Jayden Daniels 2.0 made his preseason debut in the 31-27 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Daniels came out for the opening drive. Deebo Samuels for 19 yards, followed by a 40-yard run by Chris Rodriguez Jr. After Rodriguez Jr. ran for a yard, Daniels became the Daniels that the Washington fans fell in love with last season.
Daniel dropped by to pass and saw a running lane. He quickly darted up the field, made two Bengals miss for a 14-yard touchdown run. “It was fun to get back out there and play football,” Daniels said.
Just like that, Daniels led the Commanders on a four-play, 74-yard touchdown drive.
While Joe Burrow played multiple possessions, Daniels was one-and-done.
As exciting as the play was, is four plays enough for Daniels to be ready for the regular season?
With Washington missing some of its projected starting offensive linemen, it’s easy to say that Daniels was taken out for protection. The last thing Washington needs is their franchise quarterback to get hurt in the preseason. That being said, Daniels needs to be ready for a schedule that is much harder than last season.
It’s easy to forget that this is just year two for Daniels. Like CJ Stroud experienced last season, teams will be more familiar with tendencies in year two, and defensive coordinators across the league will make adjustments.
Notes:
Jacory Croskey-Merritt
On the ESPN broadcast, it was reiterated that the Commanders are looking to move Brian Robinson Jr. even though the organization hasn’t said anything on the record.
Croskey-Merritt had 46 yards on 11 carries, including a 27-yard touchdown run. It was Croskey-Merritt’s first touchdown. At the end of the play, Daniels made sure he tracked the ball for him.
Another Rough Night for Hartman
Sam Hartman needed to show improvement in his second preseason game and, simply put, it didn’t happen.
Hartman finished the night 4-10 for 19 yards and an interception. The night was filled with bad reads and a feeling that he’s not an NFL quarterback.
If the Commanders carry three quarterbacks, barring injury, it should be veteran Josh Johnson.
