Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn has admitted he bears some the fault for a serious injury to the team’s signal-caller, Daniels.
Particulars of the Injury and Context
Daniels, who had among the best rookie campaigns of all time the previous year, sustained a displaced elbow joint in the Sunday defeat to the Seattle Seahawks. Even though the quarterback throws with his right arm, the issue has left his campaign uncertain. The injury was significant enough that the TV coverage avoided showing repeats and multiple players turned away as Daniels was treated by team doctors.
Criticism and Coach’s Reaction
Quinn faced criticism as many felt Daniels should not have been on the playing surface to begin with. The injury occurred in the fourth quarter with the Commanders trailing 38-7, rendering a recovery improbable. It is typical in such situations for clubs to put in their reserve QB to avoid harm to their first-string player.
“I get that. I’ve been thinking about it constantly, too, and, man, I missed it,” Quinn said of his decision to keep Daniels in the game. “This is 100% my fault.”
Aftermath and Team Outlook
Marcus Mariota will be the team’s primary QB from now on, but he will lead a roster in disarray. After making the NFC championship game last season thanks to the rookie’s excellence, the franchise have struggled this season. They also lost cornerback Lattimore (torn ACL) and wide receiver Luke McCaffrey (broken collarbone) on game day, and have a number of other starters on injured reserve. The Commanders are three wins and six losses on the season, and it would require a massive reversal for the club to make the playoffs.
