Jayden Daniels’ ‘Prudent Use’ Of Mobility Presents Unique Challenge, Says Tomlin

Washington has a new Commander taking the league by storm through the first half of the 2024 NFL season: rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The second-overall pick and Heisman winner out of LSU has looked like a true franchise-altering player. Paired with new head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, the Commanders are a dangerous team on the rise.

In his weekly Tuesday presser, Mike Tomlin spoke at length about the challenge of facing Jayden Daniels, specifically highlighting his mobility and ability to extend plays.

“Really impressed with their young signal caller. Quarterback mobility is an asset to him, but I’ve been really impressed by his prudent use of it. Their ability to prudently use his mobility, particularly in weighty moments, to keep the defense off balance, to win lines to gain, to score points…it shows up in a lot of situational statistics. They lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns. His quarterback mobility is a part of that. They’re 11 of 11 on the season in fourth-down conversions…It doesn’t matter what tape you put on. Third down, red zone operation, his mobility is a major factor…You couple that with their unique ball security…you’re going to be 7-2.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers have faced a variety of quarterbacks so far this season, from veteran pocket-passers like Kirk Cousins, Joe Flacco, and Aaron Rodgers to younger mobile quarterbacks like Bo Nix and Daniel Jones. But Jayden Daniels may be the defense’s toughest test this season. And the way they handle his dual-threat ability could be a measuring stick for what’s to come in matchups against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, as well as Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.

Daniels is an elite running quarterback, but as Tomlin said, his prudent use of his mobility sets him apart from other rushing quarterbacks. Just like Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes, when Daniels rolls out of the pocket, he surveys the field, hunting open receivers four or five seconds after the ball is snapped before taking a shot or deciding to run. He isn’t just looking for his first read, abandoning ship, and scrambling if it’s not there. His runs are calculated, and his mobility is as much a factor in the passing game as it is on the ground. In case you missed it, this Hail Mary (which they’re calling the ‘Hail Maryland’ in the DMV area where I live) would not have been possible without Daniels extending the play with his legs.

The metrics are off the charts so far. Daniels has completed 71.5% of his passes for 1,945 yards, nine touchdowns and just two interceptions. Not to mention his 459 rushing yards and four touchdowns. The Rookie of the Year is his award to lose, and he’s legitimately in the MVP race.

All this is to say that the Steelers are in for a challenge on Sunday afternoon, but so are Daniels and the Commanders’ offense. T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward, and the Steelers’ defense are one of the strongest units in the NFL. Highsmith and Watt will relentlessly pressure Daniels to force the rookie into mistakes he hasn’t made so far this season. Their deep secondary just got a little bit deeper, too, with the return of veteran cornerback Cam Sutton after his eight-game suspension.

It will be a tough test for the Steelers’ linebackers, in particular Patrick Queen, who wears the green dot as the Steelers’ defensive signal caller. They’ll need to be on high alert for Daniels’ scrambling and finding open space while also monitoring running backs out of the backfield and the tight ends that get open over the middle.

We’ll find out this Sunday if the Steelers’ defense can limit his legs and if Russell Wilson and the offense can do enough to pull out a huge win.