Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is not the next Lamar Jackson. He noted that comparisons to the Baltimore Ravens’ two-time MVP have grown tiresome ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated matchup at M&T Bank Stadium.
“I don’t like when people really like try to compare me to Lamar and vice versa,” the dynamic rookie said this week. “We’re two different players, and just go out there, just appreciate the quarterbacks, the players. So that’s what I try to do, is just appreciate everybody for who they are.”
The comparison is an obvious one. Daniels and Jackson both won the Heisman Trophy in college. They were both first-round picks. They both became starters in their rookie seasons and found immediate success. Both possess the speed and athleticism to make defenses pay on the ground, though they balance that with the pocket-passing ability to push the ball downfield.
But players and coaches from both squads have downplayed any similarities between their dual-threat signal-callers.
“[Daniels] is his own player, he’s his own man, at the end of the day,” Jackson told reporters. “We’re just trying to make a name for ourselves, not anyone else.”
Commanders coach Dan Quinn ignored any physical comparison when asked to contrast Jackson and Daniels.
“Both of them have their own unique ways about them,” he said Wednesday, echoing a sentiment shared by Ravens coach John Harbaugh. “But in this game, there’s all these guys are fantastic competitors, and then, like in most professions, there’s the elite, and these two guys are elite at it.”
Players and coaches might not acknowledge it, but the stat lines for the two quarterbacks tell similar stories.
Though their running abilities set them apart from most quarterbacks, Daniels and Jackson do most of their damage this season through the air. And they haven’t been content to dink and dunk their way down the field.
The pair have had the most success when targeting the intermediate areas of the field. Daniels and Jackson rank first and second in the NFL when throwing the ball 10-19 yards from the line of scrimmage, according to data from Pro Football Focus.
Both signal-callers use these chunk passes to march their offenses down the field, but neither will hesitate to take a deep shot when it’s available. Every week, Daniels seems to escape the pocket, find an open receiver downfield and drop a pass directly into their arms.
Jackson has done the same throughout his NFL career.
“When you can extend the plays, that obviously changes how you go about things,” Quinn said, noting that defenses have to balance whether to use a spy on Jackson. “A first play may begin as a pass, then as the second one begins outside the pocket, and he has just had remarkable success with his arm and with his legs. He’s absolutely a threat.”
Their athleticism is the most noticeable comparison point for the pair — “They’re both really, really fast,” as Ravens defensive lineman Nnamdi Madubuike said. The two offenses use their running quarterbacks in different ways, though.
Jackson is often the fastest player on the field, and Baltimore offensive coordinator Todd Monken uses his quarterback in designed runs to free up an extra blocker and create a numbers advantage. Pro Football Focus notes that the reigning MVP had only recorded eight unplanned rushes since Week 1.
But Daniels makes opposing coordinators tear their hair out when he improvises. The LSU product has 300 rushing yards this season — 235 came on scrambles. He doesn’t panic when receivers can’t get open or the pocket collapses; he turns upfield to keep the offense rolling.
“[Daniels] creates problems in different kinds of ways. He can throw it — he’s throwing the ball downfield at a very efficient rate,” Harbaugh said. “And then, if it’s not there, he’s creating plays on the run with his legs. He’s not just running, which he is running, but he’s also throwing on the run and making plays that way.”
Both defenses said they’re at least used to playing against athletic quarterbacks after months of practice during training camp, but Daniels is not Jackson.
Instead, Washington’s quarterback has studied several other signal-callers, including Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.
“All season I work out with a couple other NFL QB starters, so be able to just go out there and see where you’re at,” Daniels said, noting that he won’t hesitate to pick the brains of established passers. “Not really compare but go out there and compete and see what they’re good at and just trying to learn from there.”
Through this process, he grew into a quarterback Frankenstein who’s tearing up the NFL with an athleticism like Jackson, a quick trigger like Brady and a Mahomes-like deep ball.
President Theodore Roosevelt noted that comparison, like those between quarterbacks, is the thief of joy. Five weeks into his historic rookie season, Daniels would likely agree.
“At the end of the day, I want to be known as Jayden Daniels and not the next such and such,” he said.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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