Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn spoke with quarterback Jayden Daniels following an ill-advised fourth-down throwaway during a 23-17 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
Quinn emphasized that the young quarterback needs to take his scoring chances even when a penalty flag flies on the play.
Following a stellar 2024 rookie campaign that earned him Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and led the Washington Commanders to their first NFC title game in 33 years, Year 3 has brought fresh growing pains for Jayden Daniels.
After an overtime tie against the New York Giants where a missed spike cost his team a potential game-winning field goal, Daniels faced another puzzling moment during the road matchup against an undefeated San Francisco squad.
The Fourth-Down Throwaway Against San Francisco
Early in the second quarter, the Commanders were trailing 13-3. Daniels rolled to the right on a fourth-and-2 play and threw the ball out of bounds rather than giving one of his receivers an opportunity to make a play.
A penalty flag had already been thrown on the field for an illegal shift, leading the 49ers to decline the penalty and take over on downs from their own 13-yard line.
Head coach Dan Quinn addressed the decision directly with his quarterback shortly after the game.
Quinn clarified at his Tuesday press conference that the aggressive play-call was intentional, despite viral broadcast clips.
He noted that the team knew they needed to be bold against the unbeaten 49ers.
Daniels Shows Talent Despite Late Game Mistakes
The latest miscue overshadowed what was otherwise a commendable statistical outing for Daniels, who completed 29 of 40 passes for 300 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
The performance followed a Week 5 effort. In that game, he rushed for 103 yards and two scores against the Giants.
That game also ended in frustration when a costly sack and clock mismanagement ruined a potential game-winning drive in overtime.
Quinn acknowledged the unique physical gifts that continue to flash during Daniels’ recovery from a dislocated left elbow injury.
He always can make some throws that just kind of leave you thinking,
Man, there it is. There’s only a few guys that can make that throw or that play, and he can do that.
But I’m looking forward to working with him as we’re going to grow through it.
Entering The Bye Week At 1-4-1
The loss drops Washington to 1-4-1 on the season, placing mounting pressure on Quinn, whose record sits at 3-14-1 across his last 18 games leading the franchise.
With the team entering its bye week, Quinn plans to use the break for an extensive self-scout alongside his quarterback.
The coaching staff intends to review game tape during the rest period to identify successful patterns to expand and questionable decisions to minimize as the team prepares for the remainder of its schedule.
