Jayden Daniels’ return from his non-throwing elbow dislocation should be the headline.
Instead, the spotlight shifted to a troubling late-game error that raised new concerns about the Commanders (1-3-1). For a franchise seemingly riding the momentum of Daniels’ impressive rookie season, the miscue bodes poorly for the quarterback’s game management and head coach Dan Quinn’s preparation.
From heroic to head-scratching
Daniels wasted little time reminding everyone what Washington is missing. In his return, he shredded the Giants’ defense for 103 rushing yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, highlighted by a 38-yard sprint to the end zone that stretched the Commanders’ lead to 19-6 late in the third quarter.
With Daniels underneath, Washington runs with a different level of explosiveness, and his 302 total yards served as another reminder of that fact.
Critics point to Washington’s head coach
The fallout from Washington’s clock management disaster has been swift, and former NFL wide receiver TJ Houshmandzadeh hasn’t been silent. Coming out of “Speakeasy,” Houshmandzadeh placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of head coach Dan Quinn.
“I felt like Dan Quinn would be fired before he got to the locker room if I was the owner.”
Mike Tomlin, Chris Simms and Nick Wright sound off
The confusing finish also drew strong reaction from “Football Night in America” analyst and former Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, who offered a brutally honest assessment of the Giants-Commanders tie.
“I’d describe it as disgusting. I threw up a little bit in my mouth at the end of the game.”
The Commanders had no timeouts remaining in overtime and let the clock run down to less than 20 seconds with the ball on the Giants’ 24-yard line.
Daniels could throw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock; instead, he took a sack and looked to the sideline. He may have thought the Commanders had a timeout left; it is almost as if Commanders players have not said anything leading to clocking the ball.
“It’s not up to Jayden Daniels; the head coach has to manage the game,” analyst Chris Simms said. “The head coach, who probably makes $15 million a year, he has to go through the situation with his offensive coordinator, his quarterback, and tell you exactly what needs to be done.”
Nick Wright, on “First Things First,” offered one of the harshest reactions to the play, comparing it to one of the most infamous quarterback decisions of the last decade and arguing that it will forever change his view of Daniels.
“I’ll never look at Jayden Daniels the same way the rest of his career. It goes to the same side of my brain as Josh Allen threw the back of his head, his first playoff game.”