Jayden Daniels received major flak from across the NFL landscape when he failed to spike the ball in the closing minutes of OT last Sunday in a 27-27 tie against the New York Giants. He ran the ball, letting time expire before Washington could attempt a 42-yard game-winning field goal.
The third-year franchise quarterback was blasted by everyone from Shannon Sharpe to the average social media high school coach for not having the situational “awareness” to spike the ball, stop the clock and set up the manageable game-winner. Consequently, the New York Giants were able to escape with a tie after almost fumbling the game away.
The play that Daniels says has “kept him up at night” all week was addressed — hopefully for the final time — in a Washington Commanders press conference on Thursday, Oct. 15, that aired live on X.
Jayden Daniels Takes Accountability For Lack Of Clock Awareness In Tie With NY Giants
Reporters asked Daniels several questions that he answered bluntly taking accountability for the mishap, and promising to never be caught slipping again.
Reporter: “Not a lot of urgency by the group to get up and get back to the ball. Did you guys not grasp the situation?”
“Just going back and reflecting on it, sitting back… ultimately there’s a lot of (criticism and fingerpointing) but ultimately it’s on to me. I know DQ [Commanders coach Dan Quinn] is getting a lot of slack for it or whatever. I failed in the standard I hold myself to and the standard of this organization. Not saying I’m proud of it or anything. But I hold myself to a higher standard than that, so, moving forward, I’ll grow from it and it never will happen again,” Daniels responded.
Reporter: “How has the criticism affected you?”
“I’m moving on to San Francisco,” Daniels answered, “I can’t say it’s not warranted because of what happened. Everybody has opinions to speak. And rightfully so. It’s just about my process, moving forward and learning from it moving on.”
Reporter: “Did you change anything during the week to avoid a repeat of last week?”
“Just learning from it,” Daniels reiterated. “Taking accountability for it and moving forward so it doesn’t happen again. That’s about it…It can be chaos and havoc on the sidelines. So all eyes are on me and I just didn’t execute to my standards.”
One reporter asked Daniels how long it took for him to take full accountability for the situation. It was an implication that Daniels failed to take accountability in his initial response right after the game, in which he said the entire team has to be better.
“Fairly quick, emotions are everywhere throughout the stadium and once you just settle down and relax and get to reflect. … It’s something that’s kept me up at night, thinking what I can do better. Not just that game, every game.”
Daniels has accepted blame for last week’s clock mismanagement and now he switches his focus to a larger task ahead on “Monday Night Football” against the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. It will take a full team effort for the Commanders to pull off the upset against Kyle Shanahan’s red-hot squad. It’s the measuring-stick win that Daniels should be craving as his team sits at the bottom of the NFC East with a 1-3-1 record.
