There was no nervousness in his eyes, no pain. Jayden Daniels had tried to run into touch when the opponent hit him hard. His body took off, he made a horizontal twist in the air and crashed onto the ground, probably with his helmet grille first. In any case, a small but deep cut was later visible under the right eye. The Washington commanders didn’t even complain. Zyon McCollum’s hit may have even been illegal because it wasn’t within the field of play. Doesn’t matter.
Four minutes later, Daniels threw an undeterred touchdown pass, and the period of possession along the way perhaps said even more about the quarterback than his receiving qualities: 17 plays, nine minutes and 92 yards in an away playoff game. Daniels, 24, is getting his first scars as a professional this season, but his nerves are impressive for his age.
:The team where there is a method to the madness
The Detroit Lions around German-American Amon-Ra St. Brown are the most exciting team in the NFL. They influence the league with their crazy plays. The result is a great spectacle.
German football fans had to stay up late on the first weekend of the playoffs to experience a game that was exciting until the end. The usual title favorites such as the Buffalo Bills, the Baltimore Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles had all clearly prevailed in their home games. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were at least slightly favored against Washington due to the greater experience of their key players. But now at the latest, Daniels is representative of a season in which many rookies, young professionals in their first season, are causing a particularly big stir. Although the truth is that the Commanders’ 23:20 victory in Florida required a field goal in the final second, in which the egg hit the right post, but then fell through.
The capital city team’s first playoff success in 19 years – until 2020 it was called the Redskins – is also notable because the Commanders were one of the worst teams last season. Which is why they were able to be selected as the second team in the draft, the annual player exchange for college graduates. The Chicago Bears chose Caleb Williams, who has also already been an asset to the National Football League (NFL) applies. Daniels then followed from Louisiana State University. From the same university, pass receiver Malik Nabers was drafted sixth by the New York Giants.
Daniels and Nabers are close friends; they got into trouble in the spring because they made a $10,000 bet on which of them would be chosen as the best rookie of the year. They were given an enema by the university director, and at the NFL they had to serve detention on the subject of banned gambling. Nabers caught 109 passes last season, a league-wide rookie record.
The risk of injury is considered one of his biggest weaknesses
The bet, which has now probably been called off, should still go to Daniels. Because with him, football in the capital is fun again, especially since he learns quickly: They also played their first game of the season in Tampa, and Daniels lost the ball on the first play. The 1.93 meter tall Californian is considered the younger and lankier version of Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens); he is also a “dual-threat quarterback”, someone who is just as dangerous as a ball carrier as with his throw. In the 17 games before the playoffs, he ran for 891 yards, more than any senior running back on the team.
Logically, the risk of injury is considered one of his greatest weaknesses. The hit in the Buccaneers game wasn’t the only situation in which Daniels found himself in danger. So far he has been lucky or has the right sense of how much risk he can afford. This season, several playmakers were again out due to concussions, including veteran Jalen Hurts from the Eagles, who had just recovered. Daniels has escaped so far with a minor rib injury and, on Monday night, a plaster under his eye.
Now it’s almost a tradition in the NFL to hype up successful rookies until the fame goes to their heads and drives them to increasingly risky actions. The best example is Robert Griffin III, Daniels’ predecessor in Washington, who was never able to build on the heights of his first season.
The hard hit in Tampa also made it clear: Established quarterbacks like Josh Allen from the Bills, who dissected the Denver Broncos’ strong defense with his passes a few hours earlier on Sunday (31:7), or Lamar Jackson from the Baltimore Ravens ( 28:14 over Pittsburgh), would probably have successfully called for a penalty for the opponent in such an attack due to their status. The commanders aren’t that far along yet. They haven’t taken charge in the league. If they survive on Sunday night in the NFC semifinals against the Detroit Lions, the big favorites in this conference, it will probably be because Jayden Daniels learned faster than anyone before him.
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