Ravens Praise Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

The Baltimore Ravens defense had the tough task of slowing down Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels.

Baltimore Ravens defensive end Yannick Ngakoue (91) pulls down Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) by his jersey for a sack during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Heading into Sunday's matchup against the Washington Commanders, the Baltimore Ravens knew the difficult task they were in for with trying to stop rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.

While the Ravens' defense delivered an impressive performance and largely kept Daniels in check in their 30-23 win, they were impressed by the 2024 No. 2 overall pick. Among those who lauded the talent of Daniels was Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.

"I believe [Jayden Daniels] deserves all the hype he's getting," Jackson said. "He played a tremendous game out there. They just came up short. He's been proving it. His rookie season – first six games he's been playing amazing."

Daniels completed 24 of 35 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns with both going to receiver Terry McLaurin. Daniels' ability to run was largely thwarted, though, as his 22 rushing yards were the fewest of his young career.

One player at the heart of stopping the dynamic quarterback was Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith, who was second on the team with seven tackles on Sunday.

"He's the truth, for sure," Smith said. "He can run it, he can throw it – whatever you want – and for him to come into a hostile environment and perform the way he did, I've got much respect for him."

The Ravens were able to sack Daniels three times. Defensive tackle Travis Jones and outside linebacker Yannick Ngakoue had one apiece while Nnamdi Madubuike and Michael Pierce had a half-sack.

Containing Daniels and not letting him leave the pocket was a point of emphasis in preparation for the dynamic rookie quarterback, and Madubuike was pleased with how they were able to execute against an offense that led the league in points and second in rushing yards per game heading into Sunday.

"It was huge," Madubuike said. "He's a big scrambler, [he's] real fast, and we put an emphasis on that all week. Caging him in the pocket was mission number one and we did a good job of that."

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