Cardinals defense has big challenge facing Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

Following a two-week respite after facing Josh Allen in Week 1, the Arizona Cardinals have to contend with another electric dual-threat quarterback, this one a rookie who has gotten off to an explosive start.

Let’s get some of the numbers out of the way for Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders.

• In addition to establishing a rookie record for completion percentage in a game (91.3) Monday night, Daniels also has had a passer rating of 90 or higher and a completion percentage of 70 or higher in each of his three games.
• If he can do that again Sunday, that will equal Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who did it in four consecutive games during his 2016 rookie season. Prescott also held the rookie completion percentage record of 88.9 (32-for-36) on Dec. 18, 2016 that Daniels broke.
• With 171 rushing yards, a 64-yard day Sunday would enable Daniels to pass former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III, who had the most rushing yards (234) ever in the first four games of his career (2012) in the Super Bowl era.
• After Griffin are Steve Young, Tampa Bay, 1985, 193; Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia, 1985, 186; Charlie Batch, Minnesota, 1998, 175; and Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota, 1999, 175.
• Finally, Daniels has three rushing touchdowns in his first three career games and can join Griffin, Cam Newton and Anthony Richardson as the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era with four rushing touchdowns in their first four career games.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon commented on facing a rookie quarterback with not a lot of tape, saying “it’s a little bit” of a challenge.” He added, “I think that through the three games, you can see his skillset and what they like to do with him. He’s obviously a very unique player to game-plan against. He’s got a unique skillset, but he can throw it all over the place. He can extend plays. He can throw it down the field. Big-time player.”

Said defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, “I like to have a big body of work, but you got to be able to take a look at what you got and see the big picture a little bit more when there’s less film out there of him playing in the NFL. And you have to be able to not necessarily be as analytical with your decisions, but a little bit more, kind of foreseeing in the future and having big-picture vision.”

Rallis added, “Daniels is hard to defend because he’s got arm talent. He’s got leg talent. And so that’s in the run game and the pass game and that’s coupled with making really smart decisions. He’s not reckless with the football. So, another one of these quarterbacks that presents multiple challenges.”

As for the Commanders’ overall running attack, even though they won’t have running back Austin Ekeler for this game, Rallis noted that it revolves around Daniels.

“Anytime the quarterback is involved in the run game, it presents issues just from a numbers standpoint,” he said. “So, whether he’s keeping it or giving it, that can create issues for a defense and it’s just literally about numbers and they do a great job up front of moving people.”

Quarterback Kyler Murray said he watched Daniels dismantle the Bengals Monday night and said, “He balled. He did his thing.”

With Daniels having played at Arizona State from 2019 to 2021, Murray recalled meeting him for the first time at a local mall and said, “Ever since, kind of followed him. His transfer to LSU. He’s done his thing ever since, so always love to see a guy like that (succeed). I remember him getting a lot of scrutiny from his teammates when he left (ASU).

“For him to come out on the other side of it, it’s always good to see because I kind of had a similar thing transferring from A&M to OU. … I’ve always respected his game.”

He did note that the mall meting was random, that Daniels introduced himself and Murray said, “I don’t think I really knew who he was at the time because he was just this baby-faced tall kid.”

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