Five takeaways from Washington’s 20-17 loss to the Jets

The Washington Commanders opened the 2024 preseason with a road matchup against the Jets and lost, 20-17. Here are five takeaways from the matchup.

1. Jayden Daniels looks as advertised.

Jayden Daniels’ first pass was about as uneventful as one could imagine. It was intended for Austin Ekeler on a screen but zoomed over the running back’s head, bringing up third-and-6.

On the next play, however, Daniels showed a glimpse of why the Commanders took him No. 2 overall. He laid out a pass to Dyami Brown deep downfield on the right sideline, despite the defensive back providing tight coverage, the window was just enough for Brown to come down with the catch.

The 42-yard reception — one of the longest for the day from the Commanders — was the highlight of the 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive, but it was just one aspect of how impressive Daniels looked in his first bit of preseason action. Although the series consisted of eight runs, Daniels looked calm in the backfield as he directed the offense. He even made the check at the line of scrimmage that led to Brown’s explosive play.

And with the ball at the 3-yard line on third down, Daniels showed the other part of his game that has the team excited: his ability to make plays with his legs. He took a read-option to the right and had almost no opposition as he ran for the end zone.

Daniels finished the day completing 2-of-3 passes for 45 yards, including a three-yard completion by Terry McLaurin. He only had one drive, but the 11 plays he was on the field were more than enough to get fans excited about the rookie.