Daniels has become one of the NFL’s best finishers and he is only a rookie. He is already up there with the best, including Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Consider this, Daniels has thrown a touchdown pass in the last 30 seconds of five different games. That’s an NFL record. He also broke the NFL rushing record last night previously held by RG3. What’s most impressive is he’s doing it with a roster that has huge holes on both sides of the ball.

In Sunday night’s OT thriller against the Falcons, Daniels had to overcome countless penalties that consistently pushed the Washington offense behind the sticks. He never flinched and came up clutch in several 3rd and longs. This is not the first time we’ve seen this from Daniels. Just last week, he overcame 5 turnovers and led Washington to an upset of the Eagles. And of course, you can’t forget the epic Hail Mary he threw against the Chicago Bears.

Last night was just the latest memorable moment in a season filled with them for the rookie sensation. He has single-handedly changed the course of the Commanders franchise and he is just getting started.

The holes on this Washington roster are glaring. They desperately need a WR2 behind Terry McLaurin. They are also in need of a game-changing running back and help in the defensive secondary. Even with those obvious holes, Daniels continues to put this team on his back.

With one more game to go Daniels now has 3,530 passing yards, 25 passing TDs, 864 rushing yards and 6 rushing TDs. It’s hard to find a better season for a rookie including Justin Herbert‘s monster season in 2020.

Beyond the stats, Daniels has rescued the Commanders offense time and again with critical game-saving plays. In the game against the Eagles, he scrambled for 29 yards on a 4th and 11 that would’ve been a backbreaker for Washington had they failed to convert. Add this to season filled with impressive highlights.

The story is still getting written for Jayden Daniel’s rookie season. I expect more magic from him in the playoffs and can’t wait to see what he does next. One thing is for certain, Daniels has changed the fate of the Washington franchise and is having the best rookie season we have ever seen.

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You know what your going to get with Taylor Heinicke at the helm. That is, somebody that can escape the pocket make a crazy throw and keep the play alive. He also plays with moxie and the players love to play for him. What you don’t get from Taylor is the deep accurate ball, the arm strength, the experience. This is everything Carson has. There have been reports that Carson Wentz had time to reflect on his game and what he needed to work on. For Carson, he has to not take so many sacks, if there’s nothing available, check it down to Antonio Gibson or Brian Robinson Jr. I think if your Rivera you tell Carson, I just need you to run the offense and continue to do what Taylor has been doing. That means run the ball first, mix in some play action and play good defense. First and foremost though, protect the ball. If he does that, the Commanders should be successful.

A bonus with Carson is the ability to throw the deep ball and utilize their fast and talented receivers. If they get down 14-0, I feel more comfortable with Carson leading the team and the ability for him to get chunk plays back more quickly. There is a risk/reward with Carson but if this team makes the playoffs and want any thought of making a run, Carson needs to be the guy. If they stick to their identity the last 9 games or so, they should be fine. The real success of this team, will be the ability of the defense to continue playing like they have. This will make Carson’s job way easier. It remains to be seen how this will turn out but after some thought, Wentz gives the Commanders the best chance to win the next two games and then make a run in the playoffs.

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This week we have the pleasure of watching the New York football Giants against the Washington Commanders. The NFL decided to flex this game because of the playoff implications and the importance of this game. Two weeks ago these teams played to an anti-climatic tie. This week both teams will try and bring their A game, and with a win puts themselves in the driver seat for a wild card spot. As I analyze this game, I believe one of these teams has a slight edge over the other. The Commanders are coming off a bye and are well rested. The Giants on the other hand, are licking their wounds from an ugly loss against the fierce Philadelphia Eagles. Granted Saquon wasn’t 100%, but there are more issues with the Giants and why they lost that game. This game will be a home game for Washington, and the biggest reason they have an edge is their defense. You can go back to when the tides turned for them and it’s when the defense turned things around. William Jackson III was jettisoned off the team, Kam Curl started playing well, in addition to Bobby McCain. This team changed their mentality and focus and it shows, as in their last 8 games they are 6-1-1. Their loss was a close one and in that game they were up 17-7 against a good Vikings team.

The Commanders are playing well led by their underdog quarterback Taylor Heinicke. Taylor has done just enough for this team to make them dangerous. He makes the big play when it’s needed and his elusiveness in the pocket make it hard on the defense. Sunday’s game will be one of Taylor’s biggest ones. The lights will be on and he has a chance for his team to be in cruise control into the playoffs. What will happen? That remains to be seen, and I believe this game is Washington’s to lose. If they take care of the ball, run for 100 yards or more and play good defense, they will come out with a victory.

Prediction: Washington 24 Giants 14

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This offseason we have seen various quarterbacks moving around in the NFL landscape: Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos, Deshaun Watson to the Cleveland Browns, Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts, and the move we will talk about about today, Carson Wentz to the Washington Commanders. The 2016 #2 overall pick has had a very tempestuous career so far, going from a potential MVP candidate in 2017, to tying Drew Lock for most interceptions in 2020. Last season he brought the Colts to within 1 game for a playoff spot, and then lost to the Jaguars, throwing an interception and only 185 yards, scoring only 1 total touchdown on the game. With this, what should the Commanders’ plan be for 2023 onwards if Wentz does not produce in 2022, and what should they look into.

2023 NFL Draft Options

The first option for the Commanders would be looking at getting a 2023 quarterback. With two projected stars at the top of the draft in C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young, as well as some other potential options to look into, they could have a shot at one. Provided that Wentz does mediocre or poor in 2022, this would likely leave the Commanders in the top 20 or 15 again, similar to this past season. Trading up is a possibility, considering they have all their picks aside from either their 2023 2nd or 3rd (2nd will be the Colts’ if Wentz plays 70% or more snaps, 3rd will be Colts’ if he plays less than 70% of snaps.) If they are sold on Young or Stroud after their 2022 campaigns, I have no issue believing they would move up for one or the other. On top of that, you have some other notable QBs to watch for, such as:

• Spencer Rattler ”“ South Carolina (provided he has a huge resurgence)
• Anthony Richardson ”“ Florida
• Kedon Slovis ”“ Pitt
• Will Levis ”“ Kentucky
• Tyler Van Dyke ”“ Miami
• Caleb Williams ”“ USC

Any of these options could be potential first round or second round talents based upon their 2022 play. Provided Stroud and Young both have another great season, the Commanders could just sit at whatever pick they may have and take one of the remaining options if they want to go that direction. Regardless, the draft is definitely a viable option for 2023.

2023 NFL Free Agency

Next up, we have the option of free agency, and potentially signing a quarterback if they choose to go this direction. There is a pretty good list of QBs going through the 2023 FA class, headlined by Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson. The 2019 MVP has been one of the better players in the league for a few years now, and the Ravens have still not extended him as of yet, which could see him hit free agency if they end up not being able to agree on a contract. Other than Lamar, there is:

• Jimmy Garoppolo
• Baker Mayfield
• Teddy Bridgewater
• Drew Lock
• Gardner Minshew
• Daniel Jones
• Sam Darnold

Are any of these options better than Wentz would be the real question. Based on age, you have DJ, Darnold, Minshew, Lock, and Mayfield who are all on the younger side of things, who provide at least some sort of potential if an offense can get a good scheme fit. Bridgewater and Jimmy G are both reliable short term options, who you are not necessarily going to win because of, but you can clear win with, as Jimmy brought the 49ers to the Superbowl less than 3 years ago, and with Bridgewater being solid in New Orleans and Denver. These options would essentially come down to which one the front office would want to take a shot on, or even pair with a 2023 rookie.

On-Roster options

Finally, we come to the potential options currently on the Commanders roster, which is basically a 50/50 shot. The main two you would look to in the absence of Wentz would be Taylor Heinicke, who started last year and was mediocre at best, and 2022 draftee Sam Howell. Howell entering 2021 was seen as one of the better QB options in the class, however after a relatively unproductive 2021 campaign, he fell down the boards quite a bit. While this was not specifically his fault, as he lost a lot of playmakers to the 2021 NFL Draft class, it still scared off potential suiters enough to have him be another QB to fall into the 3rd, which all in this class did aside from Kenny Pickett. Howell did break 3000 passing yards in every season at UNC however, with 24+ touchdowns each year (38 in 2019 and 30 in 2020) while never having double digit interceptions. Howell could be the long term option, we just have to wait and see how he progresses as a QB for Washington.

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The Washington Commanders have been aggressively looking around the candy shop for a quarterback in 2022. Ron Rivera has lobbied for Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, and the other 30 NFL starting QBs. Rivera hasn’t found his new starting signal-caller, at least from our angle.

Rivera might have called former Saints head coach Mike Ditka about his decision to trade all his draft choices for Ricky Williams.

Rivera will certainly look at the free-agent pool and ponder drafting a QB in the 2022 NFL draft, as well. So, who should we expect Washington to ink as their new starting QB? Well, I believe it will be Mitchell Trubisky. The ESPN analyst Dan Orlosky also dubbed Washington as a very favorable destination for the former Bears first-round pick. Here is why Trubisky needs to be in a Washington uniform soon.

• Top free agent fit

I wholeheartedly believe Trubisky is the right choice for Ron Rivera out of the other free-agent options. Mike Tomlin wants an athletic QB and I expect Tomlin to target Marcus Mariota or a QB early in the draft. I really believe Jameis Winston, who’s the top free agent QB, to pick the familiar, talented Saints as his 2022 home.

Trubisky is the best combination of talent and age after Mariota and Winston. He was also in the playoffs with a Chicago Bears team that is less talented than the Commanders. Not only was Trubisky showing growth in his last days as the Bears starting QB, but he grew physically and mentally behind Allen. Rivera also has ties to the Bills staff, so he will know the work ethic that Trubisky displays.

I really expect Trubisky to be head over heels to sign with the Commanders over a team like the Jets and Giants. I do have to admit that the Broncos could be the most competitive team to sign Trubisky (assuming Winston and Mariota are off elsewhere). He could prefer the top-end weapons on Washington and weaker competition in the NFC East over the AFC West.

Trubisky might catch a lot of heat for being drafted over Patrick Mahomes, but a slightly improved Trubisky from 2020 with the Commanders should be enough to pin them as a wildcard team (Perhaps over Philly).

• lack of QB trade options

The world knows that the Commanders will not get Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, or Kirk Cousins. A-Rod will likely have a say in where he lands and I expect him to pick the Broncos, Saints, or his positive home with the Packers. If they have an opportunity to get Jimmy G or Baker Mayfield, I expect Rivera to prefer signing Trubisky honestly. Trubisky isn’t only a potentially better QB than Garoppollo and Mayfield, but a Jimmy G or Mayfield trade would cost Rivera quite a bit.

• lack of a top end QB in the NFL draft

I believe the Washington Commanders are shopping around for one big reason. They want a proven QB right now and they know that there isn’t an “Andrew Luck” or “Cam Newton” like QB in the 2022 NFL Draft. Malik Willis would be an enticing option, but I see a team trading up for him in the Top 10. They could grab Sam Howell at 11, but I still see Rivera handing the keys to Trubisky in year one. Orlovsky (ESPN analyst) wants to see the Commanders ink Trubisky and still draft a QB. If they go down that road, I imagine Trubisky winning the starting QB battle in “year one”.

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