When Charles Davis joined Grant & Danny last Friday, he told them he was excited to get another up close look at Jayden Daniels when he was on the call of Commanders-Steelers.
So now that said game is over, what did Davis think, and what does he think of Jayden 10 weeks in?
“Pretty impressive, and I think that you've hit on the major parts of why the enthusiasm should remain; he’s set a standard already, and a bar, in a very short amount of time, that a day like Sunday, we all kind of go ‘eh,’ right?” Davis said. “For a rookie quarterback, that’s supposed to be a good day, and he had his team in position to win. The thing that keeps impressing me about him is a major theme of what's been a part of Washington's success this year - Dan Quinn’s iteration is ball is life, and this kid comes from two programs where valuing the ball was beaten into him by all of his people. There were a number of plays Sunday where you look at them in the play-by-play as nothing plays, but they were veteran plays – him grounding the ball so that there's no interception, or taking the sack and making sure he's holding on to it with two hands. He does some veteran stuff that is just off the charts and probably doesn't get enough attention just for that.”
Of course, the Commanders were in position to win but had two fourth-down problems, the first being the spot on Zach Ertz’s catch on the final offensive drive.
“I thought he had it when he caught the ball, then we brought Gene Steratore into it and I asked Gene if he had the first down and then lose it as he started to make his move,” Davis said. “Because he was still moving, you don't get the full extension of it; if it’s a catch and a tackle right on the spot and then he drives you back, you get forward progress. But when you catch it and you make that football move, it’s different, and that's why I wanted to ask Gene, and Gene thought that he didn't have it.”
That plus Johnny Newton’s offsides cost them the win in the end, but the Commanders are still 7-3 heading into a short week on TNF at Philly, and they’ve yet to beat a top contender – so how good does Davis think they can be?
“I don't think the Steelers exposed you; if anything, to me, they elevated you, because the impression going into it was we really like this Washington team and the spirit around them, and you like what they’re doing, but you realize that the numbers don't always hold up compared to what we're seeing,” Davis said. “But you like this team and love the QB, but the teams they beat, going against Pittsburgh was like going up a weight class, and they punched right with them. They were right there and ready to roll, just like they did in Baltimore, and if you keep hanging in there, the breakthrough is going to happen. They are well on their tracks, and to me, this is a playoff contender, and let’s not undersell Thursday night – it’s a monster game.”
Take a listen to Davis’ entire visit, as he also talks about the Steelers continuing to succeed under Russell Wilson, what’s going on with the Cowboys, and more!