PALM BEACH, Fla. — The primary season could not have unfolded any higher for Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. He was named the NFL Rookie of the 12 months, earned MVP votes and established himself as one of the vital dynamic gamers within the league. To not point out one among its most marketable.
It was the most effective seasons by a rookie quarterback.
“He is sick,” Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris stated.
The query then turns into: As defenses focus extra on him, what does Daniels do for an encore?
On the NFL’s annual league conferences earlier this month, plenty of coaches weighed in on what a group — and a participant — can do to construct on such a profitable season. It ranges from groups including extra expertise round them, to making an attempt to anticipate defensive changes to the participant working to enhance on his personal.
Through the common season, Daniels handed for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. He ran for an additional 891 yards and 6 scores. He was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the 12 months and completed seventh in MVP voting.
Daniels then led Washington to its first playoff win because the 2005 season and did one thing that has taken even longer for the franchise to do: solidified the quarterback place. From 1992 — the yr after the group received its final Tremendous Bowl — by way of 2023, Washington began 35 completely different quarterbacks.
“The second yr is an enormous problem,” stated Kansas Metropolis coach Andy Reid, who helped construct on early success with quarterbacks Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia and Patrick Mahomes with the Chiefs. “If you may get by way of your second yr, you bought a fairly good factor going.”
The problem stems from realizing that defensive coordinators will examine him fairly a bit this offseason, making an attempt to determine how finest to defend in opposition to him.
Morris stated it was tough making ready for him as a rookie. He studied a participant who went by way of his progressions as a passer and will harm groups together with his legs.
“While you play him, you notice how unstoppable he’s with the 4 downs and being able to all the time have 4 downs as a result of he is so particular that manner,” Morris stated. “His arm expertise, his velocity, his decision-making, his toughness, the high-level competitor, he is all of these issues.”
Atlanta performs him once more this season.
“You have to determine find out how to get him on the bottom,” Morris stated. “He is a tough sort out for anyone … so you bought to seek out methods to chop off angles. You have to examine these issues. He is actually anyone that you simply bought to actually put some effort and focus into it.”
That is how Washington can assist Daniels proceed to progress, aided by classes realized from different conditions:
Defend him
In Josh Allen’s first two seasons with Buffalo, he ranked tenth in sack share at 7.1; he was third when it got here to the speed of being pressured — the proportion of occasions he was thought of underneath duress, sacked or hit.
One thing needed to change.
“Finally be certain he’s protected,” Buffalo common supervisor Brandon Beane stated. “How does he play as many video games as doable? [Daniels is] an elusive runner as effectively, so having these conversations with him as effectively of being sensible. We needed to have quite a lot of these with Josh and generally nonetheless do. He is usually a knucklehead generally.
“It is simply displaying him on movie, ‘Hey, you had a possibility to get out of bounds. You had a possibility to get down.’ Having these discussions about when do it is advisable put your physique on the road, and when do you not? You possibly can’t put him in bubble wrap, however [it’s about] defending him with the road after which him defending himself.”
For Allen, the concentrate on this space has paid off: Since 2020, his sack share is 3.9 and his stress share is 30.9. Washington had comparable talks with Daniels.
Daniels had the NFL’s ninth-highest sack share (7.9) however was fifteenth in stress (32.6). Commanders coach Dan Quinn stated in the course of the season that Daniels improved at preserving his eyes down the sphere when scrambling, permitting him to doubtlessly spot open receivers. Quinn additionally stated Daniels improved at both operating out of bounds on scrambles or throwing the ball away.
“He’s a fast examine on issues,” Quinn stated in January. “I knew he would enhance on it, and there is nonetheless too many and we’re nonetheless rising. However there is also a time when that is the successful second. That is a distinct dialogue.”
However in three of the previous 4 regular-season video games, his sack share was 10.4 or greater and the stress share 37.5 or larger. Washington knew that wanted to alter. So the 1st step was discovering a premium left sort out, finally buying and selling for five-time Professional Bowler Laremy Tunsil. That transfer permits Washington to shift promising younger lineman Brandon Coleman, who began 15 video games at left sort out final season as a rookie — together with three within the playoffs — to the precise facet, making an attempt him first at sort out.
Houston Texans coach Demeco Ryans, whose group traded Tunsil to Washington, stated, “They’re getting one of many high one-on-one move protectors within the NFL. It is going to undoubtedly profit Jayden having a man he is aware of can defend his blind facet.”
Preserve working
On the homeowners conferences, Quinn stated they need Daniels to maintain bettering his footwork — positioning his physique even higher on the place to throw the ball. Quinn stated they appreciated how Daniels began to increase performs as a way to throw the ball and never simply run.
However, Quinn stated, footwork stays a key to continued development.
“That is one which I do know he will dig in onerous on this yr,” Quinn stated. “I believe for those who requested quite a lot of quarterbacks, that is the place the ability comes from.”
Daniels, certainly, will concentrate on footwork throughout his offseason classes with Ryan Porter, who has labored with him since he was 11 years outdated. Porter’s emphasis has all the time been footwork.
“It is the foundational stuff,” Porter stated. “That is all the time been my area of interest with him… footwork is a misplaced artwork in quarterback play.”
However, for Porter, it is about introducing extra drops than something. He and Daniels need him to have the ability to use a distinct number of drops to maintain defensive backs guessing.
“Everyone has a yr of movie on him so now they’re going to see completely different habits of what he does when he throws completely different [route] ideas,” Porter stated. “It is a timing factor for him if he is in a position to throw the identical route or idea from 4 several types of drops. You do not get a tip or indicator from him and it is simply with the ability to play chess from the quarterback place the place quite a lot of DBs are keying your drop or coordinators are keying your drop: ‘When he is taking this drop, that is what he is throwing.’ It is simply to sharpen your instruments.”
Add expertise
In Buffalo, Beane stated they talked to Allen about what he wanted from his receivers and adjusted accordingly. He stated Allen wished receivers who might separate. This allowed Allen to throw with extra anticipation, realizing the defensive again wouldn’t be throughout his goal. They signed gamers comparable to Cole Beasley and John Brown and drafted tight finish Dawson Knox.
Washington signed Zach Ertz final offseason and re-signed him in March, as a result of he gave Daniels a constant goal over the center — to not point out within the pink zone, in addition to on third and fourth downs. Additionally, the Commanders’ first large transfer this offseason was buying and selling for receiver Deebo Samuel.
Whereas others debate what Samuel has left, one coach on the league conferences stated, “Deebo goes to be legit for them.”
The Commanders additionally might add a operating again and/or a receiver by way of the draft. That would offer a further enhance for an offense that ranked fifth in factors and seventh in yards — however one which performs eight video games in opposition to the highest 14 defenses from a yr in the past.
Drafting extra offensive talent expertise would give them a mix of veterans — receiver Terry McLaurin and Samuel each entered the league in 2019 — and youth, which Beane likes.
“I do not suppose you say, ‘Hey, we’re simply going to place him round younger guys and we will construct this,'” he stated. “If you do not have sufficient vets to form of present them the ropes, that may be a bit of harmful. However you additionally do not need a group that in three years ages out from him and he is bought to swiftly have an inflow. Adam and coach Quinn did a fantastic job with that.”
Do not overthink it
Whereas defensive coordinators will examine Daniels, and the Commanders will concentrate on methods to assist develop the offense underneath him, there’s nonetheless a primary basis that can stay in place.
“That is the stability they should watch out with,” Reid stated. “Does how a lot you add to it find yourself diluting what he does nice?”
Final season, the Commanders ran 677 no-huddle performs — not all have been a part of a hurry-up offense. That was 403 snaps greater than the next-highest group, Philadelphia. Daniels does his half by how a lot he research the playbook in the course of the week, permitting him to run this assault effectively. It additionally helps simplify a protection.
Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor stated he realized when constructing on quarterback Joe Burrow ‘s early success that, “You bought your bread-and-butter stuff that you simply actually like and luxuriate in and also you wish to proceed to do this. Nobody can ever take it away. …Then, what are the wrinkles within the stuff you do.”
Morris stated the mix of offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense and Daniels made life tough final season.
“They have been doing a masterful job of [being able to] create velocity, create tempo, making a rhythm for themselves as a way to go on the market and play,” Morris stated. “It was enjoyable to look at.”
And Ryans, as a defensive-minded coach, stated Daniels will all the time current points.
“He is onerous to defend due to his capabilities,” Ryans stated, “not solely throwing the ball however … [his ability to] run, his scrambling capability, his athletic capability units him aside from quite a lot of different younger quarterbacks.”
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay stated when he watched Daniels play, he noticed the identical attributes that made him particular at LSU: making use of stress together with his thoughts, arm and legs. He appreciated Daniels’ capability to throw with anticipation.
“The way in which he was taking part in the place, it certain seems to be sustainable,” McVay stated. “He has that swagger, that confidence, that enjoyment with competing … the smile, the flexibility to be completely immersed within the second. That is one of many issues I liked about watching him. I do not see that altering. … He will be actually scary for a very long time.”
Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel agrees. He first recalled asking Peters, when each have been in San Francisco, a couple of quarterback he noticed on tape at Arizona State. It turned out to be Daniels, then only a freshman. McDaniel stored tabs on Daniels thereafter, seeing how he tailored to completely different techniques and the way he performed with composure and prolonged performs.
He then had a message for Washington followers and blunting the notion that groups would discover a magical reply to sluggish Daniels’ development.
“He is simply tremendous promising,” McDaniel stated. “You guys can breathe a sigh of reduction.”
