Lions mailbag: How will Detroit attack and contain Jayden Daniels?

It’s no secret that much of the Washington Commanders’ success this year is due to the historic play of rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. The second overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Daniels set the rookie quarterback record for rushing yards in a season (891), and he finished the season 11th among all NFL quarterbacks in terms of passer rating (100.1).

Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell noted earlier in the week how difficult it would be to contain the rookie phenom.

“He’s dangerous, he’s a major threat,” Campbell said. “He doesn’t play the position like a rookie quarterback. He’s calm, he understands how to progress, he sees the field well, he can gain time with his legs, he’s a dangerous runner, he’s intelligent, you can say he understands how to run this attack.

The Lions are no strangers to mobile quarterbacks. Their pass-rushing style – maintaining disciplined running lanes and crushing the pocket – aims to contain exactly the type of threat that Daniels offers.

But Detroit also likes to get very aggressive on defense, especially in the wake of all their defensive injuries. According to NFL Pro, Detroit has the second-highest blitz percentage in the NFL, at 37.1%. Unfortunately for the Lions, Daniels has been masterful against the blitz this year. He was actually more effective against blitz only when not blitzing.

(NFL Pro Stats)

Daniels against the blitz: 101 of 154 for 1,282 yards, 12 TDs, 1 INT, 114.7 passer rating (7th), +0.25 EPA/dropback (fourth)

Daniels against no blitz: 230 of 326 for 2,286 yards, 13 TD, 8 INT, 93.2 passer rating (16th), +0.07 EPA/dropback (12th)

So, does this mean the Lions should change their strategy this week? Will they reduce the blitz and leave eight in coverage? Will they use a spy and, if so, who would it be? And do the Lions have a big enough advantage against a mediocre Commander offensive line?

This is one of the main topics of this week’s Midweek Mailbag podcast, and it starts around the 12:15 mark of the episode.

Here are the other topics we’re talking about this week, with corresponding timestamps for each discussion.

• 5:30 p.m. — What is the best way to attack and defeat commanders?
• 12:15 p.m. — Strategies against Jayden Daniels
• 9:00 p.m. — Between Detroit and Washington, who has the advantage in the trenches?
• 29:50 — Can the Lions still sign free agents?
• 34:20 — Predicting where Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn will end up
• 39:00 — What percentage chance Johnson and Glenn are gone? Who are the main candidates to replace them?
• 46:00 — Eagles or Rams: Who would be the preferred matchup for the NFC championship?
• 54:10 — The latest news on the development of Brodric Martin and Giovanni Manu
• 59:00 — Which current Lions are on the verge of becoming Hall of Famers?
• 1:06:20 — Why don’t Lions do the Tush Push?

Listen to the full episode on any podcasting platform or in the embedded player below.

You can also watch the episode in replay on Twitch or YouTube.