TAMPA, Fla. — Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels evaded the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ blitz on several occasions and showed off his legwork. He was careful with the ball and never gave it away despite the pressure. He remained calm and patient.

But he also overthrew wide receiver Terry McLaurin with a deep ball that could have resulted in a 70-yard touchdown on the first play of the second half. And Daniels did not complete a single pass to a wideout for more than 15 yards.

In other words, it was a mixed debut for Daniels in Washington’s 37-20 loss. He threw for 184 yards — he had just 46 by halftime — and ran for another 88, but Washington’s offense didn’t pose enough of a threat against the Bucs. Daniels ran for two touchdowns, both of one yard.

“I thought he was able to play to his full potential, use his legs and be aggressive on the court,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said. “There’s a lot of things we want to improve on. But what I can tell you is we have a great competitor in him. We’re just getting started with him and the guys.”

The Commanders (0-1) host the New York Giants (0-1) in week 2.

Washington’s roster featured just 21 holdovers from the previous coaching regime, with 10 on offense. But Daniels, a Heisman Trophy winner and the No. 2 pick in April’s draft, offered hope for a franchise starting a new quarterback for the seventh straight year. Daniels became Washington’s 11th starting quarterback since the start of the 2019 season.

His first throw nearly ended in disaster when he threw behind running back Brian Robinson Jr. on a swing pass; it was ruled a backward pass and therefore a fumble, which Washington eventually recovered. The Commanders’ wideouts accounted for seven catches and 55 yards.

But Daniels also had four runs of 10-plus yards, adding energy to an offense that needs a lot of energy.

“I give myself a high rating: We didn’t win. I’m a competitor,” Daniels said. “But overall it went pretty well. There were some things we left on the field.

“(But) tomorrow I’ll be done with it. We’re going to New York.”

Twice that “stuff” was his helmet: It blew off twice, including on an unnecessary roughness penalty on defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr., who hit Daniels in the helmet at the end of a 12-yard scramble. His helmet also fell off on a run near the goal line that would have been a touchdown had the play not been botched because of his headgear problem.

But Daniels wasn’t concerned about the number of runs he had to make. And he wasn’t bothered by the Winfield hit either. Despite all the running, he was rarely hit hard.

“Man, that’s a question for the coaches,” Daniels said when asked how he protected himself. “They’ve got to decide that. I went down. I got what I could get. On the goal line, I wouldn’t go down for that. I’ve got to score.”

The Washington players left the court with the same feelings for Daniels that they had when they entered. Despite the loss, they were impressed with several aspects of his performance.

“His ability to stay calm in the face of adversity was still very strong,” guard Sam Cosmi said. “I didn’t feel any panic.”

“It was really his composure in the pocket,” McLaurin said. “Sometimes he knows he’s got to tuck and run. I know it was garbage time, but that’s a good gauge of how guys compete. He was trying to beat guys on the goal line; he wants every yard. The biggest thing that stood out is the way he communicates and the optimistic mentality.”

And McLaurin said the positive is that his teammates know Daniels is the present and future of the franchise.

“You don’t want your quarterback looking over his shoulder,” McLaurin said. “Sometimes in the past, guys have felt like they have to look over his shoulder. The only way he’s going to get better is through these live reps. He’s done a great job in practice; he did a great job in the joint practices (against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins). It’s different when you’re in the game. He puts in the time and the work. I know he’s going to make a better jump next week. I see him as a guy who continues to rise.”