Dan Quinn Reacts to Jayden Daniels' Rushing Game: 'Priority as a Passer'

Jayden Daniels' spectacular running with the ball on the day marked the start of New Head Coach Dan Quinn, and it will be fair to say the game itself did not hold any other highlights besides Mr. Daniels, a first-round pick rushing the ball to the end zone.

With 16 rushing attempts, Daniels managed to collect 88 rushing yards with two rushing touchdowns, heralding himself as the first rookie QB to achieve such rushing in their Week 1 opener. However, this pitch did not work for the Commanders as the passing game was non-existent, pacing Daniels at 17/24, 184 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and the receiving unit cumulatively managing only 55 yards.

After analyzing the game, Dan Quinn hoped there would be more variety in the rookie's playing. While admitting that Daniels has an impressive heart and is good with the defenders, Jamal herself pointed out the areas where the INT could have been avoided by making the throw instead of going for that run.

"I think if you'd asked him, there'll probably be a few throws that he would either like to rip or where the progression may have taken him," Quinn added. It is clear from his comments that Dan Daniels is well-advised not to rely ahead of time on designing plays too early or too late so that arm running has to be incorporated.

Commanders' Offensive Adjustments

Given Todd Bowles’s staunch defense, it is natural for a rookie to use his legs more than he has been coached, especially when playing away. When the team is dependent on Austin Ekeler and Brian Robinson, who were the leading receivers, it also points out something that needs more attention in Kliff Kingsbury’s plans for the offense.

The Commanders have to get more production out of their wide receivers, especially from the upper-echelon ones such as Terry McLaurin, in order to make their offense more multi-dimensional. Regarding Daniels’s many runs, Quinn explained that not everyone was a designed run play for the quarterback.

He placed substantial dependability on Daniels developing good judgment regarding when to run, stressing that it would not happen overnight. "We'd love to see him remain a passer first," Quinn said, declaring alignments for Daniels as being more conventional as he looks to gain more NFL experience.

This said, as Daniels continues to transition towards the professional level of the sport, the ability to diagnose schemes and play action through the air as opposed to the ground will be paramount. At the same time, Quinn also stressed that this could be done without putting Daniels in danger by working more on avoiding getting hit on runs through techniques such as sliding.