Jayden Daniels Week 2 QB Grade: Commanders @ Packers

Yikes. The second start of Jayden's 2025 season comes on the road at Lambeau Field, taking on the Packers. And I won't sugar coat it, it was ugly. Jayden attempted just 9 throws over 10 air yard, only completing two of them (with 1 drop mixed in there.) The Packers defense came very well prepared to handle Jayden, keeping him contained in the pocket, dropping LB's into the shallow zones, and having those LB's crash the LOS when Jayden tried to scramble. The result was just 17 total yards on the ground for Jayden, who was completely kept in check on the evening, despite the stat sheet saying a different story.

Let's take a look at the breakdown.

Basics

C/A: 24/42 (57.1%)

Yards: 200

Touchdowns: 2

Turnovers: 0

QB at Fault Sacks: 3

Passer Rating: 85.4

True Passer Rating: 85.2

Time to Throw: 2.63s

Time to Pressure: 2.37s

Pressure Rate: 30.91%

14.03% Poor Play Rate vs. 0.0% Big Play Rate

Breakdown

• The Commanders offense could not get anything going in the passing game beyond 10 yards the entire night. Jayden's best throw of the 1st half would have netted them about 17 yards on a 3rd down play, but the ball was dropped.

• While watching the game I noticed just how dink and dunk the offense was. On the game Jayden had just a 7.5 aDOT. Through the first 3 drives? Just 1.4 aDOT. That number climbed to 5.9 by half time. but only 1 of those throws over 5.9 aDOT was completed after the first 3 drives in the half.

• Packers front 4 played excellent in containing Jayden, the put out a 30.91% pressure rate and brought him down for 4 sacks, which is a 23.53% pressure to sack rate.

• I really wish there were some positives to pull from this tape but even in garbage time (4th Quarter, down 3 scores with under 7 minutes to play) Jayden's 2 best throws were merely "Above Average" plays, and he even netted a -1.40 score IN garbage time when the Packers were essentially giving him free underneath completions.

• It was so bad at one point I had to grade a completion "Below Average" due to how badly the ball was thrown to a wide open guy. Terry McLaurin made a bobbling catch on a ball that was behind him on a 14 yard completion on 2nd and 5 from the Commanders 35.

• I suppose the one plus side would be the only thing that did turn this game into an absolute disaster was the lack of turnover worthy plays, at the VERY least Jayden kept the ball out of danger.

• Jayden Daniels absolutely had the worst game of his career Thursday night, and one of the worst games I have graded. Only 2 other games are worse, the 2023 Justin Fields game against the Browns where he scored a -9.25, and the 2024 Tyson Bagent game against the Panthers where he scored a -7.00. Jayden scored a -3.35/-2.95/-6.30 making this a "Very Poor" start, and hopefully a start he builds from and moves on from.