DANIELS IS MORE THAN BEST ROOKIE

What the heck … someone should say it … Best 

Offensive Rookie isn’t enough … JAYDEN DANIELS

 for NFL Player of the Year. If your Washington 

Football Team reaches the Super Bowl for the first time 

in 33 years, the unflappable quarterback should be a 

lock … He is the total package … everything you want 

in a QB … from passing accuracy, unflinching ability 

to run with the ball (whether ad libbed or called in the 

huddle) and requisite smarts, which covers all sorts of 

things (on and off the field) … to remaining cool 

regardless of the situation or pressure thereof, having 

the trust of teammates (despite first-year status) and not 

letting so much so soon go to your head … What I 

really like about Daniels is trademark humbleness. So 

far he hasn’t been caught up in all the look-at-me-first 

stuff that is rapidly making all sports, especially the 

majors, unwatchable. Daniels’ enthusiasm actually 

appears genuine. He is forever smiling. I know, I know 

… give him time … Then again, if anyone can be the 

real deal, it’s the 2023 Heisman winner and No. 2 

overall draft pick … “It’s really amazing how good 

Jayden Daniels is,” said former Super Bowl-winning 

coach JIMMY JOHNSON … Asked to explain how 

he keeps his poise, when all around him other people 

are losing theirs, Daniels said, “I love the game of 

football … and I put my trust in God,” Daniels said. 

“This is a team that believes in each other … and 

believes in the man upstairs.”

For sure, somebody up there likes Daniels. Saturday, in 

a 45-31 shootout victory over the top-seeded, nine-

point-favorite Lions in Detroit, he completed 22 of 31 

passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns … with no 

turnovers for the second straight playoff game … while 

the Lions had five including four interceptions … 

About Daniels’ performance (he also ran 16 times for 

51 yards), ESPN’s DAMIAN WOODY, former Patrick 

Henry High of Ashland star and two-time Super Bowl 

winner with the New England Patriots, said, “I’ve never 

seen anything like it.” … He could have been referring 

specifically to a throw by Daniels from the Detroit 45 

late in the first half. Rushed, he threw off balance a 

high, very high pass that DYAMI BROWN ran down 

and caught … for 38 yards to the seven … leading to a 

five-yard toss to TE ZACH ERTZ for a touchdown 

and a 28-point second quarter for Washington.

It was 31-21 midway after Goff, who missed one series 

after being hit in the head by linebacker FRANKIE 

LUVU’s helmet (no call) during a 61-yard pick-six by

 QUAN MARTIN, returned to take the Lions to the 

Washington 24 … only to be intercepted in the end 

zone by MIKE SAINRISTI… As usual, both teams 

had reason to complain about the officiating. How or 

why they missed Luvu’s blow to Goff that sent the 

Lions’ QB to concussion protocol … and could have 

led to disqualification to a key member of the 

Washington defense … is anybody’s guess. “That 

should have been called,” Fox analyst TOM BRADY

 said … Then, on Detroit’s first possession of the 

second half,DANTE FOWLER JR. threw DAVID 

MONTGOMERY for no gain on third and two from 

its 28. But, when one of the officials thought he saw 

Fowler grab Montgomery’s face mask, instead of 

punting, the Lions kept the ball and eventually cut the 

deficit to three (31-28). Replay showed Fowler Jr’s 

hand landed on the RB’s pads, not his mask.

What really impressed J Johnson was that 

Commanders’ coach DAN QUINN had enough 

confidence in Daniels, a rookie, to go for it on fourth 

down so often. Saturday, they failed on their first drive 

(fourth-and-2 from the Detroit 28 when a trick play 

involving backup QB MARCUS MARIOTA backfired 

and lost a yard) … then were three for three on as many 

drives that resulted in touchdowns … Quinn did settle 

for three points on the second possession … and punter

 TESS WAY actually kicked one (for the first and only 

time since the playoffs got under way last week at 

Tampa Bay) to begin the second half. Then, with 2:31 

remaining, kicking specialist EVAN GONZALEZ was 

called on for a 44-yard field goal to make it a three-

score game … and was wide left … leaving Fox play 

by play man KEVIN BURKHARDT to say, “So, the 

Lions still have a pulse.” To which Brady added, 

“Improbable, yes. Impossible, no.”… Judging from the 

looks on Lions’ fans in addition to coach DAN 

CAMPBELL … it was over, nevertheless … Goff was 

sacked … and Detroit’s last drive ended with 25 

seconds to go when he threw his third INT directly to

 JEREMY SHINN at the goal line.

Fox kept reminding viewers Lions were without 18 

players who had started on defense … yet failed to 

acknowledge that didn’t keep handicappers from 

making them prohibitive favorites … Brady certainly 

seemed surprised as the points kept piling up. “This is 

crazy … crazy,” the GOAT of NFL quarterbacks said 

… Say what? “We’ve got to make one more play than 

the other team,”Ertz said.

Until next time ...