When it comes to the development of Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders have a prudent plan in place and they aren't going to shy away from it anytime soon.
Based off what we saw on Saturday against the New York Jets: it's certainly working, too.
During his only action of the game, Daniels led the Commanders offense on an 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive that took 6:21 off the game clock. A strong running game anchored the drive, but it was Daniels' 42-yard completion to Dyami Brown on 3rd and 6 that sparked everything.
Daniels overthrew Austin Ekeler on a screen pass during the prior play, setting up his first third down situation in an NFL stadium. That in itself was going to be interesting in terms of how it played out and honestly, the Commanders and their fans couldn't have asked for a better result.
The play would've easily made Sportscenter's Top-10 highlights and hell, it may even still do so when considering the machine that is the NFL.
What makes it most impressive, however, is how quickly Daniels processed the play and made things happen.
The Commanders come out in an empty set (10 personnel), with trips to the field side that includes tight end Zach Ertz on the inside. This is already a nightmare for a defense due to how spread out the unit is, but it's even worse when playing a guy like Daniels, who can roast a defense with his legs. This is easily advantage, Commanders, if everyone can do their job.
The New York Jets show pressure, but it's all a ploy as the linebacker drops back and the four defensive linemen/bigs rush. They're running what looks to be Cover 1 "Lurk", which is man-to-man coverage and safety in the deep middle of the field. The reason it's called "Lurk" is because one of the safeties takes Ertz in coverage, while the other heads to the middle. The Commanders look to be running a four-verts concept or maybe even 5-verts, which is the perfect play design to attack this defense, if that's what it is.
Daniels immediately recognizes this and knows he has Brown, 1-on-1, on the outside and far away from the safety that's turned his back. It's a low percentage throw, but one that makes a lot of sense when considering the situation and the fact that even though he was pushed off the arc, there is a pass rusher coming after Daniels.
Daniels' deep ball always looks so effortless. It's just a flick of the wrist and the damn thing is sailing 40-yards downfield with a tight spiral. But it's his processing that stands out, here, and it backs up what the Commanders have said all offseason about his command and control of the offense.
In fact, Daniels went "off-script" on the play, according to Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury dialed up another play, but Daniels checked into the Brown shot, furthering the notion that the kid knows what he's doing.
“I think on that one, he wanted to ask for forgiveness and not permission, and then throw an absolute dime over the top to Dyami to go," Quinn told reporters after the. game. "… He did not ask for permission. He went ahead and buzzed the tower anyway. It was a really good play...
"... It was a really cool play. I think it probably illustrates, for him, the awareness and checks and things that go into it.”
"He made a check mid-play," Commanders guard Sam Cosmi told reporters after the game. "It turned out to be a big gain. We bunkered down and really went in there. He was calm and collected, which is what you want to see, and it was really impressive. We all sat on the sideline and we were like, 'Dang, that was really fun.' So, I think everyone should be very excited just from that little sneak peek right there. I know I am. I know the guys are fired up. I think we got a dude back there."
The hardest part of the game to grasp for quarterbacks, especially rookie quarterbacks, is the mental side of things. Daniels still has a long way to go, but it's obvious he's making strides in the department. If that continues to develop, that, along with his physical abilities, will make for a fun 2024 season - and beyond.
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