TAMPA, Fla. — Jayden Daniels’ NFL career didn’t begin how he’d hoped as the Washington Commanders fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 37-20, on Sunday.
On his first NFL snap, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner turned to his right and fired the ball toward running back Brian Robinson Jr. But the pass was actually a fumble — it went backward 15 yards before tumbling out of bounds. An ominous start, for sure, but there were promising flashes of talent that followed for the rookie — just not nearly enough to keep pace with the Buccaneers.
Daniels’ scrambling ability was a big part of his Heisman season at LSU, and he showed off the wheels throughout Sunday’s game. When his first receiver wasn’t open, the 23-year-old tucked the ball into his arm and darted for the first-down mark, evading pass rushers on the way. His scrambles often ended clumsily, as the dual-threat quarterback opted for forward tumbles over the traditional feet-first slide.
He finished with 88 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while completing 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards.
“Overall, it went well. There’s some stuff on the offense that we left on the field. We need to execute better,” Daniels said after the game, calling himself a “hard grader.” “ But it’s a long season. We’re going to move on from this.”
But a sluggish Commanders attack failed to produce many explosive plays down the field, and Washington’s struggles weren’t limited to the offensive side of the ball.
In the lead-up to Sunday’s game, Commanders coach Dan Quinn stressed discipline for his revamped squad.
The message didn’t seem to hit home. On its first drive, Washington’s defense stopped Tampa Bay on a third-and-1, but a penalty by defensive end Clelin Ferrell extended the possession. The Buccaneers went on to kick a field goal to open up a 3-0 lead.
The penalty woes continued when the Commanders sent 12 men onto the field before a critical third down on the next possession. The foul turned a tough third-and-11 into a more manageable third-and-6, which the Buccaneers converted to extend a drive that ended in another field goal.
The Buccaneers opened up a 13-0 lead with three methodical drives before the Commanders responded with their own touchdown drive, powered by Daniels’ legs.
Penalties hurt the Commanders again in the second half. When Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. fell behind in coverage during the third quarter, he grabbed wide receiver Jalen McMillan’s facemask. The referees found him guilty of two infractions — a personal foul and pass interference — leading to 26 penalty yards on one play.
Washington’s coach highlighted third downs after the game. The Commanders converted just two of their 8 third-down attempts. The Buccaneers moved the chains on nine of their 13 opportunities.
“It stings,” Quinn said after his defense allowed 392 yards in the loss. “Certainly a story tonight of missed opportunities.”
The Buccaneers scored on seven of their first eight possessions, methodically marching down the field against a Commanders defense that didn’t have any solutions for Buccaneers wide receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. The pair combined for 13 catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns.
The Buccaneers lost three defensive backs to injury throughout the game — Zyon McCollum, Josh Hayes and Bryce Hall — but Washington’s passing attack remained inert throughout the second half.
Down 16 points with 11 minutes left in the game, the Commanders could’ve opted for a fourth-down attempt from their own 47-yard line to continue the drive. They didn’t.
Quinn sent out the punt team, and the Buccaneers responded with a 12-play, 91-yard touchdown drive to seal the victory.
Daniels and the Commanders rallied for a late touchdown, but it was too late for a full-fledged comeback. The Buccaneers recovered the subsequent onside kick to effectively end the game.
“You need the struggle to see the identity develop,” Quinn said after an offseason where he preached the need for a culture change. “You don’t want it, but you do need it. That part is hard and that struggle happened tonight.”
The Commanders are back in action next Sunday for their home opener against the New York Giants at the newly-renamed Northwest Stadium in Landover.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.