Jayden Daniels has reflected on his recent struggles as the Washington Commanders’ losing streak extended to three games, including a defeat to the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday.
After a strong start to the season, Washington has faltered, dropping to a 7-5 record ahead of their upcoming game against the Tennessee Titans. Over the past three games, the Commanders have averaged just over 23 points per game, a sharp decline from the 31 points they averaged in the first nine games of the season.
Daniels, the second overall pick in the 2024 draft, has also seen his performance dip during this stretch. His completion percentage, yards per attempt, touchdown count, and passer rating have all decreased, and he has thrown three interceptions in the past three weeks.
Ahead of the Titans game, Daniels was asked if he felt he had hit the “rookie wall,” a term used to describe a drop in performance that some first-year players experience as they adjust to the NFL’s longer season. Daniels responded, “I don’t know. Obviously, it’s longer, so it’s different. It’s just stuff getting used to, like usually right now in college, the season’s about the end. Our season, it’s just starting, somewhere like the second half of the season. So, I mean, that’s different, but I don’t really know the definition of a rookie wall. I just know that NFL season is longer than college.”
When asked if he had made adjustments to prepare for the extended season, Daniels said, “I mean, just learn on the fly. Learn from people that have been in my position before.”
The “rookie wall” theory suggests that first-year NFL players often experience a performance dip during the latter part of their rookie season as they adjust to the physical and mental demands of professional football. However, there could be other factors contributing to the Commanders’ struggles, such as offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s history of teams starting strong but struggling to finish the season.
Washington will look to address these issues in the coming weeks, starting with the Titans game, followed by matchups with the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and divisional games against the Eagles and Cowboys. Despite a bye week before the Cowboys game, it seems the rest did not have the desired impact on the team’s performance.
Before the Dallas game, Daniels discussed how the mini-bye week helped him physically and mentally. “I’m good. The mini bye, I think it just helps just to reset your mind and get ready for the second half of the season,” he said.
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