In true Jayden Daniels form, the former LSU quarterback stood out with some explosive plays and a rushing touchdown in his NFL preseason debut with the Washington Commanders earlier this afternoon vs. the New York Jets.
First game jitters didn’t last long for former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels in NFL preseason debut
Well, that certainly didn’t take long.
Quarterback Jayden Daniels took the field with the Washington Commanders earlier this afternoon for his NFL preseason debut vs. the New York Jets, and despite some early jitters, things ended up going about as well as anyone could have hoped for.
After getting the ball first on the day, the Commanders started out fairly conservatively, running the ball on first down with running back Brian Robinson Jr. Continuing their trend of working the short game, they elected for a short pass to running back Austin Ekeler on second down, which, unfortunately for Daniels, ended up sailing over his head after some solid pressure from the Jets defense.
Understandably, there were some concerns about how the rookie quarterback would respond after his first pass went incomplete. However, in true Jayden Daniels form, he didn’t get rattled, and instead did something that LSU football fans have grown quite accustomed to over the last year or so.
He threw it deep.
The pass would end up going for 42 yards to third-year wide receiver Dyami Brown, and for Commanders and Tiger fans alike, the pass was a moment of relief, as the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner immediately began to look like his old confident self.
Rushing ability shining bright
Even better for Washington fans, the former LSU quarterback wasn’t done just yet. After a series of short runs and passes to continue moving down the field, Daniels would go on to do what he does best and complete an impressive drive by utilizing his legs and outrunning the entire defense for an easy jog into the endzone for six.
In total, the rookie quarterback would finish his NFL preseason debut with an efficient 45 yards on 2-for-3 passing to go along with three yards and a touchdown on the ground.
This level of efficiency is nothing new for Daniels, who took the country by storm in 2023, completing 72.2 percent of his passes for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns, while adding 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
While it’d be unfair to expect this level of consistency throughout his rookie season while competing against the best defenses in all of football, it at the very least has Commanders fans excited for the future of their franchise.
The Washington Commanders will again take the field next week for their second preseason game in Miami vs. the Dolphins at 6:00 p.m. CST on Saturday, August 17.
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