Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels addressed the media after practice on Nov. 20. Here is a full transcript of the press conference.
On if the lack of practice time over the last few weeks has had an impact on the passing game:
"I'll just say practice is very important, especially in our sport. You practice more than you play, so the constant chase to get better and grow, that's comes with practice reps. So, you fail and practice so, and stuff like that. So, I think it's very important that we go out there and practice."
On if the lack of practice impacted the Eagles game or if something else wasn't clicking:
"Yeah, I think we just weren't clicking all cylinders. I think that goes back with practice, practicing hard, and you can't replace practice reps, you can't replace those type of things. So, I'm with DQ [Head Coach Dan Quinn], those practice reps are very valuable."
On how his mini break went:
"Nah, I mean, I was able to reset and refocus, restart. It's kind of needed in a long season like that, so I mean, it was great to get away for a little bit. But I'm glad that we're back now."
On if the Commanders-Cowboys rivalry means more to players that used to play for Dallas:
"I mean if it does, they ain't been showing it so [laugh]. They've been focused on how can we get better, how can we improve and focus on ourselves."
On his physical wellbeing and on if the break helped:
"I'm good. The mini bye, I think it just helps just to, everything, just to reset your mind and get ready for the second half of the season."
On how much he planned in advance to manage his physical wellbeing coming into the season:
"I mean, I don't really think you could plan for that. Like you get little tidbits from vets, but, man, it is when they tell you like, 'Hey, I remember a lot of people told us this is going to be the longest year of your life'. So, from last college game, the pre-draft and to now, it is a very long season, but I mean, it just comes with the growing pains of your first year in the NFL."
On how QB Marcus Mariota's perspective has helped him throughout the season:
"Yeah, I mean, just how to handle adversity, that things that you go through. You're going to have ups and downs throughout the season, so how do you deal with that? How do you prepare for a short week? How do you prepare for maybe a week 14 bye and stuff like that. How do you manage your body throughout the season? So, I mean, it's not just with Marcus, but it's just with all the vets, they do a good job of giving this game, how to manage those different situations."
On what it was like being on stage with Wale:
"[Laugh] It was cool. Not really my type of thing, but it is all love, especially with somebody that has such an impact around the world and obviously in DMV too."
On if Steelers and Eagles slowed down his run game and on changes to make him more efficient on the ground:
"I think you self-scout and look at different things. Obviously, teams are going to start to play differently within containing me, containing the run game, so you gotta go back and look at it and we always trying to find ways to improve."
On how much football he watched this past weekend:
"I still watched football [laugh]. College, NFL. I mean, the week, physically, mentally, just to be able to reset and just chill, catch up on some rest and stuff like that. But I still watch sports."
On why he puts a wrap on his ribs on the sideline:
"It's to stay warm. I mean, it's getting later in the year as it gets colder, you don't want your body parts to get cold. So, it's just to stay warm."
On how beneficial it was to watch Dallas play Monday:
"I mean, I watch the game as a football fan. So, it's not really too much you could see. Maybe a little bit, but you gotta get the all-22 film just to break down what they're actually doing. But I just watch that game as a fan just to see some football being played."
On Dallas Cowboys LB Micah Parsons and on how they will game plan for him:
"I mean, Micah's a game changer. Everybody knows that. Everybody sees that, they move him around so he could impact the game in different ways. He might move from a three technique to a rush end, stand up, might stand straight up over the center, so they move him around a lot to get him on some matchups. But I mean, you gotta always be aware of a guy like that. You don't let game wreckers wreck the game. So, obviously we gotta go out there and identify where he is at, but we gotta go out there and execute our game plan too."
On what Sunday's game means to the players and on what it means to the fans:
"I mean, I'm still learning everything here, so maybe Sunday I'll go out there and really feel what this rivalry means. But obviously to the fans it's going to mean a lot to go out there and try to get a win. So, I'm new to this so I'm still trying to learn how rivalries and how fan bases and stuff like that working against each other."
On Dallas and the threats their defense poses:
"Yeah, I mean the record doesn't show, I mean obviously they're very talented team. Especially on their defense. They got a lot of guys that can make a lot of plays. You got [Dallas Cowboys CB Trevon] Diggs in the back end that, you lead the ball outside, he has elite ball skills. They're very athletic, got a lot of guys that can make plays and run sideline to sideline. So, it's going to be fun to go out there and compete against them."
On if he's talked with Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud in advance of Sunday's game:
"Yeah, I mean, I talked to C.J., I didn't recently talk to him after the game. We all get caught up in own stuff and having to take care of what we gotta take care of. So, it's more so, 'Hey, proud of you.' Stuff like that. It's not really some in-depth conversations like, 'Hey, you play this defensive coordinator, would you think?' So, we kind of just check in with each other every once in a while, throughout the season."
