ASHBURN, Va. — The accolades keep rolling in for Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels. On Wednesday, he took home his fifth NFL Rookie of the Week award and last month was named the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Month. Daniels says he doesn’t pay too much attention to the awards but is always focused on improving and building chemistry with his teammates.
Sunday’s loss to the Ravens was Washington’s first since week one. Daniels threw two touchdowns, both to Terry McLaurin. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury says the second touchdown, on 4th and goal with the Commanders down 14 with 12 minutes to play, didn’t come from his playbook.
“The last touchdown, on 4th down, is one they had just kind of talked about in the huddle and playing it out together,” said Kingsbury. “That’s what you hope happens as they get rolling. Terry’s a guy who, every day, he puts in the work and if the ball’s not coming to him, he doesn’t say a word. He continues to work hard without the ball, with the ball, practicing hard. He’s a real tone setter for the entire team and to see him get in the end zone the last few weeks like he has, has been awesome and [I] hope that continues.”
“Coming out of the huddle he asked me, 'What route do I want?' And I was like, ‘Oh, alright’,” said McLaurin. “I thought about it and right before that, I think we had a timeout. The way he was playing, I liked a slant, but coming out of that huddle I was like if he’s on a heavy inside leverage, we already talked about this back in camp, but if I don’t necessarily like the look then we give each other a little signal."
The defensive back lined up inside McLaurin who looked for that signal. Then, took a couple of choppy steps toward the middle of the field before turning to the sideline where Daniels delivered a strike.
“He threw a really great back shoulder. When the DB is in scramble mode like that, it just gives me an opportunity to be able to locate the ball quicker than he can and I think he put it in a spot where only I could get it. I feel like I excel at the catch point, so I just wanted to be able to make that play,” said McLaurin. “I think it’s just another testament for him and I to be able to stay on the same page in third, down, fourth down got to have it situations that keep us in the game, that was a really big play.”
“I just think that just comes with the nature of playing quarterback at this league. Guys aren’t open, you’ve got to throw some guys open,” said Daniels talking about delivering bass in a small window. “There’s guys that have been in this league a long time that are very savvy and know what’s coming and stuff like that, you have to make some tight-window throws.”
McLaurin and Daniels have connected for four touchdown passes in the past four games after connecting for zero in the first two weeks of the season.
“I think it’s exciting for him and I to continue to grow in that way and I’m looking forward to being in more situations like that so we can continue to create that chemistry I feel like we’re building, but it’s not just myself,” said McLaurin. “I feel like it’s showing up with Noah and Luke and Dyami. Guys are just really connecting, and I feel like that’s a really big part of why we’re having success in the pass game.”
The wideout says he's never played with a quarterback who's asked him what route he wanted to run seconds before the snap.
“Not in like mid-game. Not on the field right before the play on fourth down, I’ve never had that. Maybe on the sideline, but I think it’s just the confidence he has in me,” said McLaurin. “I wasn’t even expecting it honestly, for him to go, ’What route you want?’ That’s fun for me. It gets my juices flowing because in those moments you want to be the guy your team trusts in those situations and for him and I to connect, we’ve done it a few times, I think that’s exciting.”
