NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
In the span of a month, Jayden Daniels has morphed from superhuman rookie to an ordinary one.
In his first six starts, Daniels completed 75.3% of his throws at a large 8.46 yards-per-attempt average with six passing touchdowns, two interceptions, and 322 yards with five more scores on the ground at 5.11 yards per pop.
The transformation began after a Week 7 rib injury in Carolina that limited him to two pass attempts. The Hail Mary win over the Bears the following week overshadowed what was otherwise a nondescript performance. Before the ball tipped majestically into the arms of Noah Brown to beat Chicago in Week 8, Daniels went 20 of 37 for 274 yards without a touchdown or interception.
Over the past three games, all Commanders losses, Daniels has completed 61.5% of his throws at a relatively low 6.42 yards per attempt with three touchdowns and three interceptions.
In the Week 12 loss to the Cowboys at home, 187 of Daniels’ 275 passing yards came in the final 5:04, when Washington trailed 20-9 and all chaos broke loose.
Of course, what could’ve been another miraculous comeback for the Commanders fell agonizingly short after a missed extra point, but we have to give Daniels credit for how he rose to the occasion late in that game against the Cowboys.
Yet, outside of garbage time, Washington’s offense has plummeted to 29th in football in Expected Points Added per play over the past three weeks from third in the first six contests of Daniels’ NFL career — a striking difference.
Maybe Daniels’ injury is the culprit here. Maybe it’s something else. And maybe he’ll rebound down the stretch, leading the Commanders to their first playoff appearance since 2020.
But the drastic downturn for a rookie quarterback as immensely talented as Daniels provides another cautionary tale about quarterbacks, especially young ones, being overly reliant on the scheme itself.
Through…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/whats-happening-to-jayden-daniels-analyzing-the-commanders-qbs-sudden-decline/
Author : Chris Trapasso
Publish date : 2024-11-25 14:11:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
