Caleb Williams' dad sends eyebrow-raising message after Jayden Daniels leads Commanders past Lions in playoffs

Jayden Daniels became only the sixth rookie quarterback in the Super Bowl era to lead his team to a conference championship game after he led the Washington Commanders to a 45-31 win over the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in their divisional round clash on Saturday.

The quarterback had a stellar day as a passer and an effective outing as a rusher as he completed 22 of his 31 pass attempts for 299 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 51 yards on 16 carries. Daniels' decision-making was assured, and he resembled a seasoned veteran more than a rookie in what was only his second playoff game.

Fans were thoroughly impressed with his performance and lauded the Commanders' coaching staff for putting him in a position to succeed not only during the regular season but also in the playoffs against the finest teams in the league.

One fan noted that Daniels rarely has to take the time to go through his reads. He usually has a set play call, whether a pass or a rush attempt and doesn't have to ad-lib.

Carl Williams, the father of Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who was the only player picked ahead of the Commanders quarterback in the 2024 NFL draft, agreed with that take and took a shot at his son's team's coaching staff. On Sunday on X, he shared the fan's post and wrote, "#coachingmatters."

He's alluding that the Commanders did a better job surrounding Daniels with the right personnel on and off the field than the Bears did with Williams, which is why the No. 2 pick in the draft had a starkly better rookie campaign than the top pick.

Jayden Daniels vs. Caleb Williams stats

Before the season commenced, many claimed that Caleb Williams, the first overall pick in the NFL draft, was heading into the best situation a rookie quarterback could ask for.

He had several weapons at his disposal like wide receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, running back D'Andre Swift, tight end Cole Kmet, and fellow rookie Rome Odunze, the explosive receiver who helped the Washington Huskies reach the National Championship Game.

Jayden Daniels, the second overall pick in the draft, wasn't afforded these luxuries. He had two notable receivers in Terry McLaurin and veteran tight end Zach Ertz. The rookie was also playing behind an offensive line that had given up the second-most sacks in the 2023 campaign.

Despite the substantial difference in help, Daniels outperformed Williams by a wide margin. He finished the regular season with 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdown passes, nine interceptions, 891 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns. He has also led the Commanders to their first Conference Championship Game since 1991.

Williams' final stat line read 3,541 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes, six interceptions, 489 rushing yards, and no rushing touchdowns. He was sacked 68 times, the most in the league. It wasn't the worst rookie season a first-overall pick has had, but it was disappointing considering the expectations. The quarterback, his father, and the Bears will hope that a new coaching staff will help him hit the heights in his sophomore year that Daniels has in his debut campaign.