The New York Jets will get their first taste of game action in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL preseason on Saturday against the Washington Commanders, led by their rookie phenom quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders fully invested in college football’s fifth-leading passer from 2023 with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. They could see him yield an expected return by giving the Jets a scare out of the gates.
On the other hand, the Jets don’t have an NFL sample size to go off of when game-planning for Daniels. What is known though, is his illustrious body of work from his final season at LSU, where he boasted 3,812 passing yards and a staggering 40-4 TD-INT percentage. While it is only preseason, are the Jets in for a tough matchup against Daniels?
Commanders expert labels QB Jayden Daniels as a threat to Jets’ pass rush
Rivka Boord of Jets X-Factor put a spotlight on Commanders film expert Mark Bullock’s assertion that Daniels could be a threat to a Jets defense that is without linebacker Haason Reddick and expected to show out as the No. 1 rated unit in the league for a second straight year:
“Mark is bullish on Jayden Daniels, although he’s worried that the RGIII effect could happen: trying to play hero ball when running, resulting in devastating injuries. He explained that Dan Quinn and the Commanders’ coaching staff have been very high on Daniels’ processing and setting protections in training camp thus far,” Boord wrote.
“From a Jets perspective, the defensive matchup with Daniels is tricky. In general, their defense tends to have some issues with rushing quarterbacks. Staying in their lane, both in the joint practice and preseason, will be critical. It’s good practice for facing Josh Allen, Anthony Richardson, and Kyler Murray during the regular season.”
Additionally, NFL.com’s Nick Shook shared these quotes from Washington’s head coach Dan Quinn, who raved about Daniels earning the starting nod due to his passing accuracy:
“Through the course of all the practices, you’re keeping track of accuracy and completions and decisions of where it goes. It was really a byproduct of him really nailing those moments. Like I said, we’re just going through the whole process, but it’s good to see when there’s markers set, you get that one. Then you get to the next one and you get to the next one,” Quinn said.
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Jets will prove whether or not Daniels comes as advertised
Daniels is a danger when he scrambles out of the pocket. His superior running skills are part of what makes him so hard to defend. As noted by Boord, New York’s front seven will have to be laser-focused on Daniels in run-pass options and play-action. He will also keep them on their toes on third and fourth and inches, including in the red zone, and when plays break down.
The Jets’ run defense from 2023 had a couple of areas that could be exploited by the California native. Gang Green allowed 2,108 rushing yards on the season at 4.1 yards per rush. Correspondingly, Daniels amassed 1,134 yards on the ground at an incredible rate of 8.4 yards per carry with LSU. He can use this mismatch to his advantage, especially if he gets going against a stouter Jets secondary in the passing game.
Ultimately, this matchup will tell a couple of stories. For one, it will serve as a litmus test for how strong the Jets’ pass rush and run defense is and how badly they’ll need Reddick back from his holdout once the stakes become real at the top of September. Secondly, it will show how comfortable Daniels is against NFL-level defenses. The Jets will likely keep their main guys limited to get loose and prevent injuries, but they’ll have to beware of Daniels all over the field.
