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Commanders Qb Jayden Daniels Plans To Eliminate Some Aol

Bonisiwe Shabane
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commanders qb jayden daniels plans to eliminate some aol

C.J. Stroud, Ja’Marr Chase, Dak Prescott and Robert Griffin III all won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors before Daniels claimed the award this past season. All four — and many of their less-decorated draft classmates — took a step back in various production and efficiency metrics during their second pro season. The sophomore slump in the NFL threatens perennially. It doesn’t discriminate. Defensive coordinators have a season’s worth of tape and an offseason of analysis to study rookies and strategize with a depth that game-planning against first-year players doesn’t allow.

So as Daniels prepares for his second season at the Washington Commanders' helm, he’s not shying away from that risk. He’s embracing it. And aiming to thwart it. The dreaded sophomore slump has bitten many a second-year star. Last season, Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud struggled through Year 2.

In recent seasons, other OROY winners have similarly taken a step back. Garrett Wilson, Ja'Marr Chase, Saquon Barkley and Dak Prescott, to name a few, each earned a statistical regression in their second seasons. It's a list that Washington Commanders QB and reigning OROY Jayden Daniels is out to stay off. "I'm sitting down and watching film and trying to eliminate some tendencies, as much as possible," Daniels told Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports this week. "Talking to the coaching staff on areas that they feel like I need to improve on and having conversations so we can all hit at full speed." In his first year, Daniels flipped the script for a franchise penciled in at the bottom of the division.

Statistically, he finished with a 69% completion rate, 3,568 passing yards, a 25-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 100.1 passer rating. The dual threat also earned 891 rushing yards, setting a rookie record for a QB, and six rushing scores. For players on the Washington Commanders’ roster, the offseason presents an opportunity to heal, rest, and really focus on individual plans for getting better before the next season. Quarterback Jayden Daniels entered his first NFL offseason in a better position than most, and after leading the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game, there weren’t a whole lot of holes in his game... That doesn’t mean there aren’t areas he could get better in as he looks to take Washington another step forward this season, and he spent much of his offseason looking for physical and technical... Given his dual-threat style of play, it made sense for Daniels to prepare his body for the punishment defensive players love to dish out to quarterbacks.

While he escaped his rookie season relatively unscathed, the quarterback’s efforts were focused on being “able to soften the blow as much as possible,” Daniels says. “That helps out because obviously those guys might get a good shot on you and they weigh a lot more than I do. So, just be able to try to build more muscle to absorb those hits.” Jayden Daniels has been one of the few quarterbacks to get selected and showcase his talents right away, as he dominated from the jump and led the Washington Commanders to an NFC Championship Game. That was a huge leap for a team that hadn’t posted a winning record in eight years. Daniels stepped up in a big way, winning Offensive Rookie of the Year after completing 331 of 480 passes (69.0%) for 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He also ran 148 times for 891 yards (6.0 yards per carry) and six rushing touchdowns. Now, the challenge is meeting those lofty expectations, as many rookies hit a sophomore slump in Year 2. We saw that with Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud last season, who had a bit of a down year. But Daniels is determined to go above and beyond this offseason to avoid that in 2025. Daniels has shown that he can keep rising to the moment—he never slowed down during the season or in the playoffs.

The game never looked too fast, and the spotlight never seemed too bright. In an interview with Yahoo Sports senior reporter Jori Epstein, Daniels said he’s focused on avoiding the dreaded slump. “I’m sitting down and watching film and trying to eliminate some tendencies, as much as possible. Talking to the coaching staff on areas that they feel like I need to improve on and having conversations so we can all hit at full speed.” Ensuring Jayden Daniels avoids a sophomore slump is the most important task for the Washington Commanders this offseason, and the coaching staff has taken it seriously by undergoing work to change three key things... Those changes were detailed by Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer on Monday, June 23.

He explained how a meeting with “Taylor Kelly, the coach at 3DQB (and former Arizona State quarterback) whom Daniels works with in Orange County,” laid out the ways the Commanders want Daniels to change. Tweaking the Offensive Rookie of the Year’s mechanics has involved “refining his lower body movement on certain throws—something quarterbacks are always working on—was one thing. Working on some specifics on throws to Daniels’s left, and his arm angle on those throws, was another.” Breer also outlined the way offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury “and the rest of the offensive staff resolved to condense the offense and grow the things the Commanders did well, and throw out some of... The idea was to get razor sharp, rather than too complex, with the offense’s strengths, giving the players the spring to hone that.” Pinpointing what Daniels does well and having him employ laser-level focus on those things is smart coaching, but the Commanders also need the player to do his bit to maintain an upward surge.

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn found himself in the crosshairs after Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow in the team's 38-14 blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9. With the game well out of hand, Quinn was criticized for his decision to keep Daniels in the contest in the fourth quarter. While Quinn initially talked around the issue Sunday, the coach took a more direct approach Monday, telling reporters, "I've been thinking about it nonstop too, and, man, I missed it. ... That is 100 percent on me." Following Sunday's game, Quinn didn't answer the question directly, saying the team was going to try and avoid putting Daniels in harm's way with its play-calling at that point in the game.

"The hindsight, you don't want to think that way where an injury could take place," Quinn said. "We were more conservative in that spot, to run and handoff and not have reads to go. Just the end result, I'm bummed." Daniels sustained the injury with 7:29 left to play. The Commanders were trailing by 31 points at the time. Week 9's "Sunday Night Football" game between Washington and Seattle featured some déjà vu for Commanders fans.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels left the game with an elbow injury, bringing backup Marcus Mariota in the game to see the final Commanders' drive out. Mariota has started three games for the Commanders this season and, after Daniels' injury, looked poised to do that again for a while. It looks like he won't have to hold the starting job for too long. Daniels' elbow injury is not as serious as anticipated and he will not be placed on injured reserve (IR), per multiple reports. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said examinations showed there is no ligament damage to Daniels' elbow and he won't need surgery. Sources: #Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ MRI and medical opinions revealed positive news, as his dislocated left elbow is not as serious as originally anticipated.

There was no ligament damage & he won't need surgery.Daniels will not be immediately placed on Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/mB1zZ6D8oj

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