Washington Commanders

Dan Quinn provides positive update on quarterback Jayden Daniels ahead of playoff game vs. Bucs

Published by
Peter Dewey

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn shared a positive update on rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels ahead of the team’s playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Daniels left Washington’s Week 18 win over the Dallas Cowboys early, giving way to backup quarterback Marcus Mariota. However, it appears that the leg soreness that the rookie was dealing with isn’t a major issue.

While Mariota helped lead the Commanders to a win over Dallas, it’s great news for Washington that Daniels appears to be good to go for the playoffs.

Washington earned the No. 6 seed in the NFC with its win in Week 18, and it went from having the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to the postseason in Quinn’s first season as the head coach.

Daniels struggled a bit in Week 18 before exiting against Dallas, as he completed just six of his 12 pass attempts for 38 yards. The rookie was also sacked four times.

Despite the poor showing in Week 18, Daniels has been electric for Washington this season. He’s in the running for the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award after completing 69.0 percent of his passes for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and just nine interceptions in the 2024 season.

Daniels also is a major threat in the ground game, rushing for 891 yards on 148 carries. He found the end zone six times on the ground and averaged an impressive 6.0 yards per carry.

Washington finished the regular season with a 12-5 record, marking the first time it has won 10 or more games since the 2012 season.

The Commanders faced the Bucs during the regular season (in Week 1) and came up short in that matchup. Washington scored just 20 points in that game, but it may be more concerning that its defense gave up 37.

Despite that loss, Washington still finished with two more wins than the Bucs in the regular season, but since it did not win its division, it will be on the road for this playoff matchup. The Philadelphia Eagles ended up winning the NFC East division with a 14-3 record.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

Report: Myles Garrett is ‘frequently’ late to Browns facility, has skipped mandatory events

Back in early February, longtime Cleveland Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett requested a trade.…

1 day ago

Report: Steph Curry and Draymond Green texted Jimmy Butler during halftime of Feb. 5 game vs. Jazz

Not long before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors agreed to make…

1 day ago

Mikal Bridges asked Tom Thibodeau to lower Knicks starters minutes: ‘Sometimes I think he just gets in his ways’

New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau has long had a proclivity for relying heavily…

2 days ago

Dwyane Wade supports LeBron in Stephen A. Smith feud: ‘I would have walked up on him the same way’

It's been almost a week now since Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James confronted ESPN's…

2 days ago

Mario Chalmers says LeBron James cookie drama came when Heat were working on historic win streak

Last month, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade recounted a memorable story regarding his former teammate…

3 days ago

Mario Chalmers reveals players sometimes pay up to $10K for a teammate’s jersey number

Former NBA guard Mario Chalmers revealed that some players will pay $10,000 in order to…

4 days ago