Jayden Daniels' growth with VR simulation leads Commander to have interaction in mind games

ASHBURN, Va. – Kliff Kingsbury is embracing the virtual reality simulation that Jayden Daniels credits with developing his quarterback skills, even when the technology initially sent him within the incorrect direction.

“The first time I put it on, my back was against the wall,” said Kingsbury, offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders and former quarterback at Texas Tech. “It felt like the (pass) rush was coming.”

The former Arizona Cardinals head coach spent his year-long absence from the skilled ranks determined to hunt latest approaches should he return. When Kingsbury played with the Red Raiders in Mike Leach's “Air Raid” system from 2000 to 2002, he served as quarterback for considered one of football's newest offensive developments.

He has no plans to decelerate the most recent.

“I’m all in,” Kingsbury said of the VR platform. “I mean, it’s an incredible technology.”

Six weeks into his rookie season, Daniels is the talk of the league and a part of the emerging MVP conversation. The Commanders, led by a particularly efficient offense that ranks second in scoring at 29.7 points per game, feature a full of life 4:2 record Start of Sunday's home game against the Carolina Panthers.

Perhaps the one thing faster than Daniels' accelerated growth is the speed at which he tunes the VR simulation. That could be the very best possible setting.

“In VR, it moves faster than real people,” Daniels said before Washington opened the 2024 season. “Once you get out there, everything slows down. I know that's coming. I’ve seen this before and it moved over 20 times faster in VR.”

Jayden Daniels works virtual reality every morning like a “flight simulator for QBs”@tracywolfson has more 🎤 pic.twitter.com/LmScO2SBt4

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 13, 2024

The simulation from the German company Recognize arrived on the LSU campus before Daniels' final season. The dual-threat quarterback immediately became a believer within the immersive technology, originally designed for elite football players to get extra reps beyond practice without additional wear and tear. Fast forward, the quarterback became a star with mid- to late-round draft projections in 2023.

Daniels excelled with 50 touchdowns – 40 passing, 10 rushing – 3,812 passing yards and 4,946 total yards from scrimmage with just 4 interceptions en path to winning the Heisman Trophy. He had not passed for 3,000 yards or greater than 17 touchdowns in any of his previous 4 seasons at LSU or Arizona State.

When LSU staff reduced the VR's pace to game speed, “it felt like slow motion,” Daniels said.

That hasn't modified, as evidenced by his pinpoint accuracy — Daniels leads the NFL with a 75.3 completion percentage — and his Matrix-like moves around defenders. He ranks fourth amongst quarterbacks in total yards (1,726) and has scored 10 touchdowns, including six through the air.

Regardless of the outcomes, not every coach grows with their sport or accepts latest and different approaches. Some get stuck of their habits and are able to rise and fall with their methods. The Commanders team under coach Dan Quinn is open to innovations in how they will apply for multiple positions and whatever comes their way.

“That’s one of the fun parts of coaching,” Quinn said. “Nothing really stays the same and there are things that evolve and progress.”

Washington targeted Daniels early within the pre-draft cycle, meaning Kingsbury had time to begin formulating a plan for the Commanders' next quarterback hope. Initial post-draft meetings through which Washington made Daniels the No. 2 pick prompted the coordinator to make the VR simulation a “big part” of his weekly process.

“It's a unique technology and it's definitely for the quarterbacks,” Kingsbury said. “I think it's more effective than if they just watch the film. They go through their reads, they go over their progress, they see it.”

Daniels also listens to Kingsbury at the identical time. The coordinator adjusted his each day schedule in order that he spent 45 to 60 minutes recording the weekly pieces right into a recorder. Kingsbury's voice is the soundtrack for these VR sessions.

“(Pilots) are not trained on real airplanes. They make their flight simulators. … (Jayden) has that thing on all the time. He can see our readings and routes and hears my voice in them. “It’s as real as it gets to get game reps and your mind doesn’t know the difference,” Kingsbury said. “Your mind thinks you do.”

Shortly after the draft, the organization purchased the VR simulation for its quarterbacks. Marcus Mariota, the Commanders' backup and former NFL starter, finds the trendy application “amazing” since it helps quarterbacks turn into more comfortable in an offense and recognize patterns.

“I believe defensive patterns are patterns,” Mariota said. “It's important to recognize them quickly, and (VR) seems to help Jayden with that.”

Confidence in coverage and “a feel for the space” are a part of Daniels' transition from college to the NFL and one other way simulation helps improve.

“You have to throw some guys out,” Daniels said. “There are (defenders) who have been in this league for a long time who are very savvy and know what to expect, all the patterns and things like that. You have to make some tight throws. So that’s what you have to do in this league.”

The experience doesn't just occur after the snapshot. Simulations allow the quarterback to maneuver across the pocket and utilize the whole field. Street stadium details, including the situation of the sport clocks, allow the user to experience the whole scene before entering the stadium.

In the past, there have been less sophisticated versions of the VR product. Mariota got his first take a look at a Stanford-run simulator years ago. The 2014 Heisman winner recalled the method using snippets of game footage that didn't come near replicating game-like situations.

Nine-year veteran Jeff Driskel “played around” with VR technology as a newbie. A “visual learner,” Washington’s emergency third-string quarterback recognizes the huge improvements from then to now. It personalizes each play “based on what we think they’re going to do on defense and what we think we’re going to do on offense.”

Quinn, 54, focuses on the teaching aspect of his work and has structured his staff accordingly. Seeing this technological advancement enlightens the “lifelong learner.” Now backup quarterbacks like rookie Sam Hartman, who rarely gets much practice time within the team's offense, have a tool to assist them learn.

“The rep count is always low for anyone, especially at our level and tempo,” Hartman said. “The goal for quarterbacks is to get reps and see every play a million times. (VR) really helps.”

Hartman, a member of Washington's training team, has been playing video games with the Oculus headset but gets sick with all of the exercise. The soccer simulation doesn't require running around.

“If I had Jayden’s speed, I would run around a little bit more,” said Hartman, an undrafted free agent out of Notre Dame.

Mariota and Driskel said there's no telling how much support Daniels will get from the simulation or how he would perform without VR in the center. They know that more repetition results in sharpening instincts. In real games, when instinct takes over, success often follows.

Daniels suffered a concussion in practice last yr, per week before LSU played SEC rival Florida. The injury kept him from the physical, but not the mental, parts of coaching. He then delivered the outstanding performance of his college profession with 372 passing yards, 234 rushing and five combined touchdowns within the 52-35 victory.

“The VR helped a lot,” said Daniels.

Currently, only Washington's quarterbacks have access to the groundbreaking technology. With simulations available for others to trick their brains, Commanders trainers won’t be afraid to have interaction in any scenario that comes their way. The one with Daniels created quite a reality.

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