Despite falling 23-17 to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 6, the Washington Commanders have been argued to still be the best team in the NFC East. Washingon currently sits in last place with a 1-4-1 record. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, however, is back healthy and performing at a high level.
The conundrum continues with the fact that Daniels, who missed two and a half games this year due to a dislocated non-throwing elbow, last recorded a victory for Washington on Oct. 5, 2025 — over a year ago. The Commanders' lone win this season was with backup Marcus Mariota at the helm.
Maybe Daniels decided to leave his last win on a date with multiple fives as a branding bit? No, in all seriousness, Washington's franchise QB has been playing at a decent enough level (when healthy) but just having him present on the field is clearly not enough to get the job done.
Are the Commanders wasting Jayden Daniels or is he an extremely talented loser?
Daniels has almost 1,000 all-purpose yards, seven total touchdowns and no turnovers in just four appearances this year. Only Dak Prescott has a far and away higher total but the Dallas Cowboys, too, are well below .500 after six games. It's hard to determine if the NFC East has just become a place really good passers go to waste away or if the QBs themselves just don't have the clutch gene.
Daniels in particular should've ended his winless streak in Week 5 against the New York Giants. A catastrophic communications breakdown and mental error forced a tie in his return from injury. Washington is on a bye in Week 7 and returns to face the Jalen Hurts-less Philadelphia Eagles in Week 8, his next opportunity to snap the losing run.
It doesn't look like Daniels' chances of winning are going to go up despite how hampered the Commanders' division foe is. Philadelphia's defense is still formidable and Daniels will likely be without top wideout Terry McLaurin for extended time following his injury exit from MNF. Washington's next four opponents following the primetime bout with Philly are toss ups at best:
- Nov. 8 vs. Los Angeles Rams
- Nov. 12 at New York Giants
- Nov. 23 vs. Cincinnati Bengals
- Nov. 29 at Arizona Cardinals
Daniels can put up big numbers against all four defenses but will his own prevent enough points from being scored to ensure the Commanders are in front by the time time expires? And if he's in a position where he has to deliver a game-winning drive, will he find the clutch gene or will he fall flat like the last two weeks?
The answers to those questions will be answered and then it'll be up to Washington's management to determine how much has to be overhauled as the team enters the final year of Daniels' rookie contract. Those negotiations could be tense considering the former first-round pick's talent qualifies for a lucrative deal but his 14-13-1 record as a starter (with the strong possibility of dipping under .500 after this year) is not exactly confidence-exuding.
If Daniels pulls out a few of the improbable wins this year the franchise is looking for, keeping him in Washington should be a no brainer. Then the challenge becomes building a competitive team around him that could plausibly deliver a championship, especially with the Super Bowl poised to be held in Washington as early as when the new RFK Stadium is completed in 2030.
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