Time Washington Commanders It was a notable move to select a quarterback last, second overall, in the NFL Draft. ESPN Tony Kornheiser, analyst and former Washington Post reporter It is called “A country of irrepressible optimismWhen Robert Griffin III got off to a great start as a rookie, fans of the franchise were fired up to new levels of hope.
A new era of unbridled optimism could be upon us. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, made that hope a reality with just one drive in the team’s preseason opener.
Daniels and the Commanders began preseason play on Saturday at MetLife Stadium. New York JetsAnd that opening possession couldn’t have gone any better for the visitors.
Washington’s opening drive was an 11-play, 70-yard touchdown drive that ended with a short Daniels touchdown run to give them the lead.
Daniels missed his first pitch of the game but didn’t miss his second.
The rookie quarterback beat tight man coverage and hit a perfect deep shot to Diami Brown for a 42-yard gain to give the Commanders another set of downs deep in New York’s own half.
The drive appeared to stall near the goal line, but new Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury gave Daniels a third-down option design, and Daniels kept it and scored a 3-yard touchdown.
Daniels read the play perfectly and decided to hold onto the ball rather than hand it off to running back Austin Ekeler, but a perfect block by tight end John Bates sealed off the edge and gave Daniels a clear path to the end zone.
Daniels replaced backup quarterback Marcus Mariota on Washington’s second drive and finished the day completing 2 of 3 passes for 45 yards and a short touchdown run.
This new era of unbridled optimism may not show up in the box score, but it’s certainly thanks to Washington’s rookie quarterback.
