Jayden Daniels is the talk of the NFL this year. The #2 overall pick has gotten off to a hot start this year, completing over 70% of his passes and amassing 10 total touchdowns with only two interceptions. Some have even said the Chicago Bears made a mistake going with Caleb Williams over him, which the team vehemently objects. Nobody disputes Daniels has been terrific thus far, but there is a fair question worth asking. Is he the reason things have gone so well to start this season?
Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington doesn’t seem to think so. While he has great respect for Daniels’ accomplishments, his recent comments on Wednesday suggest the Bears don’t see him as the true engine of Washington’s offense. That was first made clear by how backup Marcus Mariota performed once the rookie went down with a rib injury last week. There was no drop-off in production. It appears the person Chicago needs to worry about most is Kliff Kingsbury, the Commanders offensive coordinator.
Kingsbury weaponized Jayden Daniels perfectly.
They have an identity, execute with great precision, and display clear confidence in their approach. Because of this, most defenses haven’t been able to slow Washington down. It isn’t a huge surprise. Kingsbury was known for his offensive wizardry in college and did a lot of great things with Kyler Murray in Arizona. Washington has done a great job running the ball, averaging 5.2 yards per carry. A big part of that comes from Daniels’ own mobility, which mirrors a lot of Lamar Jackson in Baltimore.
Mariota can move, too. That is why Kingsbury’s scheme doesn’t figure to lose much effectiveness without Jayden Daniels. It is also why the Bears chose not to hire him as offensive coordinator. While they believed he would be great at the job, they also understood he wouldn’t be around long. Somebody was bound to hire him as a head coach next year. Chicago would much rather deal with him for one game on the opposite sideline than try to replace him after one season. Let Washington figure that out with Jayden Daniels.
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