Commanders' Strategy to Overcome Jayden Daniels' Absence: Lean on the Rushing Attack
If the Washington Commanders want to cause a massive upset in Week 8 against the Kansas City Chiefs with the national NFL audience watching, they'll have to do it without star quarterback Jayden Daniels. That is a body blow, so their response to offset this setback is crucial.
Daniels went down feeling his hamstring during the Dallas Cowboys game. The No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft sustained a low-grade strain, which isn't expected to keep him out long-term. However, it was serious enough for the coaching staff to keep him out on
Marcus Mariota gets the start for the third time this season. He's a capable understudy, and he's been a fantastic mentor to Daniels throughout his transition. Even so, it's a downgrade, and the Chiefs' defense, led by experienced coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, will smell blood in the water.
Commanders must rely on their rushing attack more than ever without Jayden Daniels
A daunting challenge awaits Mariota, especially if Washington's defense cannot keep up with a Kansas City offense that seems to be hitting its stride. It won't be easy, but there are one or two ways that would make his life a lot easier.
There is one above all else.
Run the football — a lot.
The Commanders have the league's second-best rushing attack right now, averaging 148.9 yards per game. Daniels has a lot to do with that, of course, but Kliff Kingsbury needs to rely more on the committee approach that proved so successful earlier in the campaign.
There is no Austin Ekeler to depend upon. Still, the trio of Chris Rodriguez Jr., Jeremy McNichols, and seventh-round rookie Jacory Croskey-Merritt is more than capable of setting the tone in pursuit of keeping Patrick Mahomes off the field.
Putting Mariota in more manageable second and third-down situations is the only way Washington is going to stay competitive. Asking him to be anything more than a game manager is foolish, and the creative schematic alignments Spagnuolo likes to use to confuse opposing offenses will only make things more complex in 3rd-and-longs.
The Chiefs' run defense is middle of the pack league-wide. If the Commanders can set the tone, it will open up play-action and keep Kansas City honest. But if things get away from Washington and the game is placed in Mariota's hands, that's when complications will arise.
Nobody expects the Commanders to keep this one close, which could actually work in their favor. Play with freedom. Play with passion. Play with the fire that inspired this franchise to silence all doubters last season. It might not be enough, but it's the minimum requirement.
And that starts by running the football any chance they get.
Ahead of Monday’s Chiefs vs. Commanders game, Patrick Mahomes reflects on how Kliff Kingsbury helped shape his career
It's hard to believe now, but Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was not a five-star recruit coming out of high school in 2014. Mahomes had three football offers: Texas Tech, Rice and Houston. Mahomes, who was also a baseball star, picked Texas Tech, and a big reason he chose the Red Raiders was their head coach at the time: Kliff Kingsbury.
Mahomes signed with Texas Tech and would appear in 32 games, making 29 starts, before entering the 2017 NFL draft. After sitting behind Alex Smith during his rookie season, Mahomes took over as the Chiefs quarterback in 2018, and the rest is history. He's already one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, and he's only 30 years old.
On Monday night, Mahomes and the 4-3 Chiefs host the Washington Commanders. Washington's offensive coordinator is Kliff Kingsbury.
Over the years, Mahomes and Kingsbury have always praised one another. Mahomes has spoken of how much Kingsbury meant to his development, while the coach has always praised Mahomes' vast talent.
Mahomes met with the media on Thursday and was asked for his best memories of Kingsbury from their time at Texas Tech.
"He’s one of the first people that truly believed in me playing the quarterback position," Mahomes said. "He gave me a ton of advice of refining me, but letting me still just be me and play to my strengths. A great coach, a great person that I still stay in touch with. Not as much this week, but throughout my career, and he helped me get to where I’m at today because he didn’t put me in a box and tell me how to play quarterback this way. He let me just go out there and be myself and play the way that got me there. I think that’s something that is special about him as a coach."
Kingsbury would first coach in the NFL in 2019 as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Kingsbury took over a bad team and had them in the playoffs by his third season. However, he was fired after a disastrous 4-13 season in 2022. After serving one year as an offensive analyst at USC, Kingsbury jumped back into the NFL, choosing to be the Commanders' offensive coordinator over offers from other teams.
Kingsbury had another young quarterback to mold with Washington: Jayden Daniels. The Kingsbury-led offense helped Washington to its best season in 33 years, and Daniels broke numerous records, winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Daniels will not be under center on Monday night due to a hamstring injury.
Kingsbury has coached several talented quarterbacks over the years, but make no mistake, Mahomes is his star pupil.
