Hail or Fail: Washington’s defense got lost more often than Jayden Daniels’s helmet

The highlights and lowlights, including more kicking woes, from the Commanders’ season-opening loss in Tampa.

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Jayden Daniels loses his helmet after a hit by Antoine Winfield Jr. in the first half. (Jason Behnken/AP)

A look at the good (Hail!) and bad (Fail!) from the Washington Commanders’ 37-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.

Hail: Jayden Daniels’s final drive

Washington’s rookie quarterback ended his regular season debut on a positive note, leading a 70-yard scoring drive late in the fourth quarter. Daniels completed all five of his passes to five different receivers on the march, which culminated in his second one-yard rushing touchdown of the game. Sure, it came in garbage time of a Week 1 loss and it was a questionable decision to twice run Daniels into the teeth of the Tampa Bay defense at the goal line with Washington trailing by 23, but it was something for the No. 2 pick to build on after completing 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards and rushing 16 times for 88 yards. Daniels joined Robert Griffin III as the only rookie QBs in franchise history to rush for at least 80 yards and two touchdowns in a game. Griffin’s single-game career high for rushing attempts was 13.

Fail: Daniels’s first drive

Daniels’s day got off to an inauspicious start: He threw an errant backward pass intended for running back Brian Robinson Jr. on Washington’s first play from scrimmage. The ball bounced out of bounds for a loss of 15 yards, and the Commanders went three-and-out. Daniels was off the mark to start the second half as well. He overthrew wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who had a step on cornerback Jamel Dean, on a deep ball that should have resulted in a touchdown. McLaurin was still encouraged by Daniels’s debut.

Hail: Austin Ekeler

Hey, it’s slim pickings for Hails over here. Ekeler had four catches for 52 yards, averaged 24 yards on two kickoff returns and made a couple of key blocks in his first game with Washington. After catching 107 passes and combining for 18 rushing and receiving touchdowns in 2022, the former Chargers running back had a down year by his standards last season and signed a two-year deal with the Commanders in March. The 29-year-old looked plenty spry on a 22-yard gain in the second quarter, catching a short pass over the middle and spinning out of the grasp of a couple of would-be tacklers, including linebacker Lavonte David. If he can stay healthy, he could be a solid complement to Brian Robinson Jr.

Fail: Washington’s defense

It was an ugly debut for Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and his unit, which blew coverages, missed tackles and committed costly penalties all afternoon. Washington allowed points on Tampa Bay’s first five drives, forced one punt and recorded one sack. The Buccaneers were 9 for 13 on third down and averaged 6.4 yards per play. Baker Mayfield threw for 289 yards and became the first quarterback to throw for four touchdowns against Washington in Week 1 since the Cowboys’ Troy Aikman in 1999. The 37 points were the most the Commanders had given up in an opener since a 38-16 loss to the Steelers in 2016.

Hail: The ‘Daniels Dive’

Through one game, the answer to the important question of whether Daniels will slide to protect himself at the end of runs is a resounding … uh, sort of? The rookie didn’t exactly slide Sunday, but he did tumble and dive and pseudo-somersault to the turf in attempts to avoid taking big hits.

“There are kids in preschool who are like, ‘I can do a somersault better than an NFL quarterback right now,’” Fox play-by-play man Kevin Kugler joked after Daniels scrambled for 16 yards in the second quarter and rolled to the ground in awkward fashion. “It will be better in years to come.”

Perhaps Daniels could get some sliding tips from his fellow No. 2 pick from LSU now making a name for himself in D.C. — Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews.

Fail: Ill-fitting helmets

Speaking of the Nationals, D.C. sports fans are familiar with the sight of a young star losing his helmet while on the run. Bryce Harper’s helmet flew off his head so often that people suggested the 2015 National League MVP get a chin strap and the Nationals gave away bobbleheads commemorating the look. Daniels’s helmet has a chin strap, of course, but it popped off on two occasions anyway. That was cause for alarm for some, even though the quarterback downplayed the significance. (“Honestly, I’m just playing football back there,” he said. “Your helmet’s going to pop off if you’ve got it buckled up tight or loose.”)

“Somebody needs to work with Jayden Daniels and get that helmet so it stays on,” Fox analyst Daryl Johnston said after Daniels had a touchdown run overturned because his helmet came off and the play was ruled dead before the ball crossed the goal line in the final minutes. “This is the second time that it comes off with really not a lot of contact. … If this is an indication today of how many carries he’s going to have, they got to get something done there. That’s nerve-racking to me that it’s come off as easily as it has twice.”

Hail: The scheduling gods

The Commanders’ performance Sunday was bad enough to lose to just about any team, but there’s reason to be optimistic about their chances next week with the Giants coming to Northwest Stadium. (Note: New York has won three straight against Washington, and quarterback Daniel Jones typically plays like a Hall of Famer against the burgundy and gold.) Jones threw two interceptions and was sacked twice in the Giants’ 28-6 home loss to Minnesota on Sunday. The next six opponents on Washington’s schedule opened the season with losses.

Fail: Cade York

So we can probably chalk that preposterously positive preseason prediction about York setting the single-season franchise record for field goals made up as a loss. After missing both of his field goal attempts and booting a kickoff out of bounds, York may not last as long with Washington as the two games Chris Blewitt made it in 2021. Under the terms of Washington’s trade with Cleveland last month, the Commanders must send a seventh-round draft pick to the Browns if York is on the roster for at least two games, and it doesn’t seem worth the sacrifice based on Sunday’s showing. “I think we’ll have a good talk about that, see where we’re at,” Commanders Coach Dan Quinn said after being asked if Washington might bring in yet another kicker.