Jayden Daniels showcases dual-threat ability to keep Commanders running strong

LANDOVER, Md. — Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will see his outstretched hand reaching for Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels in his dreams this week.

Instead of taking down the rookie signal-caller, Owusu-Koramoah let Daniels escape – again.

Daniels juked Owusu-Koramoah, who had a free run at him and started sprinting effortlessly up the right sideline. He took advantage of two more Browns defenders who took bad angles and breezed past them. Daniels was eventually pushed out of bounds after a gain of 34 yards to convert a fourth-and-3 Washington faced in the first half on their way to a 34-13 drubbing of the Browns on Sunday.

“I got to find a way to get that sack on the ground there in the first half, that kind of sticks with me a little bit,” Owusu-Koramoah said.

Daniels, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and second overall pick in the 2024 draft, passed his way to NFC Rookie of the Month honors. His legs were the engine that drove the Commanders' offensive operation Sunday. He rushed for more yards (88) in his Week 1 debut against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but his 82 yards on 11 attempts yielded 7.5 yards per carry, the best for Daniels in his fifth career game.

On a different play, Owusu-Koramoah and safety Grant Delpit had a free shot at Daniels, but the quarterback simply backpedaled and let the two Browns defenders run into each other. Daniels spilled out to his right and ran up to the line of scrimmage and fired a bomb downfield to wide receiver Terry McLaurin for a 66-yard gain.

"I was just playing football. I’m kind of just reacting to everything that they’re doing," Daniels said. "I was able to get outside the pocket a couple times, scramble a couple times. So I think after hitting that scramble drill to Terry, I think that kind of put them on high alert like, 'Hey, we have to stay closer to our man.' So I was able to get the corner on a couple runs."

For Daniels to be an asset to the team in the run game makes sense for Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. Only the Baltimore Ravens (the Commanders' next opponent) have more rushing attempts (172 to 168), rushing first downs (56 to 52) and total rushing yards (1,056 to 892) than Washington. The Commanders top the league in rushing touchdowns and are tied with the Ravens and Arizona Cardinals for most rushes of more than 20 yards (8).

Importantly for the Commanders, Daniels ran wisely against the Browns. He stepped out of bounds at the right times while maximizing yardage gained and did not find himself on the receiving end of any potentially dangerous hit, although he was sacked three times.

Daniels' ability to produce chunk plays and first downs without putting the ball in the air can be "demoralizing" for opposing defenses, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said. Quinn called the Commanders' offense "grimy" to start the contest. Daniels admitted to wanting some throws back.

After Daniels' big play to McLaurin, Owusu-Koramoah baited the signal-caller into a goal-line interception – the rookie's second pick thrown in as many weeks. Daniels finished 14-for-25 for 238 passing yards and a touchdown on the heels of a historic start to his career by completing 82.1% of his passes, the highest mark in a four-game stretch for any quarterback ever.

"He processes quickly," Quinn said. "'All right, this is how they're going to go, then this is how we're going to play.'"

That's exactly how Daniels wound up with his touchdown pass. He scrambled out of bounds for 3 yards on the previous play and realized Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz had his unit in man coverage.

"I was turning back around and I said, 'Man, let’s take a shot' to (offensive coordinator) Kliff (Kingsbury)," Daniels said, "and he called the play."

That involved wideout Dyami Brown beating his man down the sideline. Daniels floated in a perfect ball for the 41-yard score, and it was a reminder of why his arrival has been prophetic for the Commanders, 4-1 for the first time since 2008.

Daniels is the first player in NFL history to have more than 1,000 passing yards and 250 rushing yards in his first five career games. The LSU product's right arm will always be the headline. Even when that part of his game wasn't at its best, Daniels found a way to be the difference for his team.

(This story has been updated with new information.)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jayden Daniels showcases dual-threat ability, keeps Commanders running