Jayden Daniels was sacked 8 times, and the Commanders rookie QB shoulders some of the blame

Playing on turf in the Superdome is the only thing that kept Jayden Daniels' white jersey clean throughout the Washington Commanders' game Sunday at New Orleans.

The rookie quarterback got sacked a season-high eight times in the 20-19 victory, and it was less a product of breakdowns along the offensive line as much as growing pains for Daniels.

“When is that balance, that razor-thin line of staying aggressive to scramble and go like you saw Jayden do some down in the red zone compared to this is a throwaway and move on to the next down, and we’re still growing through that,” coach Dan Quinn said on a video call with reporters Monday. “All in all, it wasn’t on one person or one position but certainly not a standard that we were comfortable with in any way."

Daniels also ran 11 times for 66 yards and was Washington's leading rusher against the Saints. After his return to Louisiana, where he starred at LSU and won the Heisman Trophy, the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite took responsibility for being sacked so much.

“I need to be able to get the ball out of my hands and help the offensive line out,” Daniels said. “I put that on me. It is not all on the offensive line. I have to be able to be better back there in the pocket.”

Keeping Daniels upright does not get any easier with the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles coming to town this weekend on a 10-game winning streak and with the chance to clinch the division if they make it 11 in a row. They're tied for ninth in the NFL with 39 sacks entering Monday.

The Commanders at 9-5 are holding on to the conference's final wild-card spot, just a game up on 8-6 Seattle with three games left in the season. Philadelphia opened as a 3 1/2-point favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook.

What’s working

It wasn't pretty needing a 2-point conversion stop to hold on after going up 20-7 early in the fourth quarter, but a win is a win — and it's crucial given the competitiveness of the playoff race. The Saints game also showed improvement after losing close games last month at home to Pittsburgh and Dallas.

“We’re still getting better,” Quinn said. “We’re still growing. We’re not all the way established and have had some of those kind of fights. We need ’em all, man. As the calendar turns, there’s going to more wild stuff ahead. I want us to be ready for those, so when it comes you’re ready to step right into it.”

What needs help

The kicking game ... again. Greg Joseph — the fourth kicker to play in a game for the Commanders this season — missed a 54-yard field-goal attempt with two minutes remaining.

Joseph was an eleventh-hour replacement for Zane Gonzalez, who Quinn said had an issue with his left plant foot that kept him from being 100%. With Austin Seibert out at least the next two games because of a groin injury, Quinn expects Gonzalez to keep the job when healthy despite missing wide right twice against the Titans on Dec. 1.

Stock up

Cornerback Marshon Lattimore played 53 snaps in his Commanders debut, and Saints quarterbacks Jake Haener and Spencer Rattler threw at their former teammate exactly zero times on their 31 combined passing attempts.

“When there’s less attention going to you, that is a sign that you’ve had a really good game,” Quinn said. “Less on the stat sheet from the passing game standpoint, that is a clear signal of a really good game.”

Lattimore's presence alone helped rookie Mike Sainristil break up a couple of passes and pick up his second career interception. It's exactly the kind of game-altering talent general manager Adam Peters was hoping for when he acquired the four-time Pro Bowl defensive back from New Orleans at the trade deadline, and Lattimore showed he was worth the wait following a hamstring injury.

Stock down

Brian Robinson Jr. averaged just 3.1 yards on his 21 carries, and the workhorse running back was kept out of the end zone. Finishing near the goal line is something the coaching staff would have liked to see go differently.

"I would have loved to see us run the ball more effectively, and that’s all 11 (players on) offense," Quinn said. “He’s got such unique power so in the short-yardage (situations), down by the goal line — those ones, can we convert his runs into touchdowns? That’s the big one to me.”

Injuries

Tight end Zach Ertz and safety Jeremy Chinn are in concussion protocol after leaving the Saints game. Quinn expects center Tyler Biadasz, a late scratch Sunday because of illness, to play against the Eagles.

Key number

22 — Years before Sunday since Washington won a road game immediately after a bye week, going back to a victory at Tennessee on Oct. 6, 2002.

Next steps

Learn something from losing 26-18 at Philadelphia on Nov. 14 after leading 10-3 early in the second half. The Commanders can still probably make the playoffs even if they fall to 9-6, but that would make a potential Kirk Cousins return game in Week 17 against Atlanta a must-win situation.

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AP Sports Writer Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed.

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Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press