Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels stood before his teammates this week and addressed the end-of-game disaster that resulted in a 27-27 draw with the New York Giants.
His message was simple.
I’m the quarterback. The buck stops here.
“You stand up there and be a man,” Daniels told on-site reporters Thursday during his weekly press conference. “Everybody’s a part of it but it’s ultimately on me. I said my two cents and let the guys know it will never happen again and that we’re going to move forward from that.”
That private meeting wasn’t the last time he took accountability for that Week 5 tie. Daniels took full responsibility for letting the clock run out in overtime despite a chance to beat New York with a field goal.
“Ultimately it’s on me,” Daniels said. “I know DQ is getting a lot of (flak) for it or whatever but, regardless, I’m supposed to be calm with everything and control everything and I failed (uphold) the standard I hold myself to and the standard of this organization.
“It’s something for me to (move on from). I’m not saying I’m proud of it or anything. It wasn’t a loss. We tied, but it was a failure. I hold myself to a higher standard than that. Moving forward, I’ll grow from it and learn from it and it’ll never happen again.”
Daniels exuded leadership in that moment, an important move for the secure high-ranking Commanders outside of owner Josh Harris. That doesn’t mean everything that went wrong Sunday was all Daniels’ fault. It certainly wasn’t, but he wouldn’t let others take the fall.
He understood and accepted the outside criticism — ‘it’s warranted’ — because he’s the man in the arena.
“The coaches could call a play and have it be chaos and havoc on the sideline, but ultimately I’m the one who controls that huddle,” Daniels said. “It’s on the field and all eyes are on me. I just didn’t execute to my standard.”
Daniels defended head coach and the respect for him within the locker room and the organization. He spoke for nearly 15 minutes on Thursday and didn’t shy from a single question or even give a stock answer. That doesn’t mean he should entertain all this forever, but it was a smart move by Daniels that should create a break from the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s events. (Well, maybe after David Blough talks on Friday).
He stood up for his offensive coordinator as well.
“I think he communicated the situation, the play and everything like that,” Daniels said. “It’s ultimately on me. DQ got the heat, (David) Blough and myself. Don’t even put it on the coaches. I have to be more aware and manage the game right. I did not do that. It doesn’t matter what happens on the sideline between the coaches or anything like that. I have to manage the game right.”
Everybody inside Commanders HQ was surely watching that presser. It’s worth viewing in its entirety with the video below. Here’s betting it resonated well. Just like Quinn, accountability was taken. Insight was provided. Now we’re moving on.
“I feel like I was able to grow as a person from this and I was always told, growing up, don’t make the same mistake twice,” Daniels said. “I made it once and I won’t make it again.”