FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — There is only one team in the NFL that's quarterback is the leading rusher.
It is the Washington Commanders with Jayden Daniels.
To be fair, running back Brian Robinson Jr. is just 8 yards behind Daniels with three fewer games.
Regardless, Daniels' ability to move and groove is impressive, and he and the Commanders are the Atlanta Falcons' Week 17 opponent in a prime-time game that has repeatedly been described as a must-win for the Falcons given the major playoff implications that follow either outcome.
"That's why this is one of the most productive offenses in the NFL right now, adding that extra run threat with the quarterback position," Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake said. "It adds an extra gap up front. Now, you have to make sure you get up there to make sure you stop that gap. And now, you get too many guys up there, here comes the play-action pass and you leave your guys in the backend open. So, it's going to be a chess match all night long."
The Commanders have the fifth-ranked offense in the league, averaging 373.5 yards per game. They're third in rushing (152.7 yards per game) and 16th in passing (220.9 yards per game).
Daniels, who was the No. 2 overall draft pick this year, has 128 carries for 737 yards rushing and six touchdowns. That's good for an average of 5.8 yards per attempt and 49.1 yards per game.
He also has completed 301 of his 432 passes -- 69.7% -- for 3,303 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions. That puts him at an average of 11 yards per completion and 220.2 yards per game.
"The way that he's extended plays with his legs and the way that he's threatened the defense with the deep ball, he's had a really impressive season," Falcons safety Justin Simmons said. "Obviously up for Offensive Rookie of the Year. But honestly, just in conversations, he's having one of the better years from any quarterback in the league, and I know there are some great ones."
Among rookies at his position, Daniels is first in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage. Among all starting quarterbacks, he's 14th, 10th and 15th, respectively.
Only Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has rushed for more yards (852) than Daniels at the position.
"When (Daniels) is making guys miss, his eyes are always down the field, so he's looking to throw when he's actually scrambling," Falcons assistant head coach/defense Jerry Gray said. "I think that's the thing that we (need to) get our defensive backs to understand: You can't look at him scramble. You got to get to your receiver. You got to make sure you cover him. When he crosses the line of scrimmage, then we can deal with that one."
The Commanders have proven to trust Daniels' judgement in important moments. Understandably so. He's a big a reason Washington has the second-best fourth-down offense, finding success 84.2% of the time.
For example, just last week in the Commanders' 36-33 win against the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington went for it on fourth-and-11. Daniels looked like he was going to throw the ball, but as the pocket collapsed, he escaped and ran for 29 yards. Three plays later, Daniels threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to take the lead.
"Any scenario — fourth-and-11, third-and-11, second-and-11 — if there's an opportunity that he can find a seam and take it, he's going to do that," Simmons said. "… We got our work cut out for us."
