Daily Slop – 21 Oct 24: Bears fans continue to simper and whine that Daniels runs an LSU offense with “half-field reads”

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Washington Post (paywall)

Jayden Daniels is all smiles on the sideline despite injury early in blowout win

The rookie suffered a rib injury in the first quarter and left the game for good, but the Commanders still trounced the Panthers, 40-7.

Daniels grabbed his left side after handing the ball off to running back Austin Ekeler, and after guiding the Commanders to points — via an Austin Seibert field goal — he trudged to the sideline in obvious discomfort.

The Commanders’ athletic trainers rushed to his side and worked on the left side of his ribs as he grimaced on the bench. After a brief stint in the medical tent, Daniels emerged to grab his helmet and a ball to warm up on the sideline. He needed only a couple of throws to know it was over. He winced in pain, threw his helmet in frustration and began a slow walk to the locker room.

That was the start of Washington’s most dominant victory this season and its most lopsided win in years.

The mixed emotions created an odd dichotomy for a team that only recently rediscovered its dominance. The concern about Daniels was palpable, but the unbridled excitement over the team’s success was evident.

By the second quarter, Daniels’s mother attempted to quell lingering concern about her son by publishing on X, “He’s fine.”

Daniels wasn’t the only concern for Washington; rookie tackle Brandon Coleman left the game with a concussion and wide receiver Dyami Brown headed to the locker room shortly before halftime with an ankle injury. (He returned and said in the locker room afterward that he was fine.) Washington’s dominance — and the depth and cohesion without its star quarterback — instilled confidence that it’s not a one-man show.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Sunday’s biggest play for the Commanders was keeping injured Jayden Daniels off the field

[I]f ever you wanted to crystallize the difference since the adults took over the Washington Commanders, with a clear chain of command that everyone respects, look at how Washington’s new brain trust handled Jayden Daniels’ rib injury in the first quarter of what became a 40-7 Washington rout of the hapless Carolina Panthers. And compare it to how a previous regime let its injured franchise quarterback, Robert Griffin III, waltz back out on the football field, seemingly having decided on his own, against the Seattle Seahawks in a 2012 season playoff game — a decision that led to catastrophic results.

[A]gainst Seattle, both the coach making $7 million a year, and who had complete control over the franchise, and the renowned doctor, stood and watched while the franchise QB went back on the field, and played, until his knee gave out for good late in the game, with Griffin suffering a complete tear of the ACL.

“You respect authority and I respect Coach Shanahan,” Griffin said after the game. “But at the same time, you have to step up and be a man sometimes. There was no way I was coming out of that game.”

Daniels, the rookie phenom, was injured during Washington’s first offensive drive Sunday.

Before Washington’s next offensive possession, Daniels went into the blue medical tent. Then, after Emmanuel Forbes’ interception late in the first quarter, Daniels was ready to go back into the game. He’d come out of the tent and got his helmet. He started to run back onto the field. And then … he was stopped. He returned to the bench. He slammed his helmet. He was escorted off the field and into Washington’s locker room.

He did not return. Well, not in uniform; he came back to the sideline after halftime, dressed in street clothes, and waving to the crowd.

That meant Bellamy, the longtime athletic trainer in his second tour with the team, and team physician Christopher Annunziata and Tim McGrath, the team’s senior director of player health and performance…made their recommendation to General Manager Adam Peters and Quinn: Daniels should sit the rest of this one out. They were not overruled by Josh Harris or his ownership group, or Quinn and his coaches.

It also happened a week ago, when Brian Robinson was held out of the Baltimore game — a game in which he desperately wanted to play — with a knee injury. It was a big moment for him and for his team, to try and prove that things really are different this season. But Robinson didn’t dress.

To be sure, a rib injury is not as severe as a knee. And, also, this time around, Washington had the benefit Sunday of playing … well, the uniformly awful Panthers. How they’ve won a game this season is beyond me. It is not at all beyond me that this is what the Commanders looked like to the rest of the league during most of the previous two-plus decades.

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The Athletic (paywall)

Despite injury to Jayden Daniels, Commanders all smiles after throttling Panthers

Neither Quinn nor teammates could specify when the dual-threat quarterback began hurting. Daniels zoomed past defenders for a 46-yard run, only to be flipped on a clean tackle. The rookie remained in the game and had two additional carries. On his final run, wide receiver Dyami Brown recognized Daniels’ discomfort when he “did like a slow fall to the ground” at the Carolina 8-yard line rather than fight for extra yards.

Before anyone starts hyperventilating, Daniels appears fine. Quinn had no official update to offer after the game other than to note that the league leader in completion percentage would undergo tests Monday. Daniels spent the remainder of the first half in the locker room but rejoined his teammates after halftime, sporting a team-colored tracksuit, wide smile and his trademark chill vibe despite any pain.

That step-by-step approach has worked well for Washington this season. Taking cues from Daniels, the Commanders have maintained an even-keeled mentality.

“Shoutout to Marcus for coming in and being ready,” McLaurin said. “I’d expect nothing else of him. He’s been a leader since he got here. He’s helped Jayden along, and we’ve really built some camaraderie with him as well.”

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ESPN

Commanders’ Dante Fowler Jr. has 67-yard pick-six against Panthers

Washington Commanders defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. made sure his first career interception was a big one.

Fowler picked off Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown on the opening drive. Fowler entered the game with two career touchdowns, but both occurred off fumble recoveries.

But on this play, Dalton rolled to his right away from charging defensive end Clelin Ferrell and tried to hit running back Miles Sanders. His errant pass was instead picked off by Fowler, who then sidestepped Dalton around his own 45-yard line and then ran untouched to the end zone.

The interception return for a score was Washington’s longest since safety Ifeanyi Ohalete ran one back 78 yards for a score in 2002.

Washington signed Fowler to a one-year deal in free agency. He was starting in place of injured defensive end Dorance Armstrong. Fowler has been productive with 3.5 sacks, five tackles for a loss and four quarterback hits.

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Commanders.com

Five takeaways from Washington’s win over Carolina

2. The defense smothered the Panthers.

The defense has been making steady improvements since their Week 1 performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sunday’s game against the Panthers was perhaps their biggest jump in production.

Aside from their opening drive (more on that later) and a couple in the fourth quarter, the Panther found almost no success on offense. They were held to just one third down conversion and 110 yards in the first half, and they were even less productive in the second, as they ended the day with just 180 total yards on 43 plays.

While the defense as a unit played better than they have all season, there were a few players who stood out and were particularly disruptive. Mike Sainristil led the team with seven tackles, several of which were in the open field. Frankie Luvu also added another sack on the season and added four stops, one of which was for a two-yard loss.

And as for Andy Dalton and Chuba Hubbard, two of the Panthers’ biggest weapons, they were held to some of the lowest yardage totals in their careers. Dalton was limited to less than 100 passing yards for just the ninth time in his career in game where he was the starter, and Hubbard had his second worst rushing performance of the season with 52 yards.

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Commanders.com

Instant analysis | Commanders cruise to 5-2 with 40-7 win vs. Panthers

Backup Marcus Mariota led the Commanders to five scores on his first six drives and put up 421 yards on 63 plays. Brian Robinson Jr. returned to action and ran hard, collecting 71 yards and a score on 12 carries.

On defense, Washington put together its best performance of the season, holding the Panthers’ offense without a point until the fourth quarter. They looked their best during their opening drive, but even that ended in dismay, as Dante Fowler Jr. picked off Andy Dalton’s third-down pass and returned it 67 yards for third career touchdown.

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Riggo’s Rag

Kliff Kingsbury masterclass sparks Commanders into life without Jayden Daniels

Kingsbury ran rings around Carolina’s defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. He implemented some creative rushing concepts, mixing the power-run game with read options and outside shifts extremely well. The Panthers are under-strength defensively, but it’s also worth remembering the Commanders were doing this without Daniels or rookie third-round left tackle Brandon Coleman.

Washington accumulated 421 yards of total offense. They secured 26 first downs. They averaged 6.7 yards per play and mustered an impressive 214 rushing yards. This isn’t some fluke, it’s down to Kingsbury’s composure and ability to adapt no matter the situation.

Daniels was all smiles on the sidelines after the Commanders decided to end his afternoon early. There was no need to put him back out there in this one. They need their star player fresh for the team’s upcoming challenges. And make no mistake, they won’t be playing a team as bad as the Panthers again in 2024.

The Commanders bounced back in fine style following their competitive defeat at the Baltimore Ravens. They remain atop the NFC East and in the playoff places with the midseason point fast approaching. Perhaps more impressive is the fact they are finding new ways to win. It’s a true collective effort and the core fabric of the improved culture in Washington.

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Commanders Wire

Quick facts from Commanders’ 40-7 win over the Panthers

Here are some of the quick facts from the fifth win of the Commanders’ season:

• The Commanders are 3-0 at home. The last time they were 3-0 at home was in 2005.
• Washington outgained Carolina 421-180.
• Today was the first time Washington scored 40 points at home since a 2016 win over the Green Bay Packers on a Sunday Night game.
• Washington led by 27 points at halftime. This was the largest halftime lead since 2005 when they led Dallas 28-0.
• RB Brian Robinson has run for six rushing touchdowns. This is the most in his three NFL seasons, and today was only the seventh game of the season.
• Dante Fowler’s interception return for a touchdown was the first defensive touchdown of the 2024 Commanders’ season.
• After going first five games with no interceptions, the Commanders have intercepted a pass in consecutive games.
• Tight end Ben Sinnott had his first career reception today; it was also his first NFL touchdown.

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Upcoming opponent

Windy City Gridiron

How Good Can the 2024 Chicago Bears Be?

Is (4-2) just the beginning for Chicago’s playoff push?

The next three games are entirely winnable with the toughest being next week at Washington. The Commanders currently have the same record as the Bears and are led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels and the Bears rookie quarterback are more than likely the two leaders for offensive rookie of the year. How each plays versus each other next week could determine who ends up winning that award.

Presently, Daniels has the advantage because, on paper, his stats are superior in terms of yards thrown and completion percentage. What the stats don’t say is that Caleb Willams is being asked to do much more than Daniels at this point of the season in terms of quarterback responsibilities.

In Washington, Daniels is running an offense very similar to what he ran at LSU with some of Kliff Kingsbury’s Air Raid scheme added. Many of his throws are half-field reads, and he, more often than not, throws to his first option. NFL stats prove this point. Daniels is currently fifth in the League in throwing to his first option, while Caleb Williams is 27th. That’s a huge difference.

Williams, on the other hand, is playing in a more difficult full-field scheme and has to read the entire field and go through a much tougher progression. Statistically, he is throwing to his second or third read as often as some of the best quarterbacks in football. For a rookie to be doing that six weeks into his career is nothing short of amazing.

Washington, by virtue of playing at home, will have a decided advantage, but the hidden factor is that Caleb Williams is from Washington, D.C., and we know darn well that he is going to want to play well in his hometown. Right now, I feel that game is a toss-up, but let’s just say that Washington wins.

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Windy City Gridiron

Caleb Williams might already be the best Bears QB ever

Early returns on Caleb Williams could bring back the magic of No. 1 picks

Per Next Gen Stats, Williams has been one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks during Chicago’s three-game winning streak: In the last three weeks, Williams ranks fourth in EPA per dropback (+0.34 estimated points added per dropback), fourth in completion percentage over expectation (+6.8% CPOE), and is fifth in success rate (54.7%).

What does that mean?

Well, a +6.8% CPOE would be first in the entire NFL right now for the season if Williams stayed at that level. Fellow rookie Jayden Daniels leads the league at +6.4%.

Same goes for +0.34 EPA/db, which would best Daniels’ leading +0.29. Williams ranked second in the NFL in EPA/db in Week 5, behind only Joe Burrow, and was third in EPA/db in Week 6, behind only Jared Goff and Jordan Love.

In Week 6, Williams was also elite at “quick passes” by completing 13 of 14 with three touchdowns and nine first downs on throws under 2.5 seconds.

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Windy City Gridiron

Bears open as 1.5-point favorite over Commanders

The Bears and Commanders meet Sunday but there are questions about Jayden Daniels’s health.

Chicago’s next opponent, the Washington Commanders, took care of business in a 40-7 victory laugher over the hapless Carolina Panthers.

But it wasn’t all good news for the Commanders. In the first quarter rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels injured his ribs and did not return to the game. They clearly didn’t need him as demonstrated by the final score but it’s a big question mark for Washington now.

The opening line was delayed being posted by some books, but FanDuel Sportsbook now posted their initial line as the Chicago Bears -1.5.

Note that the Bears have not won a road game yet in 2024 (and they were the designated home team in London).

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Podcasts & videos

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Washington Commanders Defeat Carolina Panthers 40-7 But Lose QB Jayden Daniels to Rib Injury

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A Night With Legends! Command Center Special | Washington Commanders | NFL

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Photos

Commanders.com

PHOTOS | Commanders vs. Panthers, Week 7

The Washington Commanders have begun warming up at Northwest Stadium for their Week 7 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, #ShotOnSony. (Photos by Emilee Fails and Kourtney Carroll/Washington Commanders)