Mike Tomlin doesn’t want to hear anyone comparing Jayden Daniels to Lamar Jackson. Not after Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Washington Commanders on the road in Week 10 and are preparing to face Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, November 17.
Speaking after the Steelers won 28-27 at Northwest Stadium, Tomlin downplayed familiar comparisons between Daniels and Jackson. Tomlin cautioned reporters, “Man, be real slow comparing people to Lamar Jackson. That’s a multi-time MVP. That’s Mr. Jackson. We’ll see Mr. Jackson in a few days,” per Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post.
It’s a fair statement considering Jackson has won two NFL MVP awards, while Daniels is still finding his feet in the pros. Their dual-threat skill-sets and college accolades mean comparisons are inevitable, but Daniels still has a lot of room to develop.
The second pick in this year’s draft has been sensational for most of this season, but Daniels showed some growing pains against a tough and resourceful defense.
Jayden Daniels Looked Like a Rookie vs. Steelers
Daniels’ rough day was summed up by him completing just 50 percent of his passes against the Steelers. He did have 202 yards to show for his 17 completions, but Daniels didn’t throw a touchdown, while his 5.9 yard average per pass was his lowest in a full start since entering the league.
This is not to say Daniels was the only reason the Commanders lost this game. There were other issues, like his offensive line giving up three sacks, and Olamide Zaccheaus muffing a pair of punts.
An overmatched secondary was also beaten deep too often by Steelers QB Russell Wilson and his receivers. Key penalties were another problem, none more hurtful than rookie defensive tackle Jer’Zhan ‘Johnny’ Newton jumping offsides to gift the Steelers the chance to run out the clock, a gaffe highlighted by Mr Matthew CFB.
Daniels has been a true talisman during his maiden season, but this game won’t have quieted talk he could be hitting the rookie wall. The same thing can happen to any player, but it’s probably no bad thing for the Commanders to slow the hype and follow Tomlin’s lead in rejecting those Jackson comparisons.
Lamar Jackson Comparisons Won’t Go Away
Comparisons with Jackson are likely to follow Daniels throughout his career. That’s just the reality when both were Heisman Trophy winners in college and both rely on running as much as their awesome arm talent.
To his credit, Daniels has already attempted to shy away from comparison with Jackson. He downplayed the idea before the Commanders were beaten by the Ravens in Week 6.
Daniels wants to be his own player and carve out a unique legacy in the NFL. Helping the Commanders surprise many by winning seven of their first 10 games means Daniels is off to a great start.
Losing to a playoff-contending Steelers team is a setback, but far from a fatal one. What Daniels needs to do is rediscover the spark that had him dominating defenses before he suffered a rib injury against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7.
He came back quickly, but Daniels hasn’t been as explosive since his return. Ironically, the Commanders are becoming a more well-rounded team, more competitive defensively and balanced on offense, while Daniels has slowed.
The problem is this group will ultimately only go as far as their star at football’s most important position can take them. Ignoring the hype and getting back to fundamentals makes sense for Daniels and the Commanders.
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