LOVERRO: Questions surround Daniels’ durability, Quinn’s protection of him

OPINION:

Before the season began, I asked Washington Commanders coach Dan Quinn this question: “I know you operate with a layer of pressure on you all the time for the team to be successful. But since Jayden is considered by many to be a very special talent, do you ever have moments where you feel an extra layer of pressure where you think, ’Boy, I better get this right?’”

Remember, this was still when his team was basking in the glow of last year’s 12-5 season, making it to the NFC championship game. This was still when the Commanders were ranked among the NFC contenders for this season.

This was when quarterback Jayden Daniels was still being celebrated as the new hot NFL star. This was when he was the bright sun that all the Commanders’ planets revolved around.

This was when his knees, hamstrings and elbows were still healthy and working.

This was when Quinn saw the question as an opportunity, not a burden.

“It is more in my nature to think that this is pretty awesome,” he told me. “Maybe at one point in my career, I may have felt that way, but I’d rather go big and go rip it. I get excited about the roster. I get excited about him. He really pushes it, too. So I think he’s got another space to go to. So I don’t feel that way. I’m pumped for these guys. I want to help deliver for them, too.”

At the time, I wondered if maybe he didn’t quite understand the question. Maybe I should have simply asked him if he ever thinks to himself, “Boy, I better not screw this up.”

I’ll bet he understands now.

Why Daniels was still on the field halfway through the fourth quarter of a 38-7 beatdown (the score wound up 38-14) by the Seattle Seahawks, running for his life under the most pressure he had faced all year without the protection of capable teammates, was the question everyone asked following the Commanders’ sixth loss of the season.

When Quinn was asked if he considered taking Daniels out before that point, the coach answered, “Yeah. Not at that space. I mean, obviously, like the hindsight, you don’t want to think that way, where an injury could take place. You know, obviously we’re more conservative in that spot to run and hand off and not have reads to go, but just the end result – obviously, I’m bummed.”

A day later, following the groundswell of outrage, Quinn owned up to his poor judgment. “I’ve been thinking about it, honestly, nonstop too, and you know, for me the answer is, man, I missed it.” Quinn is a stand-up guy and showed his character by admitting he missed it.

But the damage on the field Sunday night went beyond Daniels’ left elbow dislocation that could sideline him for the rest of the season. It is now part of Quinn’s short legacy in Washington, along with his remarkable season last year. The struggles and the disappointment of this 3-6 team seem to have consumed this damaged fan base, still suffering from Dan Snyder PTSD.

Time may heal all wounds, but right now I’m not sure everyone is looking at Quinn – and Daniels – the same way. How will Quinn handle Daniels moving forward? Cautiously? The issue of the quarterback’s decision-making when it comes to using his legs has been a simmering issue, noted in the Commanders’ preseason win over Cincinnati when Daniels pulled the ball down for a 14-yard run, breaking tackles along the way instead of sliding when he was at risk in a meaningless preseason game.

When asked about Daniels’ failure to slide, Quinn answered, “You think those conversations haven’t already been told? It’s part of his game, and it is what makes him a special player. When the second play begins, you know, there’s just an unusual play-making ability that takes place. Sometimes it’s with his legs, other times it’s with his arm. But it is part of who he is. But, it is one of the things we worked on to say, when you take your shots and when you go. There’ll be more of that. You know, at times, sometimes I’ll say less of that.”

That’s the quandary – it is Daniels’ legs that help make him special.

The view of Daniels is changing as well. “It is really amazing the difference in JDaniels in year 2,” said Hall of Fame quarterback and NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner. He went on to say that “it just doesn’t seem like JD is seeing the field like he did last year… holding ball… seemingly looking and not throwing to open #1 read… struggling to work through reads.”

This would seem to be because Daniels is throwing to receivers he just met the week before. His currency is trust in his receivers, and he has none right now, save for tight end Zach Ertz, who has been showing the wear and tear of his 13 seasons in the league. Daniels has played only two games this year with Terry McLaurin, his No. 1 receiver. And his No. 2, Noah Brown, has barely been on the field, playing in two games before landing on injured reserve. Daniels’ top receiver out of the backfield in his rookie season, Austin Ekeler, tore his right Achilles tendon in the second game of the season and is out for the year.

The perception, though, has raised questions about Daniels, not just his surrounding cast. And now those questions include his durability – and the man in charge of protecting him, who still better get it right.

• Catch Thom Loverro on “The Kevin Sheehan Show” podcast.