Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels isn’t about to make excuses. Washington is 1-4-1 coming out of its bye week. It faces the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, a team that has lost five in a row. It’s a game the Commanders can’t afford to lose if they hope to keep pace with the New York Giants in the NFC East race.
Daniels dislocated his left (non-throwing) elbow in Week 2, missed two games, and returned in Week 5. He’s played well before and since the injury. Despite wearing a bulky brace on his left arm, Daniels has been terrific as a runner and passer. He hasn’t been perfect, though. And it’s not all his fault. Daniels has been under heavy pressure the last two games, with Washington’s offensive line battling numerous injuries.
Daniels
hasn’t flinched. In the first half of the Commanders’ Week 6 game at San Francisco, Daniels didn’t play well. Neither did the rest of the offense or the defense. Washington was down 20-3 at halftime. However, in the second half, Daniels heated up. As he heated up, so did the Commanders. He got some help from his defense, too, and had a couple of chances to give Washington the come-from-behind win.
Ultimately, they fell just short. And the narrative coming out of the game still surrounded Daniels. Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner acknowledged how well Daniels played. He also noted that Daniels didn’t have much help because of injuries. But Warner highlighted a few plays that Daniels missed. Warner’s critique was fair and balanced. He said Daniels is capable of greatness because we’ve seen it from him before.
Head coach Dan Quinn was asked about Warner’s analysis, and while defending his quarterback, he also noted some truth to Warner’s point about taking more risks.
On Wednesday, Daniels was asked about some of those critiques and about being more aggressive.
“I mean, everybody's gonna have their opinion and stuff, and there’s stuff I could've been better at, and I didn't play a perfect game at all,” Daniels said. “And I’m not one to say I went out there, I played the most perfect game, and I didn’t miss anything [and] I don’t have no room to grow or improve. So, I’m constantly always my biggest critic, win, lose, or draw, you know, after a game. If I have a great game or have a bad game, I’m always my biggest critic is always plays I felt like I left out there, and there's plays that I made, and you just try to minimize that gap.”
That’s how you want Daniels to respond. He could’ve pouted, offered short one-word answers, or, like some athletes, sound off on social media criticizing Warner without mentioning his name. That’s not his style. Daniels is constantly trying to improve. It fuels him.
Daniels is not a pouter. He’s a competitor. And if he listened to what Warner said, which he probably did, he probably didn’t take it as criticism either. Daniels is capable of greatness. Unlike other NFL quarterbacks with potential, he’s actually shown it. And he’s done more with less. Daniels is why Washington still has a chance, even at 1-4-1, regardless of the opponent.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels responds to Hall of Famer's critique
