Ravens Avoiding Rookie Outlook With Jayden Daniels

The Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner presents a tough challenge for the Baltimore Ravens' struggling defense.

Oct 6, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) passes a ball during warmup prior to the game against the Cleveland Browns at NorthWest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

To say that the Baltimore Ravens' defense has struggled against the pass this season would be an understatement.

Allowing 280.2 yards through the air per game, Baltimore ranks only ahead of the 1-4 Jacksonville Jaguars in pass defense through five games. Most recently, the Ravens allowed 392 yards and five touchdowns to Cincinnati Bengals star Joe Burrow, and while they miraculously won that game, they know it's not a sustainable way to win.

Now, that defense faces another tough test in rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders. Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick out of LSU, has been on an absolute tear to start his career, boasting a league-best 77.1 completion percentage and generally playing mistake-free football. He's been so good, in fact, that the Ravens aren't even treating him like a rookie ahead of this marquee matchup.

"He looks really comfortable out there, [and] he's continuing to get better every week," defensive coordinator Zach Orr told reporters Thursday. "The thing that has impressed me the most is they do a lot at the line. They really don't huddle up a lot. They do a lot of different tempos, a lot of different cadences, and he just seems like he handles it really well, so hats off to him.

"We don't look at him as a rookie; we look at what we see on film, and what we see on film is one of the top quarterbacks in the league. So, we know that we have a big challenge in front of us, and we've been preparing that way."

In the John Harbaugh era, the Ravens are 26-7 against rookie quarterbacks, including 18-2 at home. Last season, they held Houston Texans star C.J. Stroud, another No. 2 overall pick and the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year, to 417 yards and no touchdowns on 61 percent completion across two games (including playoffs).

If the defense can play like that, easier said than done considering the unit's recent struggles, then Baltimore is in great position for its fourth-straight win.

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