Jayden Daniels and the Commanders open a season of big expectations against the Giants

“You still got to go out there and prove it each and every year,” Daniels told reporters this week. “People could have expectations. They could say you could do this or hope you fail and do that. It really doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, the pressure you give is on yourself.”

With the pressure on, Daniels and the Commanders open the season by hosting the New York Giants on Sunday. Unlike a year ago, they are favored to make the playoffs — even in a division with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who beat them in the NFC title game — and the league is on notice about the second-year quarterback and his star potential.

“He's a tremendous football player,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “He’s able to make plays with his feet running the football, in design runs and zone reads and counter reads, the (run-pass option) game, which he’s exceptional at. His downfield passing is excellent. Then he keeps plays alive with his eyes downfield and makes plays.”

Daniels is being counted on to make a lot of plays. Only six teams on BetMGM Sportsbook have shorter odds to win the Super Bowl than Washington.

Perhaps that's why coach Dan Quinn bristles when he's asked by friends and family how he can replicate or duplicate the Commanders' success.

“I don’t want to replicate it,” Quinn said. “I want to build off it, and I want this to be the start of it.”

They're a blueprint for the Giants, who revamped at QB after tying for the worst record last season at 3-14. Russell Wilson is the starter, with first-round pick Jaxson Dart in line to be the future and Jameis Winston around to add more veteran experience.

Wilson, going into his 14th year as a professional, isn't playing the expectations game for his new team in New York.

“The expectation is just doing this play right, doing this play well and then letting those add up,” Wilson said. "When you look at it all at the end of the season, you’re like, ‘Dang, that was pretty good,’ hopefully. I think that’s what we want to be able to do."

Wilson, who won the Super Bowl with Seattle in his second NFL season, joked he doesn't want to tell Daniels too much about what it takes to go to the next level. It's not much of a secret.

“To do anything great, you’ve got to have a great team,” Wilson said. “You’ve got to have great teammates, you’ve got to have a great coaching staff and all that.”

Nabers and McLaurin are back

Malik Nabers was sidelined for part of the Giants' training camp dealing with injury concerns. Terry McLaurin missed all of the Commanders' because of a contract dispute that finally ended with a lucrative extension.

The elite wideouts are expected to be on the field, ready to contribute in Week 1.

“It’s definitely a relief,” Nabers said, adding he feels his explosiveness has returned. “To go out there and play 100 percent, run full speed, I’m even faster than I was last year, so it’s going to be exciting to see.”

Carter is making his NFL debut

The silver lining for the Giants bottoming out was the third pick in the draft, with which they selected linebacker Abdul Carter out of Penn State. Carter joins an already strong defensive front featuring fellow edge rushers Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux and nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.

Carter could move around to provide some different looks and even drop back in coverage. Teammates figure he'll be a difference-maker.

“I think he’s going to show everybody why we picked him that high,” Nabers said. “He’s going to show all his athleticism, all his power moves and stuff like that. He’s going to make some tackles and run down some people.”

What do the odds say about the Giants and Commanders?

Washington is a 6-point favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook, and the over/under is 45 1/2. The Commanders won each of the teams' two matchups last season.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL