5 major observations from Jayden Daniels' performance vs. the Browns
By Dean Jones
Jayden Daniels under pressure
We mentioned it a lot throughout the week. The Cleveland Browns might be struggling to find the form anticipated, but their defense is a force to be reckoned with when in the mood. Jayden Daniels was up for the challenge, but it didn't come without a few jittery moments.
Cleveland's defense closed the margins and made life difficult for Daniels over the early exchanges. They continued to pile on the pressure throughout the clash, but he coped well in tricky circumstances. Having a good offensive line helps, but the Browns had too many weapons to keep the pocket clean entirely.
Daniels made a couple of errors - one of which resulted in a red-zone interception. He grew in stature as the contest progressed, reading the defense well and recognizing where pressure was coming from with supreme efficiency.
The former LSU star's composure both pre and post-snap is outstanding for someone with so little NFL experience. His escapability and instinctive awareness in the pocket are also serving him well.
Jayden Daniels' mobility
Jayden Daniels is getting a lot better at picking and choosing his spots before getting out on the move. He's not a one-trick pony, demonstrating his pocket prowess after getting rid of some initial jitters in Week 1. But when there are yards on the ground available, the signal-caller has no trouble getting them.
These came when the Browns lacked discipline on the edge. Daniels knew when players were over-committing in their assignments and reacted accordingly. A prime example of this arrived in the second quarter when Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah misjudged his angle and the dual-threat weapon took off for a 34-yard gain.
This is an ongoing positive for Daniels. Being selective with his running is helping the offense overall. It's enough to keep opposing defenses honest, especially given his ability to spot a weakness developing in front of him before taking decisive action.
Daniels eventually finished with 82 rushing yards on 11 carries. His initial burst to avoid contact was a big reason why. There's a lot of natural talent involved, but the differences between his NFL debut to now are night and day.