Commanders have one critical Jayden Daniels mistake they can’t make

The Washington Commanders may have lost their season-opener on Sunday but first round pick Jayden Daniels proved he's going to be a real asset to their offense.

Now they've got to preserve that asset for long-term future usage.

Daniels rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns on top of throwing for 184 yards in the 37-20 loss in Tampa Bay.

Both of his scores came in goal-to-go situations where he took on multiple defenders to get across the line and into the endzone.

Will Jayden Daniels be RGIII 2.0?

Those golden legs of his are going to need to be protected if Washington wants to avoid a repeat of a situation like 2012's where rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III injured his knee and then re-injured it in the playoffs.

As far back as his time in college and Arizona State and LSU, Daniels has never shied away from taking off and surrendering his body to gain an extra yard or break the plane.

Daniels' run game is built into the Washington offense, that's what can make it deadly if developed properly. But it's the times where Daniels has to run unnecessarily that could cause the most concern.

Washington is in deep trouble if they lose Daniels to injury

He's got to learn how to slide. Diving and taking hits from defenders is not a sustainable strategy whatsoever.

Solid offensive line protection will also be key to keeping Daniels a long-term weapon in Washington's arsenal because if they lose him, well, they've got no one else.

With No. 2 quarterback Marcus Mariota out with an injury, Jeff Driskel would be the back-up followed by fellow rookie Sam Hartman as the "break glass in case of emergency" option.

It's probably safe to say no Washington fan wants to see Driskel and especially Hartman on the field at any point this season - or ever for that matter.