It’s finally happened. The Washington Commanders didn’t score on a drive and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw his first interception of his NFL career.
The Commanders scored on the first two offensive possessions Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals to take an early 14-7 lead. Washington had scored on 16 straight drives, excluding kneel-downs at the end of the half and game.
Then Daniels and Co. were marching for a 17th straight score when the rookie threw a pass intended for star wide receiver Terry McLaurin into double coverage. The play-action fake didn’t fool Arizona’s defense. Too much air got under the throw, allowing Cardinals cornerback Garrett Williams to leap up and get the interception.
Daniels made 86 pass attempts in his NFL career before throwing his first pick. Fellow rookie quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Bo Nix have each thrown four interceptions through four games.
Throwing an interception was inevitable for Daniels. He’s displayed pinpoint accuracy as a pro as he did the final two years in college at LSU. Daniels protects the football at a high level. He’ll want to get that pass back. But the Commanders still hold a 17-7 lead. Now, with the pressure of having the first turnover of his career, maybe Daniels relinquishes any burdens of being near perfect.
