Jayden Daniels Reflects on Disappointing Loss: "This One’s On Me – I Promise to Come Back Stronger"
Washington, D.C. — It was a tough night for Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. After leading his team for most of the game, Daniels watched helplessly as Chicago Bears
In an emotional post-game interview, Daniels took full responsibility for the defeat, offering a heartfelt apology to the fans, his teammates, and himself. “I want to start by saying I’m sorry to the fans, my teammates, and everyone who believes in me,”
The Commanders were in control for much of the game, leading by eight points with just minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. But despite Daniels’ best efforts, the Bears’ defense and Williams’ incredible composure in crunch time overwhelmed Washington. The young quarterback seemed poised for a breakout performance, but after a series of unfortunate turnovers and missed opportunities, Washington’s momentum faltered, and the Bears capitalized.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow, especially after everything we’ve been through this season,” Daniels continued, clearly frustrated with the missed chance to build on the Commanders’ early success. “But one thing I know for sure—this isn’t the end. I’ve been in tough situations before, and I know how to fight back. We’ll bounce back, and I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
The loss dropped the Commanders to a 2-3 record, and although the game was filled with excitement and energy, Daniels’ words reflected the growing sense of accountability within the locker room. His leadership was never in question, but this game proved that the NFL is a tough place for young quarterbacks, especially when facing the high-stakes pressure of late-game situations.
Despite the setback, Daniels is determined to use this experience as a stepping stone. “I’ve got a lot of work to do, and I won’t stop until I’m the quarterback this team deserves. I’ll be back stronger, and I’ll make sure we’re never in this position again,”
Washington’s head coach, Ron Rivera, echoed Daniels' sentiments, praising his quarterback’s accountability. “Jayden is a leader, and leaders own up to their mistakes,”
With a full season ahead, the Commanders’ season is far from over, and Daniels’ willingness to learn from adversity could play a major role in Washington’s playoff push. The Commanders will look to bounce back next week when they face the
For now, the loss remains a tough memory for Daniels and the Commanders, but with his resilience and leadership, it’s clear that Washington’s future remains in capable hands.
Vikings Get Huge Update on LB Blake Cashman Ahead of Week 7
Coming out of their bye week, the Minnesota Vikings got some positive news on a key defensive starter. LB Blake Cashman, a former fifth-round pick of the Jets whom the Vikings signed in 2024, has been on Injured Reserve (IR) since Week 1 after sustaining a hamstring injury in the team’s Week 1 game against the Bears.
But in great news for the Vikings, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced during his Monday press conference that the team is opening the 21-day practice window for Cashman. When a player returns from IR, the team can activate a 21-day window during which the player can practice with the team, but does not count against an active roster spot until he’s ready to return to game action. The team can fully activated him at any time in that window, but if they don’t before the 21 days expire, the player reverts to IR and cannot be activated again that season.
“[I’m] also excited to open up Blake Cashman’s [practice] window, we’ll open [it] up today,” O’Connell said. “We’ll go out for some on-field work today to kinda get the week kicked off. …It’ll be great to get Cash back on the practice field, we’re opening that window up, and he’s done a heck of a job getting himself ready to go. And we’ll give him the week of preparation and see where he’s at towards the tail end of the week.”
O’Connell also announced that QB J.J. McCarthy, RT Brian O’Neill, G Donovan Jackson, and C Michael Jurgens all returned to practice on Monday after missing the Vikings‘ Week 5 game against the Browns in London.
LB Blake Cashman is Critical to the Minnesota Vikings Defense
Stephen Maturen/GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 29: Andrew Van Ginkel #43 and Blake Cashman #51 of the Minnesota Vikings celebrate after sacking Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 29, 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
“I think a guy like Blake Cashman coming back is critical as well,” O’Connell said later in his press conference. “Because he assumes that ‘green dot’ position and we have just seen since we got Blake, when he is out there, and we’re playing the kind of defense we’re accustomed to seeing, Blake’s got a lot to do with it. So [we’re] very excited to get him back.”
The “green dot position” refers to a literal green dot sticker that one player on each side of the ball wears on the back of their helmet. Only one player for each team is allowed to wear one on the field on any given play, but the green dot designates which player is allowed to talk to the coaches on the sidelines through the helmet communication systems. On offense, that’s always the quarterback. On defense, it’s typically the middle linebacker, but it can also be a safety or other linebacker position.
For the Vikings defense, that player is Cashman. He’s responsible for getting the defense set, communicating the playcall to the rest of the unit, making sure everyone’s in the right spots, and calling out any audibles or adjustments based on what the offense is doing. More than just what he offers during the play, Minnesota is getting the quarterback of their defense back.
It’s a Good Time for the Minnesota Vikings to Get Healthy
While they aren’t quite dealing with the catastrophic level of injuries teams like the Ravens and 49ers are, the Vikings are maybe in a tier below that alongside the Chargers as teams that have still lost a lot. 10 combined Minnesota starters and the backups that replaced those starters were out or dealing with injuries in Week 5.
But now, the Vikings are getting some of those pieces back at the perfect time. Minnesota plays the Eagles, Chargers, and Lions over the next three weeks, and each team is currently 4-2. It’s a tough stretch, but the Vikings are getting back the manpower to handle it.
