly. I’m good,” Daniels said. “Last year was a different thing for me. This time, I kind of just knew what was at stake. I went to all the different specialists, and I heard their opinions and based my decision off of [that]. I prayed about it, and I made sure I’m making the best decision. I was at peace with it.”
Getting to that point, however, took a lot of deliberation. As Daniels met with those specialists, owner Josh Harris, General Manager Adam Peters and Coach Dan Quinn discussed their priorities. While the team had gotten off to an 0-2 start, the consensus was that Daniels needed to do what he felt was best for his health.
“We needed to make sure that he’s getting the right medical care,“ Harris said. “We just want to make sure he’s okay.”
Season-ending surgery was on the table — and a procedure may be necessary in the offseason — but the specialist sessions left Daniels confident about forging ahead. He already knew he could play through this injury. After all, he did it last year. The question was whether he could do so while still playing at a high level. If he couldn’t be himself, he wouldn’t be doing Washington much good.
Although Daniels will wear a bulky, restrictive brace on his left arm, he doesn’t believe it’ll affect his play.
“It’s my nonthrowing arm,” Daniels said. “As long as I got the right one intact, I think I’ll be all right.”
As Daniels rejoins the Commanders (1-3, 0-2 in the NFC East) ahead of their clash with the New York Giants (3-1, 1-0) on Sunday at Northwest Stadium, that’s exactly what they need. They’re playing catch-up in their division and have several starters sidelined on both sides of the ball. Their only real hope of salvaging this season rests with Daniels.
On the plus side, the NFC East is far from a juggernaut division. The Giants are currently the top team, but there’s plenty of reason to doubt their ability to sustain their level of play.
New York will be without quarterback Jaxson Dart and outside linebacker Brian Burns for the rest of the season. The last two teams they’ve beaten — the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals — are a combined 1-7.
The Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) have lost two in a row. Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a hamstring injury last week, and right tackle Lane Johnson suddenly retired Tuesday.
It’s been an up-and-down ride for the Dallas Cowboys (2-3 after Thursday night’s loss to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Their offense is arguably the best in the NFL, but they’ve been held back by a struggling defense.
Without a clear division front-runner, there’s a pathway for the Commanders to get back in the thick of things — if Daniels is Daniels. If he’s able to stay upright. If the other injuries throughout the roster finally stop.
That’s a lot of ifs, but that’s Washington’s reality after a rough start. Of course, any reclamation effort starts with upending the Giants this weekend.
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A loss would drop the Commanders to 1-4, and 0-3 in the NFC East. That could all but end their hopes of securing a playoff berth. It also would churn up discussion about the job security of Peters and Quinn, and whether it would be wise for whoever is making the decisions after this year to sign Daniels to an extension.
Naturally, Daniels can’t resolve those concerns on his own. A turnaround will require the Commanders to do a much better job of supporting him.
It all starts with the offensive line. Of course, injuries can’t be overlooked. Washington’s best offensive lineman, left tackle Laremy Tunsil, has missed every game with a torn triceps. Their second-best lineman, right guard Sam Cosmi, has been out for the past two games with a concussion.
Nonetheless, Washington must get more out of the unit. The Commanders have allowed a sack rate of 3.5 percent (fourth in the NFL) according to the analytics platform TruMedia, but that statistic speaks more to quarterbacks’ ability to avoid pressure. Washington has given up a pressure rate of 37.2 percent (20th) according to NFL Pro, which is more reflective of its pass-protection issues.
And while the Commanders are averaging a solid 4.2 yards per carry (14th), that’s also skewed by the mobility of Daniels and backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. On carries by running backs, they’re averaging just 3.4 yards per attempt (30th).
The struggles on the ground have come despite the fact that Washington has faced stacked boxes (eight or more defenders near the line of scrimmage) on just 5.9 percent of its rushing attempts (the lowest rate in the NFL). Teams have been able to bottle up the Commanders’ ground game while keeping more defensive backs on the field, which makes it much more difficult for pass catchers to create separation downfield.
Cosmi (concussion) was a full practice participant Thursday, so he’s in line to return Sunday. Offensive lineman Nick Allegretti (hip/Achilles) missed practice Thursday, which signals it’ll be Lucas Patrick starting his third game in a row at center. Perhaps that offensive line configuration will get the job done.
Washington’s front office and coaching staff has to consider all options — lineup adjustments, schematic changes and roster additions — to get more out of the O-line. The way they’re operating not only raises the likelihood that Daniels gets injured again but also holds back the offense — even with him on the field.
The next biggest factor is the availability of Daniels’s weapons. Running back Rachaad White, who missed Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts in London with a shoulder injury, returned to practice Wednesday. He could give the middling run game some juice.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin suffered a hamstring injury in practice Oct. 2 and was held out against the Colts. He also missed practice Wednesday and Thursday.
Fellow wide receiver Stefon Diggs also sat out Wednesday and Thursday with a hamstring injury. He participated in warm-ups while in full uniform Thursday but spent the rest of practice working on the side with players rehabbing injuries.
Daniels and McLaurin played just three games together last season because of injuries. Washington will need them — and Diggs — out there far more often to get the offense back on track.
There are a lot of factors working against the Commanders, but at least they have the heart of the team back in Daniels. Now, they’ve got to keep it beating.
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