Jayden Daniels of the Commanders can join the exclusive club of rookie QBs

Not many rookie quarterbacks have ever started and won their first playoff game. It’s even more unusual for rookie quarterbacks to start and win on the road.

Last season, Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud was the 12th overall pick^Th in NFL history to start and win a playoff game. Only three rookie quarterbacks have won their first playoff start on the road.

This year, both Denver Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix and Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels have the chance to join an exclusive company. Nix and the Broncos travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills, while Daniels and the Commanders will face the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on Sunday night.

Daniels is taking a balanced approach to preparing for the biggest game of his career.

“It’s exciting, but you have to deal with those emotions. At the end of the day you still have to go out and play ball. A lot of people are going to put a lot of emphasis on that because at that point it’s win or go home,” Daniels told reporters this week. “The focus may be a little higher, but you have to stay who you were for those 17 to 18 weeks throughout the week and go out and play ball.”

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Daniels’ first career start was against the Bucs in Tampa Bay, where he completed 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards in a 37-20 loss in Week 1. That is Daniels’ lowest passing yards total in a game with at least 20 Attempt. Since then, he has become more accustomed to the speed of the game and is more comfortable and confident as a quarterback. Additionally, his mobility has caused fits in opposing defenses. He broke the NFL’s rookie quarterback rushing record that season.

“I watched the game again. It’s crazy to see that the growth doesn’t even take a year. You just learn something different every game,” Daniels said. “It was just something new. You just feel more comfortable.”

The Bucs have been playing a completely different Daniels and Commanders squad since Week 1. Washington hasn’t lost to the same opponent twice this year and enters the playoffs on a five-game winning streak, with Daniels the prohibitive favorite to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

“It’s a full circle moment. “Normally you don’t get to play someone at the beginning of a season and the beginning of a second season,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters this week. “They absolutely got the best out of us that day. It’s a good benchmark to see how much we’ve improved.”

If the Commanders win on Sunday night, it would be the franchise’s first playoff win since the 2005 season. Daniels will become just the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to start 13 games, including the postseason. wins.

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Jayden Daniels of the Commanders can join the exclusive club of rookie QBs

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