Jayden Daniels is the key to the Washington Commanders’ success. How will the Detroit Lions plan to stop him? That and more in this week’s mailbag.
It’s no secret that a big part of the Washington Commanders’ success this year is due to historic play from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniels set the rookie quarterback record for rushing yards in a season (891), and he finished the season 11th among all NFL quarterbacks in passer rating (100.1).
Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell noted earlier in the week just how hard it will be to contain the rookie phenom.
“He’s dangerous, he poses a major threat,” Campbell said. “He does not play the position like a rookie quarterback. He’s composed, he understands how to progress, he sees the field well, he can buy time with his legs, he’s a dangerous runner, he’s smart, you can tell he understands how to run that offense.”
The Lions are no stranger to mobile quarterbacks. Their pass rushing style—maintaining disciplined rushing lanes and crushing the pocket—are focused on containing exactly the type of threat Daniels offers.
But Detroit also likes to get super aggressive on defense, particularly in the wake of all their defensive injuries. Per NFL Pro, Detroit has the second-highest blitz percentage in the NFL, at a 37.1 percent rate. Unfortunately for the Lions, Daniels has been masterful against the blitz this year. He’s actually been more efficient against the blitz than when not blitz.
(Stats from NFL Pro)
Daniels vs. the blitz: 101-of-154 for 1,282 yards, 12 TDs, 1 INT, 114.7 passer rating (7th), +0.25 EPA/dropback (fourth)
Daniels vs. no blitz: 230-of-326 for 2,286 yards, 13 TDs, 8 INTs, 93.2 passer rating (16th), +0.07 EPA/dropback (12th)
So does that mean the Lions should change their strategy this week? Will they dial back the blitz and drop eight into coverage? Will they use a spy, and, if so, who would it be? And do the Lions have a big enough advantage against a mediocre Commanders offensive line?
That’s one of the main topics on this week’s Midweek Mailbag podcast, and it begins around the 12:15 mark of the episode.
Here are the other things we talk about this week, with corresponding timestamps to each discussion.
- 5:30 — What’s the best way to attack and beat the Commanders?
- 12:15 — Strategies against Jayden Daniels
- 21:00 — Between Detroit and Washington, who has the advantages in the trenches?
- 29:50 — Can the Lions still sign free agents?
- 34:20 — Predicting where Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn end up
- 39:00 — What percentage chance are Johnson and Glenn gone? Who are the leading candidates to replace each?
- 46:00 — Eagles or Rams: who would be the preferred NFC Championship matchup?
- 54:10 — The latest on Brodric Martin’s, Giovanni Manu’s development
- 59:00 — Which current Lions are on the pathway to becoming a Hall of Famer?
- 1:06:20 — Why don’t the Lions do the Tush Push?
Listen to the entire episode on any podcasting platform or in the embedded player below.
