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Commanders OC David Blough not about to change Jayden Daniels' superpower
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- Commanders OC David Blough not about to change Jayden Daniels' superpower
What does Washington Commanders offensive coordinator David Blough think of quarterback Jayden Daniels' low turnover rate? Does Blough think that lack of turnovers is because Daniels doesn't take enough chances?
Blough, a former NFL quarterback who served as Daniels' assistant quarterback coach for the past two seasons before his offseason promotion, knows Daniels as well as anyone. He understands his strengths. He knows what Daniels prefers. The two are close. Daniels, who has started four of Washington's six games this season, has not turned the ball over in 126 dropbacks.
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In most scenarios, Daniels would be lauded for avoiding turnovers. But for some reason, it's been a talking point since Washington's Week 6 Monday night loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Daniels was mostly outstanding, especially in the second half. After going down 20-13 at halftime, Daniels and the Commanders stormed back before falling just short in the end.
Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner reviewed Daniels' performance on film. He acknowledged how well he played. But he said he could've been even better if he didn't leave a few throws on the field. Warner said it wasn't a criticism; he wants Daniels to be great and believes he can be because he's seen it before. Warner's review was honestly fair.
Head coach Dan Quinn acknowledged some truth in Warner's words, but he praised his quarterback. Daniels responded this week , saying he knows he didn't play a perfect game, is always looking for ways to improve, and is always his own toughest critic. Daniels was unbothered.
As for Blough, he doesn't want Daniels to change his approach.
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"I think his superpower is how he protects a football," Blough said Thursday. "And you never wanna take that away from him. And at the same time, you go back and look at every snap and see where we can improve. So, whether it's changing how we're reading a concept or seeing something that might show up on tape, we try to evaluate everything as we go back and look at the, I guess, three and a half games he's gotten. So, you know, we're happy with where he's at. There's always room to improve. So, looking forward to continuing that process."
Blough is correct. Not all quarterbacks take care of the ball the way Daniels does. And anyone who watches him play will see that he takes shots. Daniels is fine. Sometimes, it's not about him taking more shots; it's about him trusting his receivers to gain the proper separation. It will come. If we've learned anything about Daniels in his three NFL seasons, he's a quick learner.
Daniels and the Commanders face the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders OC David Blough not about to change Jayden Daniels' superpower
