Commanders Avoid ‘Worst Case Scenario’ With Superstar QB Jayden Daniels
Getty
Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels.
In a season of few victories on the field, the Washington Commanders should look for wins wherever they can get them.
This should count as one of those.
The Commanders learned the gruesome arm injury star quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered in a Week 9 Monday Night Football loss to the Seattle Seahawks might not be as bad as originally thought.
“Sources: Commanders QB Jayden Daniels’ MRI and medical opinions revealed positive news, as his dislocated left elbow is not as serious as originally anticipated,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport wrote on his official X account Friday, November 7 “There was no ligament damage & he won’t need surgery. Daniels will not be immediately placed on Injured Reserve.”
Daniels has already missed 3 games this season due to injuries — 2 games with a knee sprain and 1 game with a hamstring injury.
The Commanders, who entered the season as Super Bowl contenders, have lost 4 consecutive games headed into a Week 10 home game against an actual Super Bowl contender in the Detroit Lions.
Marcus Mariota will start against the Lions in place of Daniels. Veteran journeyman Josh Johnson will serve as Mariota’s backup.
“Washington fans (and Jayden Daniels himself) should find some relief that it wasn’t his throwing arm THAT would be the absolute worst case scenario,” X user Betta wrote. “Pretty dumb from the coach to have him out there regardless.”
Nightmare Sophomore Season for Daniels
The Commanders selected Daniels No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft and watched his career take off like a rocket ship as a rookie, leading the team to its best season in over 30 years. Washington went 12-5 in the regular season and advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991.
Washington spent the offseason re-tooling their roster — an inexplicable move considering how well they played in 2024. That included high profile trades for left offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel as well as drafting offensive tackle Josh Conerly in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
The 2025 season has been a nightmare for both Daniels and the Commanders — bad enough Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon singled him out as the team’s “Biggest Disappointment” through the first 2 months of the regular season.
“The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year has also fallen in 2025,” Gagnon wrote. “It’s not quite ‘sophomore slump’ territory just yet, but his completion rate is down eight points and his QBR has sunk by more than 16. Knee and hamstring injuries have been a big factor, though.”
Things Could Get Even Worse for Commanders
One look at the remaining schedule for the Commanders shows things may not have hit rock bottom just yet.
After playing the Lions, the Commanders head to Madrid, Spain, to face the Miami Dolphins in Week 11 — a game the Commanders may not even be favored in — before their bye win Week 12.
Returning from the bye — with or without Daniels — is a murderer’s row of games.
In the final 6 game of the year, the Commanders face the 8-2 Denver Broncos (Week 12), followed by a road game against the Minnesota Vikings and 2 games against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles in the last 3 weeks of the regular season.
It’s not a stretch to say the Commanders might finish the season 5-12 — the exact inverse of their 2024 record.
Zacha Line Is Bruins’ Real Top Line - Pastrnak’s Spotlight Might Be Fading
The Boston Bruins have a lot of good going for them. After a six-game losing skid, the Bruins have rattled off four wins in a row. They are playing a better brand of hockey and that’s despite being without their top line center in Elias Lindholm . This leads to the good thing for this team. In the wake of the injury, the Bruins have another line they can count on, and it’s led by Pavel Zacha.
Sturm Praising the Second Line
Depth is important in the game of hockey. If you are a one line team, it is extremely hard to win. Not impossible, though. When the Bruins lost Lindholm to a lower-body injury, there were questions as to who would answer the bell. The top line has seen its adjustments with Marat Khusnutdinov sliding into the role and exceeding expectations. However, it is the Zacha line that has helped deliver.
The line of Zacha, Casey Mittelstadt , and Viktor Arvidsson has been able to provide enormous depth. Also, it came with a good response. After the game against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct. 18, head coach Marco Sturm opted to healthy scratch Mittelstadt. The healthy scratch sparked a fire, as Mittelstadt has seven points in his last nine games. Furthermore, Zacha has recorded a point in 73% of the Bruins games this season and Arvidsson has four goals in his last six games. According to Sturm, it all starts with Zacha down the middle.
“I always think the centerman is always the motor and always the brain on any line”
“I think he took that since he’s back on center –– I think he took that line to another level.”
Originally, Mittelstadt was the man in the middle, but since switching Zacha to center, it’s allowed the line to thrive and has seen Zacha become more of a line driver.
When on the ice, they have been buzzing. A spark has been ignited within that line, and their impacts on the ice have been well noted.
Their Impacts on the Ice Are Huge
It has been eight games since this team has truly taken off. Once Mittelstadt returned to the lineup against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 21, he slotted back to the wing and let Zacha take the center position. Since that point, that line has been the Bruins’ best and has been a major bright spot in the lineup.
Deployment has been key for this line, and Sturm has gotten this line to draw better matchups. They’ve been starting mainly in the neutral and defensive zones to start their shifts. Evidently, it has worked because the Bruins are controlling the pace of the game with them on the ice.
As a trio, they are out attempting the opposition 93-82, which is good for a 53.14 Corsi for percentage. Furthermore, they are controlling the expected goals share 59.23% of the time on ice and have outscored the opponents 5-2. This line has been opportunistic and is constantly buzzing in the offensive zone.
Zacha has been essential in the faceoff circle, winning 62% of his draws and has been a responsible two-way center. Also, he played the big hero by scoring the game-winning goal against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 6. Arvidsson has been the most opportunistic Bruin, as he has 2.07 individual expected goals for and has scored four goals. Mittelstadt simply looks more comfortable on the wings and has been able to use his speed and playmaking creativity to his advantage.
This line has been stellar to watch and a big blessing to this lineup as a whole.
Depth Is Important
The Zacha line has brought tremendous depth to the lineup, and it’s a breath of fresh air. It is good when you have a reliable line behind David Pastrnak that can be counted on for goals. It has been crucial to the Bruins’ winning streak, and it’ll be fun to see how much it continues.
