Coaches Confident Jayden Daniels Can Focus On Pass Game: Week 2

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The Washington Commanders do not want Rookie Quarterback Jayden Daniels to run. However, he’s shown his run game earns dividends.

In Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jayden Daniels carried the ball 16 times for 88 yards and had two touchdowns. Head coach Dan Quinn told reporters afterwards that having Daniels be part of the running scheme is not the direction they’re going. In fact, they plan to increase the workload for running backs Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler.

“We’d love to see [Daniels] remain a passer first… I think it’s going to come with more experience, honestly. When I can go, extend it to throw it, when, ‘Hey, this play’s over, I’ll get rid of it, and move on to the next play… Certainly, [16] carries is not the model that we’re looking for… But, at the end of it, I do think we’ll continue to grow in that spot. But certainly not by design, to have that many,” he said.

Run or Be Sacked: Can Jayden Daniels Trust His O-Line?

There is an argument to be made to increase the work for the RBs. Robinson and Ekeler made some noise Sunday, but not enough to be noticeable. Robinson carried the ball 12 times for 40 yards and a TD while catching three for 49 yards in Sunday’s 37-20 loss to the Buccaneers. Ekeler rushed twice for 10 yards and caught four for 52 yards in Sunday’s opener. Increasing their touches would get the ball out of Jayden Daniels’s hands faster and provide confidence that he doesn’t have to run as much.

In a perfect world, Jayden Daniels should not have to run. He could stay in the pocket or shotgun, do his check downs, and throw. However, he is the starting quarterback for the Washington Commanders. Quarterbacks in Washington have to run if they value their lives:

• Sam Howell, now with the Seattle Seahawks, was sacked a whopping 68 times during his time with Washington in 2022-23.
• Carson Wentz, now with the Kansas City Chiefs, was sacked 26 times during his 2022 season.
• Taylor Heineke, now with the Los Angeles Chargers, was sacked 58 times during his time with the team from 2020-2022.
• Kirk Cousins, now with the Atlanta Falcons, was sacked 106 times in total during his time with the Commanders from 2012-2016. In those years, he played two full seasons in 2015-16 and was sacked 49 times.

They have no choice but to run.

Kingsbury: Jayden Daniels Will Grow Into The Position

Speaking to the media before practice Thursday, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury admits he has a lot of faith in Jayden’s legs. In Sunday’s game, Daniels scrambled seven times and was asked if that changes the play calling. “I thought he was efficient in a lot of his processes, in a lot of that stuff, and the next time he sees it, it will be a lot slower, and he’ll be able to make a few more plays… A few of those [plays] were a first read and get out as your first game as a rookie,” Kliff explained.

He added, “He has a lot of faith in his legs, and I would too if I could run like that. He made some plays early and got out of there, but I thought they battled against a really good front… From an execution standpoint, he played a clean game,” he said. “As a group, I thought they played an efficient game.”

To keep that efficient game evolving, that group, the offensive line that is, will have to make sure they can protect Jayden Daniels: A rookie with high expectations on his shoulders. They’ve been in in this situation before with a rookie quarterback that could run and pass (Robert Griffin III), and it did not end well. Even though they allowed Daniels to get sacked twice in Sunday’s game vs. Tampa Bay, they were still given decent reviews. Pro Football Focus, who reviews and ranks every o-line weekly, said the following:

“…Washington’s unit looked promising, especially compared to expectations, as it gave up just eight total pressures — and no sacks or quarterback hits — on 34 dropbacks. The Commanders’ PFF pass-blocking efficiency score was tied for the 14th highest in Week 1.” -PFF

The 33rd Team on X ranked The Commanders’ pass protection at #19, so there is an upswing hopefully from the norm. If this keeps up, Daniels should be able to meet Quinn’s expectations in his on-field play without having to run all the time.

For Daniels, it’s part of who he is. Hopefully this doesn’t cause damage to his football instincts. During his college career, he carried the ball 617 times for 3,307 yards, averaging five yards a carry.

Old habits sometimes die hard. Jayden Daniels still has a lot to learn.

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Article originally written by Ricky Allen.