It’s not ideal for a quarterback to have 16 carries in a game, yet that was Jayden Daniels’ Week 1 rushing workload against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At that pace, Daniels is on track for 272 carries, which you might expect from a bellcow running back like Derrick Henry and not a rookie QB. Head coach Dan Quinn spoke to reporters during a press conference after the game and addressed the concerns about Daniels’ rushing workload.
“Certainly, not all of those are designed quarterback runs,” Commanders HC Quinn said. “I think that’s important to say, but I think he’d be the first to say the same thing. To say, ‘I had a chance to go rip it to somebody else.’ Sometimes, you can see a rush or a pattern break, and there’s open space, and you go. For him, create it when it’s there when you can get outside the pocket.
“We’d love to see him remain a passer first, and I think it’s going to come with more experience, honestly. When I can go extend it to throw it, when, ‘Hey, this plays over, I’ll get rid of it and move on to the next play.’ So, I think you’ll see that trajectory continue as we go. Certainly, 18 (16) carries is not the model that we’re looking for, certainly with Brian and Austin and others here. But at the end of it, I do think we’ll continue to grow in that spot. But certainly not by design to have that many.”
While it’s fair to have criticism of the offense as Daniels practically had to move the football all by himself, the deeper flaw may be the Commanders’ defense, which allowed Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans to all have their way.
Dan Quinn needs the Commanders’ defense to step up
Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Quinn’s background includes head coaching and defensive coordinator work. He’s had DC stints with the Dallas Cowboys (2021-2023) and Seattle Seahawks (2013-2014), as well as various defensive coaching stops starting in 1994. In each season with the Cowboys, his defenses lead the league in forced turnovers.
You wouldn’t have seen that against the Buccaneers in Week 1 as Baker Mayfield was close to perfection, completing 24-of-30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. While the Cowboys did force eight tackles for loss, the Bucs kept converting chunk play after chunk play. Bucky Irving, Rashaad White, Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, Godwin and Evans had one or more plays gain at least 15 yards.
The Commanders will try to course correct in Week 2 when they host the New York Giants on Sunday, September 15 at 1:00 p.m. EST.
