Commanders Fall Hard as Jayden Daniels Exits with Injury

Summary:

• Washington lost 44-22 to Dallas after quarterback Jayden Daniels injured his hamstring in the third quarter.
• Backup Marcus Mariota threw a costly interception returned for a touchdown.
• The Commanders dropped to 3-4 and now face a tough stretch against the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Lions.

On Sunday, the Washington Commanders fell behind early to the Dallas Cowboys, lost their starting quarterback Jayden Daniels to a hamstring injury in the third quarter, and never recovered, suffering a crushing 44-22 defeat.

CeeDee Lamb’s return to action and the Dallas’ offense firing on all cylinders didn’t leave many options for the Commanders in what started as a hopeful follow-up to last year’s NFC Championship appearance.

The result caused Dan Quinn’s side to drop to 3-4, trailing the 5-2 Philadelphia Eagles and sitting just behind the 3-3-1 Cowboys in the NFC East.

Daniels will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of his injury, but the team already looked off-balance before he left the game.

The injury happened on Washington’s first drive of the second half. Daniels was strip-sacked near midfield, and as he went down under Shemar James, his right leg twisted awkwardly.

He immediately grabbed his thigh, limped to the sideline, and headed to the medical tent before making his way to the locker room. Backup Marcus Mariota came in to finish the game, but Daniels never returned.

It’s the second injury setback this season for the rookie quarterback, who already missed Weeks 3 and 4 with a knee issue. That earlier injury was to the opposite leg, and while this one didn’t seem as serious, as Jayden Daniels even gave a thumbs-up as he walked off, the team isn’t taking chances.

Washington’s offense fell apart once Daniels exited. On just his second pass attempt, Mariota tossed an interception under pressure that Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland returned 68 yards for a touchdown, stretching the Cowboys’ lead to 41-15, which pretty much sealed it.

However, the Commanders were struggling long before Daniels got hurt. They briefly led 8-7 in the first quarter after a safety and a touchdown drive, but Dallas quickly took control. Dak Prescott hit Lamb for a 74-yard touchdown as part of a 13-point run, and by halftime, the Cowboys were up 27-15.

By the end, Dallas had outgained Washington 409 yards to 341 and won the turnover battle 2-0, converting both Commanders giveaways into touchdowns.

Now the Commanders face a brutal run of games in the NFL against the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Lions. If Daniels misses time, that early-season optimism could fade fast.