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“Oh, s---.”
Fox analyst Tom Brady’s unfiltered reaction to seeing Jayden Daniels’ left elbow bend the wrong way said it all.
It was the final play of the first half of the Commanders’ 37-20 loss to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Daniels stumbled after guard Chris Paul stepped on his left foot as he took the snap from the Dallas 1-yard line, and when the quarterback attempted to break his fall with his left hand, his elbow dislocated.
“Excuse me,” Brady said as the slow-motion replay of the gruesome injury (viewer discretion advised) continued. “I was not expecting to see that.”
PAIN. (Fox)
For the Commanders and their fans, it was an all-too-familiar sight.
Daniels, who strained his hamstring in the third quarter of last year’s blowout loss at Dallas, dislocated the same elbow he injured Sunday on a similarly fluky play in a home loss to the Seahawks last November. He returned a month later, but aggravated the injury in a loss to the Vikings and was shut down for the remainder of the season.
After the game, Commanders Coach Dan Quinn said the initial X-rays showed no fracture, but Daniels, who left the stadium with his left arm in a sling, is scheduled to undergo additional imaging today.
John Wall was all of us last night — minus the Cowboys fandom.
The Commanders trailed 17-10 with three seconds remaining in the second quarter when they passed up a short field goal to run the fateful play that ended with Daniels on a cart and a towel draped over his head.
“We needed touchdowns,” Quinn said of the decision. “I don’t regret the call. Obviously, any time someone’s injured you [could] play the ‘what-if ‘ game. I don’t think this is one of those times for me.”
Given that the Commanders’ defense had shown little ability to slow the Cowboys’ offense (more on that below), it’s hard to argue.
Backup quarterback Marcus Mariota was 11 for 16 for 111 yards and a touchdown in relief of Daniels.
We should learn more about the severity of Daniels’ latest injury today, but expect Mariota to start the home opener against the Seahawks, as Washington looks to avoid an 0-3 start.
🏈 Hail or Fail
A look at the good (Hail!) and bad (Fail!) from Sunday’s loss.
Hail: Stefon Diggs
The veteran wide receiver had five catches for 47 yards and two touchdowns, and unlike last week, he resisted the urge to bear-hug the goalpost.
Fail: Friendly fire
On the Commanders’ final drive, rookie running back Kaytron Allen slammed into teammate Sam Cosmi. The helmet-to-helmet collision left the right guard dazed and in the concussion protocol. Brandon Coleman (finger) and Javon Kinlaw (shoulder) were also banged up Sunday. (Meanwhile, Cowboys cornerback Cobie Durant got stepped on by a teammate in a most unfortunate region.)
Hail: Daniels’ first half
Daniels, who added eight to 10 pounds of muscle during the offseason, completed 11 of 17 passes for 96 yards and a touchdown, and scrambled seven times for 69 yards. (He overthrew a wide open Treylon Burks for what should have been a 56-yard touchdown pass on the drive that ended with his injury, but was otherwise excellent.)
Fail: Washington’s pass defense
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott was 26 of 31 for 279 yards and four touchdowns against Daronte Jones’ unit, which failed to build on its solid performance in Week 1. CeeDee Lamb led all receivers with eight catches for 153 yards and two scores. Prescott’s second TD to Lamb was the 249th of his career, breaking Tony Romo’s franchise record.
Hail: Keeping it classy
Good on Cowboys Coach Brian Schottenheimer for opening his postgame news conference by mentioning Daniels. “What a great competitor, man,” he said. “I know he’ll make a great recovery. What a great player, and you hate to see that in our game.”
Fail: Instant replay
Dyami Brown appeared to have control of the ball with his knee down in the end zone on a 29-yard pass from Mariota on Washington’s first drive of the second half, but the play was ruled incomplete and upheld after replay review. What gives?
🔮 Predict the Score Recap
No one correctly predicted Sunday’s result, but thanks to everyone who tried. It was the third 37-20 loss in franchise history. All three have happened in the last five seasons.
▶️ Play of the Game
DAL 20, WSH 13 | 7:15 3Q | 1st & 10 at WSH 24
Washington began its second drive of the third quarter with a screen pass to Brown, who was hit behind the line of scrimmage by Jaishawn Barham. The rookie linebacker forced a fumble that Dee Winters recovered and returned to the Commanders’ 13, and two plays later, Prescott found tight end Jake Ferguson over the middle for a touchdown.
🧮 Stats
Source: NFL.com. Created with Datawrapper.
🗒️ Monday Morning Reading
David Aldridge writes that Daniels’ injury sends the Commanders back to frustrating square one. [The Athletic]
For Daniels, another painful setback. [Last Man Standig]
“There was a funereal tone in the visitors’ locker room after Sunday’s game.” [The Washington Sun]
The Commanders have tough questions to answer. [The Washington Sun]
Unfortunately for Washington, the Seahawks are up next. [The Athletic]
🎧 Recapping another dismal loss to Dallas. [The Al Galdi Podcast]
🗣️ Quotable
It sucks. You can’t even really put it into words.
📟 Yesterday’s Results
⚾ Cardinals 5, Nationals 3 | Highlights | Box
Jake Irvin allowed two runs on three hits and had eight strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings, but the Nationals’ bullpen added to its MLB record with its 42nd blown save.
⚽ Spirit 3, Chicago Stars 0 | Highlights | Box
Trinity Rodman opened the scoring at Audi Field in the seventh minute, Andi Sullivan scored on a penalty kick later in the first half and goalkeeper Sandy MacIver made five saves for her ninth shutout of the season.
🏀 Mystics 93, Fever 77 | Highlights | Box
Kiki Iriafen had 21 points and 14 rebounds and Shakira Austin added 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead Washington to a road win over Caitlin Clark (25 points) and the Fever.
📺 What to Watch Today
⚾ Nationals at Tigers, 6:40 p.m., Nationals.TV, 106.7 The Fan
🏈 Giants at Rams, 8:15 p.m., ABC and ESPN
⚡ Quick Hits
🐢 Maryland lost to Virginia Tech, 35-26, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
🏒 The Capitals opened their preseason schedule Sunday with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Bruins. Washington hosts the Flyers in Hershey, Pa., tonight.
⚽ D.C. United’s pursuit of the Eastern Conference’s ninth and final playoff spot took a hit Saturday with a 2-1 home loss to Charlotte.
⚾ The Nationals signed Cade Cavalli to a four-year, $47 million extension.
🗞️ Today in D.C. Sports History
Sept. 21, 1961: In their final game at Griffith Stadium, which opened off Georgia Avenue in 1911, the expansion Senators lost to the Twins, 6-3.
“A stadium was laid to rest,” The Washington Post’s Shirley Povich wrote. “Not many showed up for the services and the deceased was not much of a draw. … Only 1498 came, the worst crowd of the season. The tug of nostalgia had been overrated. The attendance figure, as announced, smacked more of a mark-down sale than a baseball crowd.”
In 1962, the Senators moved into D.C. Stadium, which would be renamed for Robert F. Kennedy in 1969.
(The Washington Post)
🕹️ Fun and Games
TRIVIA
Who is Washington’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns?
A. Sammy Baugh
B. Joe Theismann
C. Sonny Jurgensen
D. Kirk Cousins
BEFORE AND AFTER
The phrase below contains two connected clues that share a common word. Check out this example from “Jeopardy!”: Golf short game practice area served up in the title of a Dr. Seuss book = Putting Green Eggs and Ham.
Half of the hip-hop duo (with the Fresh Prince) behind the 1991 hit “Summertime” and the newspaper owner who was a guest of Jerry Jones at Sunday’s game.
Find the answers below.
The answer to today’s trivia question is A. Sammy Baugh, who threw 187 touchdown passes for Washington from 1937-52.
The answer to today’s before and after puzzle is DJ Jazzy Jeff Bezos. (The Post’s owner was apparently quite happy with the result!)
Happy fall, y’all. Cross your fingers for Daniels, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.