Jayden Daniels on first playoff game: You have to stay the same during the week

Washington’s Jayden Daniels will play his first postseason game this weekend when the Chiefs take on the Buccaneers.

While the first taste of January football could be special for anyone, the 24-year-old midfielder said he keeps his same routine on Sunday night.

“It’s exciting, but I mean you kind of have to deal with those emotions,” Daniels said in his press conference this week. “But I know that at the end of the day, you still have to go out and play ball. A lot of people are going to be too focused on that because at that point it’s win or go home. From there, it’s like, OK, you’ve got to go out there.”

“The concentration level might be a little higher, but you have to stay yourself all week, like you have been all these 17-18 weeks, and go out there and just play ball.”

daniels, The 2024 PFT Offensive Rookie of the YearHe was fantastic in his first 17 games. The No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft, Daniels completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also rushed for 891 yards with six TDs.

His first game of the season was against the Buccaneers, where he finished 17 of 24 for 184 yards. He also had 88 yards on the ground with two rushing touchdowns.

“I think just going back and watching the film, you can see you learn a lot as the season goes on,” Daniels said. “So, obviously that was my first game and I’m just trying to go out there and learn more experiences. But I mean, at the end of the day, it’s still football and it’s still going to be a challenge for these guys again.