Stopping Jayden Daniels has become such a concern for opponents of the Washington Commanders that the Atlanta Falcons have gone to the trouble of signing 69-touchdown quarterback Emory Jones just to replicate the No. 2 pick from the 2024 NFL draft in practice.
The Falcons face the Commanders at Northwest Stadium in Week 17 in a game with direct playoff implications. Atlanta added Jones to “the scout team at practice this week to better simulate Jayden Daniels’ skill set,” per Falcons.com Senior Reporter Tori McElhaney.
That’s quite a compliment for Daniels, who’s still just a rookie. Yet the 24-year-old hasn’t needed much time to establish himself as a gifted playmaker opponents need special plans to stop.
Jayden Daniels Has Opponents Running Scared
Daniels has needed only 15 games to put true fear into the hearts and minds of every group of players set to cross path with the Commanders. Their opponents have good reason to be scared by the way Daniels has seamlessly transitioned the dual-threat skills that made him a Heisman Trophy winner at LSU to the pro game.
The results have been beyond impressive. Daniels has rushed for 737 yards and six touchdowns, while also throwing for 3,303 yards and 22 scores.
A rookie signal-caller this productive in both phases is rare. Washington had one when another Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 pick, Robert Griffin III, set the record for rushing yards by a rookie QB in 2012, a mark Daniels “is 79 yards away from breaking,” per NBC Sports.
More than his numbers, Daniels has increased the fear factor for two reasons. One, a composure beyond his years that’s allowed him to complete 72.4 percent of his passes and toss a mere eight interceptions.
Daniels has combined efficiency and coolness under fire with a natural flair for the big play in clutch moments. He showcased the latter by connecting with wide receiver Jamison Crowder for the game-winning touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16.
The shocking play was “a risky throw, but a throw that wins you football games,” ESPN’s Louis Riddick told NFL Films.
When Daniels puts his prolific rushing ability together with his unflappable arm talent, the Commanders’ QB1 is close to impossible to defend. That’s why the Falcons are taking special measures to prepare for him.
Emory Jones Has the Right Skill-Set to Replicate Jayden Daniels
Jones hasn’t made the grade in the NFL, bouncing from the practice squad of the Baltimore Ravens to the same status with the Falcons. Yet there was a time Jones was a dynamic, multi-purpose threat at football’s most important position.
He threw for 51 touchdowns and ran for 18 more during collegiate stints with Florida, Arizona State and Cincinnati, per Sports Reference. A stint with the Gators from 2018-2021 was arguably Jones’ most successful.
He had many excellent games, including a 353-yard effort against Tennessee back in 2021.
Jones’ attempts to replace Daniels with the Sun Devils in 2022 didn’t go to plan, but the newest member of the Falcons is still a versatile, natural athlete. He’ll help a capable Atlanta defense get used to trying to contain a quarterback who does some of his best work moving the pocket and creating chunk plays off script.
The key difference is Daniels isn’t just any dual-threat QB. He’s already one of the game’s marquee players at his position, a talent who can wreck the best-laid plans of any team.
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