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The Washington Commanders reached the NFC Championship Game thanks to the magic of Jayden Daniels, but the rookie quarterback is expected to be tested by a new scheme from the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, January 26.
It will be a changeup from Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He needs a different plan after Daniels burned his defense for five touchdown passes when the Commanders won at Northwest Stadium in Week 16.
As Gridiron Ratings writer Jordan Vanek pointed out, “PHI DC Vic Fangio blitzed Jayden Daniels a lot more in the second matchup than their first matchup. He hit some shot plays like the one below when blitzed.”
Vanek thinks the Eagles will “go more quarters trusting they can get home with their pass rush and attack Sam Cosmi’s replacement.”
A quarters or four-deep coverage shell would take away the big plays Daniels has been making through the air during these playoffs. It would also be something similar to the approach Fangio used when the Eagles beat the Commanders 26-18 in Week 11, one of Daniels’ worst games as a pro.
Eagles Scheme Change Could Be a Problem for Jayden Daniels
If Daniels is expecting more of the blitz, he’s likely to be disappointed. Particularly since the Eagles know a more passive approach works better against the second-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
The Eagles shunned the blitz and disguised zone coverages back in Week 11. Fangio also rarely sent more than four rushers after Daniels.
This combination led to Washington’s QB1 throwing for less than 200 yards and posting just 18 yards as a runner. Keeping Daniels in the pocket and forcing him to throw from a static base worked for Fangio and it’s something former Eagles three-time Pro Bowler Seth Joyner believes the coordinator should call again.
Joyner, who played eight seasons on some of the toughest defenses in franchise history, called on the Eagles to “create the pocket on the edges and keep him (Daniels) close on the edges where he can’t step through the defensive end and tackle gap. Sometimes you just got to get up one step above him and stop, because if nobody’s open, he’s going to try to escape.”
What Joyner is describing is a plan based on Eagles defensive linemen rushing with discipline and not giving up running lanes to Daniels’ mobility. It’s something the Commanders might struggle to prevent without their best offensive lineman against a formidable front four.
Commanders Short-Handed Against Powerful Defensive Line
Right guard Sam Cosmi is out with a torn ACL, leaving the Commanders vulnerable to Philadelphia’s powerful defensive front. It’s a group led by destructive tackle Jalen Carter, who could wreck the middle against whoever replaces the accomplished Cosmi.
Veteran Trent Scott stepped in and thrived against the Detroit Lions in the last round, but Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is open to something different. Something involving moving former Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl winner Andrew Wylie inside, according to Ben Standig of The Athletic.
Putting his five best blockers into the lineup makes sense. Especially if the Eagles are able to keep Daniels boxed in and forced to wait for receivers to exploit holes in zone.
Daniels shouldn’t count on having too much time against a defense that’s sacked him four times in two games this season. Including three when Fangio didn’t hit the blitz button during the first meeting in Philadelphia.
Rushing four worked because defensive ends Nolan Smith and Josh Sweat consistently got to Daniels. Smith sacked Daniels on a play highlighted by Darius Butler, at the 0:37 mark, for NFL Matchup on ESPN, showing the Eagles playing quarters and sending four on third down.
Making this formula the basis of their first- and second-down schemes is the best way for the Eagles to test Daniels’ maturation as a pro passer. Fortunately for the Commanders, the 24-year-old has passed most tests he’s faced this season.
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