Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell isn’t interested in assigning blame for the serious injury suffered by Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels last week.

Daniels went down late in a lopsided loss to the Seattle Seahawks, awkwardly landing on his arm while being tackled and suffering a hyperextended elbow. The injury is expected to sideline him for several weeks, starting with Washington’s upcoming matchup against Detroit.

Campbell’s Take on the Situation

Speaking to the media before Sunday’s game, Campbell made it clear he doesn’t believe Commanders head coach Dan Quinn deserves criticism for the situation.

Quinn had publicly taken responsibility, saying Daniels should’ve been pulled from the game earlier with the outcome already decided. Campbell, however, pushed back on that idea, saying sometimes unfortunate things just happen in football.

“I know hindsight, all this and that, but yeah, I do feel for him,” Campbell told reporters, via The Associated Press. “But I don’t feel like he should have to feel that way.”

With Daniels now placed on injured reserve, Washington will turn to veteran Marcus Mariota as their starter against the Lions this weekend.

Commanders Move Forward with Mariota

Despite the team’s struggles — the Commanders currently sit at 3-6 — Mariota said the locker room remains confident under Quinn’s leadership.

“And it starts up top with DQ [Head Coach Dan Quinn],” Mariota said via the team’s official website. “He sets the mood every day, guys follow that and I do believe that. And again, it’s not going to all happen at once.”

Washington’s upcoming stretch of games won’t be easy. After facing Detroit, the Commanders will see the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles in consecutive weeks. Mariota emphasized that his focus remains on the immediate task — correcting mistakes and executing better against the Lions.

“We understand that being out here, taking it one day at a time, getting things corrected, getting things organized, making sure everyone’s on the same page so that when we do get to Sunday, guys are feeling confident and ready to go,” he said.

Detroit Looking to Regain Momentum

Meanwhile, the Lions enter the contest hoping to rebound from a frustrating loss to the Vikings — and to avoid dropping consecutive games for the first time since 2022.

Quarterback Jared Goff said he trusts the team’s ability to respond, just as they have earlier this season. After losing the season opener to Green Bay, Detroit reeled off four straight victories. They also bounced back after a defeat to Kansas City by taking down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of the NFC’s top teams.

“It’s all kind of who we are and what we’re built for,” Goff said. “Now again, this is another team that’s coming off a loss and they probably pride themselves in being built that way as well, so we’ve got our hands full.”

The Lions had an opportunity to reclaim first place in the NFC North last week but remain half a game behind the Packers following their setback against Minnesota. Sunday’s game against the Commanders gives them a chance to reset — and reassert themselves as contenders.