The Washington Commanders are hoping Jayden Daniels’ return can do two things at once: steady the offense and keep him out of harm’s way.
That’s the backdrop as Washington heads into its game against the Giants. Daniels is back after a dislocated left elbow that looked serious enough to threaten his season, but he chose to avoid surgery and get himself back on the field.
The bigger issue for the Commanders, though, goes beyond one game. They’ve dropped four straight and sit at 1-3, so simply having Daniels available is only part of the equation. Washington needs results, and it needs them now.
Not everyone is convinced Daniels is built to be the long-term answer unless the Commanders protect him in a very specific way. One executive told Jason La Canfora, via Heavy, “They’ve got to show more conviction to stick with the run and more max protections and an emphasis on getting him through games,” the exec said, per Jason La Canfora, H/T Heavy.
The criticism didn’t stop there. The same executive said, “He’s built more like a basketball player than a football player.
It’s a very slight build; he doesn’t even have the core and the trunk of a guy like Lamar Jackson … They have to be fully committed to some things if this is going to work. He can’t keep missing all this time.”
That comparison is a heavy one, and not exactly a clean one either. Jackson has missed time himself, and he’s also a unique case - a multi-time MVP who plays quarterback in a way almost nobody else does.
Daniels may not be Jackson, but that doesn’t make him a lesser player. It just means Washington is being asked to manage a talented quarterback with a very different body type and a very different risk profile.
In Other News...
Giants' 3-1 Start Is Already Fueling A Brutal Debate
A 3-1 start usually buys a team some patience, but it can also invite a hard look under the hood when the wins do not feel as sturdy as the record. That is the position the Giants find themselves in now, with the early schedule creating just enough optimism to keep the conversation alive while leaving plenty of questions about how sustainable this start really is.
Aaron Schatzs DVOA work has only sharpened that debate, because the Giants are being graded far more harshly than the standings might suggest. ESPNs Football Power Index is even colder, putting their playoff odds at just 4%, which is the kind of number that turns a promising opening month into a referendum on what this team actually is. [Read more 🡒]
Giants May Be Regretting Their Kayvon Thibodeaux Gamble
Kayvon Thibodeauxs fifth NFL season has opened with more frustration than production, and that is not a great look for a Giants pass rush already dealing with the loss of Brian Burns to injury. Through four games, Thibodeaux has yet to register a sack, and his 0% pass-rush win rate only adds to the concern around a player the Giants have counted on to be a centerpiece up front.
The bigger question now is what the front office sees in him moving forward, especially with free agency approaching. New York had a chance to move on from Thibodeaux in April, but held onto him, betting there would be stronger value waiting elsewhere. For a team trying to keep its defense afloat, the decision is starting to look harder to defend by the week. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Suddenly Have A Real Chance To Seize The NFC East
With the Giants sitting at 3-1 and still hanging onto the top spot in the NFC East, the early-season picture has shifted quickly from survival mode to something much more intriguing. A Week 5 meeting with Washington carries obvious weight, but not just because it is another division game. The Giants have already shown they can keep pace in a rugged start, and now they are in position to turn that into something more lasting if they keep stacking wins inside the division.
The bigger swing would come in the standings beyond just another mark in the win column. Getting past the Commanders would sharpen the Giants grip on the East and help them build the kind of tiebreaker cushion that can matter in December, especially with the Cowboys still lurking in the race. For a team that has already handled some major injury setbacks, the next few weeks could determine whether this is simply a fast start or the beginning of a real chase for the division. [Read more 🡒]