Commanders Leaning on QB Jayden Daniels' Strengths To Climb NFC Ranks

The Washington Commanders have positioned themselves for a playoff run, and playing to quarterback Jayden Daniels' strengths is a big part of it.

Oct 13, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) loos to throws during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

It's amazing to think about but sometimes teams in the NFL don't do what the Washington Commanders have done after drafting a dynamic player like quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Instead of steering into what made Daniels great, to begin with, some teams would have tried to shape his skillset into what they want in a quarterback had they gotten the chance to draft him. Fortunately, the Commanders were smarter than that.

Instead of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury trying to turn Daniels into his vision of what a Washington quarterback should be, he turned his scheme into what the player does best. And one of the things Daniels does best is deliver the ball deep down the field.

Oct 13, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) loos to throws during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

According to Zebra Sports Next Gen Stats Daniels completed all three of his deep ball attempts gaining 91 yards and a touchdown on passes that traveled 20 air yards or more in Week 9 against the New York Giants.

That resulted in an increase in his expected points added this season where he currently sits at +25.5, third most in the NFL through nine weeks.

Of course, it's not just the deep ball, but the way Kingsbury has embraced what Daniels does as an athlete and trusted him to make the right throws at the right time.

Even early on when many observers were concerned about how much Daniels ran in his NFL debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the offensive coordinator didn't just have his player's back but explained why it was more than acceptable to see him play the way he did.

"Your first game as a rookie, you're gonna have some survival mode, fight or flight going on," Kingsbury said following Week 1. "And he got out, didn't get hit a ton, and made some big plays with his feet. So, you gotta walk that line. I've had a bunch of guys who could run and extend plays and you walk that line of when to pull back and when not to. And I think as he plays, he'll get a better comfort level and I'll get a better feel for him and we'll just progress together."

Allowing Daniels to be who he is, and grow within that natural ability, has worked splendidly for the Commanders. After rushing 16 times in Week 1 Daniels ran 10, 12, and 11 times in three of the next four games.

Outside of those, he's not rushed more than eight times in the other five games played this year as he's gotten more comfortable and confident with where he fits into the NFL game. Along the way, we've yet to see the classic uncomfortable rookie moment where Daniels has tried to force himself into a mold he doesn't fit in at that moment.

And the best part is it's allowed him to become the catalyst for a seven-win team that is half a game out of the top spot in the NFC.

It's been a master class on how to manage and nurture young talent, and one every young quarterback hopes the rest of the league is taking note of.

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