Jayden Daniels is hurt. The Commanders are 0-2. With injuries piling up and major questions on offense, defense and special teams, Dan Quinn and his staff need answers quickly, or Quinn’s future in Washington could be in serious jeopardy.
Disaster struck in Dallas for the Washington Commanders as they lost quarterback Jayden Daniels to a gruesome dislocated elbow injury, the same injury he suffered against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9 last season.
And the injuries didn’t stop there.
Defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw suffered a shoulder injury, left tackle Brandon Coleman suffered a finger injury, and right guard Sam Cosmi is in concussion protocol.
Despite how doom-and-gloom things feel right now, head coach Dan Quinn needs to make adjustments quickly. Otherwise, another losing season could put his future in Washington in serious jeopardy.
The Commanders have been riddled with injuries throughout training camp and the regular season. Washington lost star left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a torn triceps injury that will keep him out for most of the season, cornerback Trey Amos is on IR through Week 4, and now Jayden Daniels could be out for the foreseeable future.
Head coach Dan Quinn needs every phase of the team to step up in Daniels' absence. When Washington trailed 17-3 in the second quarter, Daniels ran the ball effectively and connected with wide receiver Stefon Diggs for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 17-10. He then led the offense into the red zone to close out the half before disaster struck and he suffered the injury.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota finished with a serviceable performance, completing 11-of-16 passes for 111 yards and one touchdown. He'll need to build on that performance if the Commanders want to have any chance against upcoming tough defenses like Seattle, Indianapolis, and New York.
The secondary will also need to step up in a major way. Washington has allowed 482 passing yards through two games, an average of 241 yards per game. The bigger concern, however, is the seven passing touchdowns the defense has surrendered, including four from quarterback Dak Prescott on Sunday.
The Commanders' pass rush needs to generate more consistent pressure. Last week against the Eagles, Washington's defense finished with three sacks, 10 tackles for loss and five QB hits. Against the Cowboys, the Commanders managed only two sacks, three tackles for loss, and six QB hits. Without that pressure, especially with the lack of talent and depth in the secondary, the defense is in for a rude awakening.
Special teams remain a concern. Drew Stevens missed another field goal against Dallas, marking his second straight week with a missed kick. It’s only been two weeks, but missing kicks in consecutive games is not a good look, especially in crucial divisional games. Stevens needs to find consistency quickly because Washington cannot afford to leave points on the board.
With Daniels facing a potential extended absence and injuries continuing to pile up across the roster, the Commanders cannot afford to wait for things to turn around on their own. Quinn and his coaching staff will have to find ways to manufacture offense, generate consistent pressure defensively and get more out of special teams. Washington has already dropped their first two games, and the challenges are only going to get tougher with Seattle, Indianapolis and New York waiting. If the Commanders hope to salvage this season, Quinn and his staff will need to find answers quickly.
