The Denver Broncos are going for win No. 10 on the season as they take on the Washington Commanders on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 13 in a matchup billed before the season as a showdown between 2024 draftmates Bo Nix and Jayden Daniels.
However, the latest news around the game has reshaped that narrative.
Nix and the Broncos will still face a former No. 2 overall pick against the Commanders, just not Daniels.
Broncos Facing Commanders Team Missing Jayden Daniels
GettyJayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders looks on during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Daniels has drawn attention all week with his return to practice ahead of facing Nix, who was selected 12th in last year’s draft, and the Broncos. The 2024 Offensive Rookie of the Year suffered an elbow injury in Week 9 against the Seattle Seahawks and has been out since.
However, despite Daniels making “great progress,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn put the speculation to bed once and for all on Friday.
That was even as Daniels again made waves for participating in practice.
“It’s a day-by-day process. Just kind of getting back into a rhythm, and get in the flow of things,” Daniels told reporters on November 25. “Gotta go out there and play football. If I’m back out there, I’m healthy, and I’m ready to go, I want to be out there.”
Instead, the Broncos will face 11th-year veteran Marcus Mariota, the No. 2 pick in 2015 by the Tennessee Titans.
Mariota has a 35-44 career record as a starter.
He has had stints with the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, and Philadelphia Eagles and has thrown for 17,249 yards, 104 touchdowns, and 60 interceptions on 63.1% completion during his career.
Bo Nix: Broncos’ Job ‘Not Even Close’ to Done
GettyBo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos walks off the field after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs.
Daniels’ continued absence is a blow to the Commanders in a season gone awry. The Commanders enter Week 13 against Nix and the Broncos as losers of six straight with a 3-8 record this season, including 1-4 with Mariota under center.
Both teams are coming off their bye weeks.
The Broncos, though, have won eight straight outings. They have defeated the last two Super Bowl champions, the Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs, this season.
“We put ourself in this position now to put ourself in that position [to get homefield advantage in the playoffs] then,” Nix told reporters on November 26. “The job’s definitely not even close to being finished yet. But we have put ourself in the spot to obtain it. And so, that’s the part of the journey. You got to put yourself in a situation to get it there at the end, and grab hold of it. But it’s right there in front of us.
“You don’t get these opportunities a lot. They’re definitely hard to come by. So, got to make sure that you take it and not miss it. You don’t get these a lot. And, obviously, this is my first time, and I’m definitely excited and eager to keep going about it and find a way to get it done.”
That means Nix and the Broncos know avoiding potential trap games like this is key.
Daniels may be out for the Commanders. However, sloppy play can doom any team. Even one that has performed so well this far into a season like Nix and the Broncos have.
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