What a cruel blow for Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
Injured again.
The elbow again.
“It sucks,” backup quarterback Marcus Mariota said after the Commanders lost their star quarterback with a dislocated left elbow
just before halftime of a 37-20 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. “You can’t really ever put it into words. You watch that kid battle through all that he went through last year and just very, very unfortunate.”Commanders coach Dan Quinn said that X-rays revealed that Daniels did not sustain a fracture, and that there is no timeline for his return. After flying back with the team, he will undergo an MRI on Monday.
Yet after Daniels missed 10 games last season, including three contests after he dislocated the same
elbow in Week 9 and then the final four games of the season after re-injuring the elbow in the first game after he returned, it’s a sobering dose of déjà vu.
Daniels, 25, didn’t miss a game during his phenomenal rookie season in 2024.
“Man, we are bummed for him,” Quinn said. “I thought he was really playing his (butt) off. We will rally so hard around Marcus until Jayden’s back. That’s what we talked about as a team. Just disheartened for him. I know what he’s gone through.”
Quinn said Daniels was in “good spirits” when they spoke after the game, which left the Commanders at 0-2.
Daniels was injured on the final play of the first half, when Quinn opted to go for it on third-and-goal from the 1-yard line with three seconds left rather than kick a field goal. After Daniels took the snap, he lost his balance as left guard Chris Paul apparently stepped on his foot. He tried to brace himself with his left arm as he fell to the turf, and the elbow bent awkwardly as it gave out.
Crap. Although Tom Brady said it more colorfully in real time during the Fox broadcast, the sentiment undoubtedly echoes through an entire fan base that witnessed Daniels lead the team to the NFC Championship Game as a rookie. Now this.
As much as injuries and attrition are part of the NFL mix, listening to Mariota, a 12th-year vet, describe processing the setback for his young teammate, revealed a layer of the human element for players who realize their next play could be their last.
At halftime, Mariota said several players addressed the team as a group while they came to grips with the new challenge confronting the franchise quarterback – and their team.
“Early on in my career, you try to suppress feelings and those emotions,” Mariota said. “But I think at the end of the day, I found that you just kind of have to be vulnerable and just talk about how you feel. My first inkling is to just think about the guy.”
The Commanders were 2-6 last season in the eight games that Mariota started for an injured Daniels. Now there’s a repeat mission as the Commanders gear up for their home opener against the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks on Sunday.
“We don’t like where we are, but we are not staying in this space,” Quinn said.
Quinn, too, again finds himself with an extreme test of his leadership. He said his message to his somber team during a quiet halftime began with acknowledging the misfortune that struck to get his team through the crisis.
“And let’s battle our (butts) off for him,” Quinn told his team.
The coach had a special message for Mariota.
“I’m going to give you the same advice you told Jayden: To be himself,” Quinn said he told Mariota. “I’m telling you to do the same. Go make your plays. Do your thing.”
Having practice in trying to proceed without Daniels is not ideal. But suddenly it’s the hand the Commanders are dealt. Again.
Two-minute drill
- No John Harbaugh, same bad habit. When the Ravens blew an 11-point lead in losing to the Saints in new coach Jesse Minter’s home debut, it had a familiar script. From 2020-2025, Baltimore lost an NFL-high 14 games when leading by double-digits under Harbaugh. Now this. A big reason? Tyler Shough was ice-cold against the blitz. According to NextGen Stats, the second-year QB was 10-of-13 passing for a career-high 113 yards against the blitz. He also went 8 for 10 under pressure and completed all four of his passes while on the run for 40 yards.
- Brian Flores has cracked the code. A week after the Bears hung 49 points and eight TDs on Carolina, they had the second-largest point dropoff in NFL history from Week 1 to Week 2 in the 9-3 loss to Minnesota. Per NextGen Stats, the Vikings D-coordinator, called blitzes on 81.8% of Caleb Williams’ 33 dropbacks before he left late in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. This a week after Flores blitzed Green Bay’s Jordan Love on 78.3% of his dropbacks. And for the second week in a row, edge rusher Dallas Turner posted double-digit pressures (10), including his game-sealing sack of Bears backup QB Tyson Bagent.
- What a big comeback for the Broncos – and new play-caller Davis Webb. After laying an egg in the Monday night opener, Denver rallied from a 13-3 deficit to beat Jacksonville. Shades of last season? Somewhat. It was Bo Nix’s fifth win when trailing by double digits. And the defense provided timely stops, including a Riley Moss interception. But different was new addition Jaylen Waddle’s big day (eight catches, 138 yards) after having one catch for two yards at KC. Then there was fourth-round rookie running back Jonah Coleman, who stepped up in crunch time after J.K. Dobbins left with a hamstring injury while R.J. Harvey (hamstring) didn’t dress. The numbers may not wow you (10 carries, 39 yards; three catches, 19 yards) but the situation in sealing the game was huge.
- This last ride for Aaron Rodgers is hitting potholes. The three points that Pittsburgh put up at New England tied for the second-fewest for a team with Rodgers as the starter. The Patriots blitzed on 38.6% of his dropbacks, contributing to the two fumbles (one lost), an interception and four sacks. DK Metcalf’s sluggish start this season and the absence of Michael Pittman Jr. does not help.
- How much of a difference does Dexter Lawrence make for the Bengals defense? On 12 rushing plays with the all-pro D-tackle on the field, the Texans averaged 1 yard per carry, per NextGen Stats. Without Lawrence on the field, Houston ran at an 8-yards-per-carry clip. And Lawrence, who made a fourth-and-1 stop in the second quarter, was one of five Bengals to post at least four pressures on C.J. Stroud during the 20-6 win. And Cincinnati snapped the NFL’s longest active streak (65 games) for allowing at least one TD.
- New Bills D-coordinator Jim Leonhard is bringing out the best in Greg Rousseau. Until now, Bruce Smith was the only Buffalo player (1996) to post two sacks in each of the first two games. This is the first time that Rousseau, a sixth-year pro, has ever had multiple two-sack games in a season. He credits Leonhard’s 3-4 scheme, allowing him to play wide off the edge in contrast to former coach Sean McDermott’s 4-3 system. “I feel like the new defense really lets me play like I’m free," Rousseau told USA TODAY Sports.
What it is, what it should be
After two horrendous performances by an offense quarterbacked by third- and fourth-string quarterbacks Cooper Rush and rookie Jack Strand – the Falcons quarterbacks combined for five turnovers in the blowout loss against Carolina – Atlanta’s season hinges on Michael Penix, Jr. getting back on the field as the best version of himself.
Penix, rehabbing from surgery to repair a partially torn ACL, was cleared to fully participate in practices more than two weeks ago but has yet to feel comfortable enough to play.
Now comes a short week, with Atlanta (0-2) visiting Green Bay on Thursday night.
Given the compressed work week, is it even realistic to think Penix might play in Week 3?
“To be fair, I don’t think now’s the time to know what the plan is this exact week,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said during his postgame press conference on Sunday. “Mike is continuing to progress. We’ll work through it.”
Stefanski is scheduled to speak to the media at noon ET on Monday, when he could presumably provide an expanded update and provide clarity on Penix’s availability. Penix recently maintained that while he is close to playing, he still needs to feel a bit more comfortable.
One thing for sure: Penix has a perspective on this that is unfortunate yet beneficial. He’s suffered three torn ACLs and knows what it’s like to rush back and regret it. So, give him that.
Yet without him – and Tua Tagovailoa, set to enter Week 1 as the starter until suffering an oblique injury during warmups in practice three days before the opener – the Falcons are apparently lacking a serviceable replacement.
How bad is it?
Through two games, the Falcons have had 25 drives with seven turnovers and nine punts – and zero trips to the red zone.
Michael Penix Jr., they need you in the worst way.
RIP, Ernie Accorsi
The legendary front office executive passed away on Sunday at 82. As GM of the Baltimore Colts in 1983, he took on the bluff and drafted John Elway despite the threat of the quarterback opting to play baseball. As New York Giants GM in 2004, he traded for Eli Manning to benefit from another type of threat and hired Tom Coughlin as coach. He was also assistant GM during the ‘80s when the Cleveland Browns advanced to three consecutive AFC title games. For all of his accomplishments, Accorsi was such a class act. It was a privilege to serve with him on the blue ribbon panel that selected the NFL’s 100th anniversary team.
Believe it or not
The Raiders are 2-0 for the first time since 2021.
Jim Harbaugh is 0-2 for the first time in his NFL or college coaching career.
The most intriguing reason to watch Monday Night Football
Aaron Donald. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year is expected to make his return for the Los Angeles Rams after 2 ½ years of retirement. Is this the same dominant player? It’s probably not wise to dare Donald, 35, that he can’t be the same player that he was in his prime. Then again, it must be proven above reputation.
So here come the New York Giants, re-energized with the arrival of John Harbaugh, to provide the first measurement for Donald. He was inspired to come back after L.A. traded for reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in June, but that’s potentially dynamite combination will have to wait. Garrett is mending from arthroscopic knee surgery, so at this point Donald can lay the tracks for more anticipation.
It will also be worth watching how the Rams and reigning MVP Matthew Stafford can bounce back after being drubbed by the 49ers in their opener at Austrailia.
What I’m looking forward to in Week 3
Ravens vs. Cowboys, in Rio de Janeiro. Of course, there would have been no objection if my dear editor demanded that I hop on a plane to Brazil to document the NFL’s first game in Rio. Ironically, with concerns arising about the quality of the field in Rio, it brings to mind the Rams-Chiefs tilt in Mexico City in 2018 – which, well, I was assigned to cover – that was moved to the LA Coliseum because of a poor playing surface in Mexico.
That switch resulted in a bottom-line thriller as both teams scored 50 points in a game for the first time NFL history, with the Rams winning 54-51. In any event, Ravens-Cowboys might not top 100, but it’s an enticing matchup of 1-1 teams on any continent. Dak Prescott’s command of one of the NFL’s most productive offenses is further explained by the milestone he achieved on Sunday in setting the franchise record for most career passing touchdowns (249, topping Tony Romo, Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, among others), while Lamar Jackson’s command of the Ravens’ potent unit is summed up in two words: Lamar Jackson. With both teams packing defenses in transition, something suggests shootout.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From Daniels to Donald, what stood out in NFL Week 2: Monday Morning JB
