Quarterback Jayden Daniels provided a good test for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defense. He might only be a rookie, but he’s helped turn the Washington Commanders into one of the NFL’s best teams. He’s been great as a passer, but his greatest strength has arguably been his mobility. Against the Steelers, that aspect of his game was a non-factor. Daniels credited the Steelers’ game plan for containing him as a runner.
“Just schematically, what Pittsburgh was doing, pretty much discipline in the rush lanes,” Daniels said Tuesday via the team’s Twitter account. “Zone reads, they’re kind of taking me out of the zone-read type of situation. So, it was just more so making the right football play.”
That discipline was evident, with Daniels only rushing for five yards on three carries. That’s easily the fewest number of yards he’s rushed for this year. It tied for the least amount of rushing attempts he’s had as well. In the other game where he had three rushing attempts, Daniels left in the first quarter ended because of an injury that ended his day.
That speaks to how well-prepared the Steelers were. The Commanders were also missing some starters along their offensive line, but the Steelers still didn’t allow him to scramble. They forced him to try to beat them through the air, and to his credit, Daniels almost did that.
It was a team effort as well. Cam Heyward and the rest of the interior defensive line kept Daniels on his toes. T.J. Watt might not have had his usual impact, but he still kept Daniels contained in the pocket. Alex Highsmith was having a stellar game as well before suffering an ankle injury.
There were a few more unsung heroes in in the Steelers’ 28-27 win as well. Preston Smith had just joined the team, but he did a good job filling in for Highsmith. He even recorded a sack. The person who might deserve the most praise is Patrick Queen. The speedy linebacker hasn’t been as amazing as some people expected him to be, but against the Commanders, he played like a man possessed.
Quen was flying around the field, recording seven total tackles and two tackles for loss. His presence clearly had an effect on Daniels, helping to limit him when he did get past the line of scrimmage. He looked more like the All-Pro people likely expected him to be.
Having a bye week before playing the Commanders probably helped too. Mike Tomlin had his team ready for the challenge, and the Steelers emerged victorious. This week, they’ll have a similar but more difficult challenge against Lamar Jackson. Perhaps they’ll employ a similar strategy although Jackson is much more dangerous than Daniels.
