One Thing We Learned From Commanders' Week 1 Loss To Bucs

The one thing that the NFL world learned about the Washington Commanders from their opening loss to the Bucs.

Sep 8, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) calls a a play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Washington Commanders season opener didn't quite go as planned as the team only mustered 20 points on the day in their 17-point loss to an almost-perfect Baker Mayfield and Tampa Bay Buccaneers team.

There were plenty of learning moments and hiccups under the new head coaching staff and roster and that was to be expected, but the offense seemed a bit timid with Daniels under center, and the defense looked lost at times with multiple coverage blunders to mix in. Even with some speed bumps the game overall wasn't horrific for the Commanders and that seems like a step in the right direction.

As mentioned, the Commanders' offense seemed a bit too conservative in Week 1 and the blame for that can go to multiple areas including play calling and the quarterback not looking to press on the field. With that being said, Daniels looked decent passing the ball in his debut completing almost 71 percent of his passes for 184 yards and no interceptions, but he also wasn't able to find the endzone through the air.

READ MORE: Commanders’ Week 1 Loss Shows Need for Aggression

Instead, it was Daniels' feet that helped the Commanders' offense show signs of life on Sunday as he carried the ball a whopping 16 times for 88 yards. That performance on the ground by Daniels is the one thing that CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin learned from watching the Commanders.

"Jayden Daniels will probably lead them in rushing. As long as the young signal-caller can avoid taking too many open-field hits. Passing has still been low-risk for Daniels, but the mobility is undeniable."

It is hard not to agree with Benjamin here as Daniels outpaced running back Brian Robinson by four carries (Ekeler by 14), outgained Robinson by 48 yards (Ekeler 78), and also scored two touchdowns on the ground compared to Robinson's one.

Daniels's dual-threat ability was highly touted coming out of LSU and helped him be very multidimensional on the playing field on the way to winning the Heisman trophy and becoming the second-overall pick in the draft. One thing, however, I don't think folks expected the volume of runs by Daniels.

It'll be interesting to see how head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury handle this moving forward, but if Sunday is any indication we are going to be seeing a lot more of Daniels scampering around the gridiron on Sundays.

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READ MORE: Commanders Jayden Daniels Discusses Rushing Output Against Bucs

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