Commanders need to play Jayden Daniels vs. Lions in preseason Game 2

Grant Paulsen was on his soapbox again on Wednesday.

No, Paulsen wasn’t being annoying, as the soapbox metaphor often implies. But Paulsen spoke out boldly and confidently again on Wednesday about his strong belief that Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels needs to be on the field playing against the Lions Saturday.

“I get that he has gotten a lot more reps this week because of the Mariota injury this week,” expressed Paulsen on his 106.7 The Fan Show with co-host Danny Rouhier. “That’s very true; I have seen it with my own eyes. That’s a fact.”

I never played at the major college level, but I can most assuredly express to readers that even at the smaller college level, our basketball games were much more intense than our team practices. Regardless of how much our coaches attempted to intensify practice, there was a pressure during actual game situations that practice did not duplicate. So too, in this case, I think Paulsen is on to something. I understand his position on this matter.

“But I just don’t know that the reps equate to the same thing that game reps would be. It’s almost irrelevant for me how many practice reps he is going to get. Have you ever gotten a call into your helmet in a game from David Blough? The answer is no; let’s change that.”

Paulsen didn’t stop there; he continued. “Have you ever run this offense in a game? The answer is no. Let’s change that. Before the Eagles.”

Yes, the Eagles, the defending NFC East Champs the last two seasons, are the season opener for Washington this year.

“Just once, let’s go through the motions in a lower-stakes situation, is where I am at,” stated Paulsen. “Have you played more than twice since Halloween? The answer is no. Let’s change that before you have to take on a defense that I actually think might end up being the best in football this year in Philly.”

In theory, I certainly agree with Paulsen. In theory, everything Paulsen said was logical, made sense, and was reasonable. I understand from a former basketball player’s mindset and experience. However, this is not basketball. Yes, injuries occur in preseason basketball games, but not to the degree they do in preseason NFL games.

In fact, take last Friday night’s preseason opener against the Dolphins. The Commanders lost Marcus Mariota to a sprained MCL, and they think he will be back for the regular season. They also lost RB Jerome Ford to a bad enough hamstring injury; they have already placed him on the injured reserve. But the most damaging injury was defensive tackle Johnny Newton, who tore a pectoral muscle and will be lost for a significant time.

Consequently, everything Paulsen said is logical and makes perfect sense: Daniels should be out there against the Lions on Saturday. Yet, given the injuries the Commanders have already suffered, why in the world would Dan Quinn put Jayden Daniels out there, risking injury in games that don’t even count?

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Commanders need to play Jayden Daniels vs. Lions in preseason Game 2