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John Keim, editor at ESPN
Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn is excited about what he’s seen from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. But there’s one exception: Quinn wants him to slide more.
This was evident on Saturday in the 13-6 loss to the Miami Dolphins in the preseason. On a zone read keeper in the first quarter on the right side, Daniels gained 13 yards, but instead of sliding, he continued to run forward and was tackled from behind.
After the game, Quinn told reporters — in a nod to the movie “Animal House” — that Daniels was under “double secret probation” for not sliding on the play. It was the second week in a row that Daniels had coaches nervous about a play and the possibility of a big hit.
After Saturday’s game, Quinn walked down the sideline to Daniels and motioned for him to come down.
Washington has been thrilled with Daniels’ performance, not only in preseason games but also in practice. Coaches and teammates raved about his work ethic and said he was more advanced in his knowledge of the offense than he should be as a rookie.
Although he has not yet been officially named a starter for the season, he has participated in the majority of the first team’s training sessions in recent weeks and was in the starting line-up in both pre-season games.
Daniels completed 12 of 15 passes for 122 yards and one rushing touchdown in the preseason.
“He put on a really good performance again,” Quinn said. “The accuracy, the decision making, where to go. He’s really a unique competitor. But yeah, he got in trouble with the head coach again.”
Last week against the New York Jets, Daniels checked against a blitz to throw a pass, resulting in a 42-yard pass. But while coaches were happy with the play itself, they didn’t want him to check out of the play and risk another hit – he was just a half-step away from being knocked to the ground on that throw.
Then, in another Animal House reference, Quinn added, “He does not have a 0.0 (grade point average), I can absolutely assure you of that.”
But the Commanders want him to understand when to try for more yards while running and when to slide. Daniels routinely opted for more yards at LSU.
“It’s a constant battle between me and him,” Daniels told reporters. “It’s a fine line of knowing when to take your chances and lay down. (On the 13-yard run) I thought there weren’t many people behind me. After I got tackled, he was standing on the sideline and said, ‘Down, down!’ That’s our little joke.”
Daniels ran for 1,134 yards at LSU, but since he weighs 210 pounds, they don’t want him to take on too many extra tacklers. But the Commanders and Daniels also know his legs make a big difference.
“I’m still learning. God has blessed me with a gift that I don’t want to let go of,” Daniels said. “I’m very competitive, so I want to make explosive plays and score a lot of touchdowns.”
