The Washington Commanders made the obvious and correct choice…
a stark change in how the franchise usually operates.
It’s Jayden Daniels Time
What Happened: The Commanders made what seemed like an obvious decision official: second overall pick Jayden Daniels will be the team’s starting quarterback for the 2024 season.
Offering a better alternative than Marcus Mariota wasn’t the toughest challenge, but Daniels didn’t win the job by default. He flashed his dual-threat capabilities throughout training camp and in two preseason games, earning the trust of his receivers and proving capable with his legs by rushing for a touchdown against the Jets.
Why It Matters: Just as the 2024 draft played out, so too do the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award odds. Bears QB Caleb Williams is the consensus best bet to win the award at +140, but Daniels has the next-best odds at +500.
Does Daniels have a chance of surpassing Williams? It won’t hurt that Washington has a bona fide no. 1 receiver in Terry McLaurin, who has broken the 1,000-yard mark in four straight seasons despite some less than stellar quarterback play.
Scheduling won’t hurt Dan Quinn’s team either. It addition to two games against the New York Giants and a secondary that looks suspect at best on paper, Washington plays the Panthers, Titans, and Cardinals on a schedule that’s easier than average for the 2024 season.
If Daniels can feast on the feeble, he should be able to pull Washington out of the NFC East basement and post some impressive individual stats. Coming off a Heisman campaign, Daniels definitely has the potential to make the OROY race interesting.
What Weâre Watching Today
Phillies at Braves (7:20 PM ET) – Time is running out for Atlanta to catch the Phillies, who have opened up a seven game lead in the NL East. Losing Austin Riley for two months isn’t going to help, especially with Zack Wheeler on the bump tonight.
Mariners at Dodgers (10:10 PM ET) – We’ll happily stay up late for this pitching matchup. Seattle’s Bryce Miller has the sixth-lowest WHIP in all of baseball and has produced back-to-back scoreless outings. Walker Buehler gets the ball for the Dodgers; his nine starts this season have been a mixed bag since returning from Tommy John surgery, but it wasn’t long ago that Buehler was one of the game’s top starters, so the potential for a gem is always there as he works his way back.
The Look Ahead
Martin Perez STRIKEOUTS – Are the oddsmakers aware that Perez was traded recently? The veteran lefty has a line of 3.5 strikeouts for his start against the Twins today. But since moving to the Padres from Pittsburgh, Perez has struck out at least 6 batters in each of his three starts with his new club, and whiffed a season high of 8 in his last start. Over the last two weeks of play, Minnesota has struck out at about a league-average rate, so sitting down four batters seems feasible for a resurgent Perez.
