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'I'm in my Lamar mindset': Browns compare Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels to Ravens star
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- 'I'm in my Lamar mindset': Browns compare Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels to Ravens star
BEREA — Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah didn't take long to find the right mental space to be in as the Browns turned their attention to the Washington Commanders and their uber-talented rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels this week.
The linebacker who grew up in the DMV region just thought about another quarterback playing in that region.
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"For me, I'm in my Lamar [Jackson] mindset right now," Owusu-Koramoah said, referencing the Baltimore Ravens quarterback. "I would say that there's little bits of similarities. Jayden, he's a little bit bigger, a little bit taller. (Imitates their stances) But, no, you do see a little bit of similarities. Obviously Lamar's a Pro Bowl, All-Pro type of quarterback, but [Daniels will] get there eventually. I think just looking at him, watching him, watching Washington kind of progress as a football team, I'm sure that he'll get there one day."
The Browns are trying to make sure Sunday isn't one of those All-Pro kind of days. They're already mired in a two-game losing streak, and the last thing they want before they hit the real meat of their schedule — which includes Jackson and the Ravens in three weeks — is to become the latest addition to Daniels' already impressive rookie highlight film.
Daniels has become the talk of the NFL's rookie class by taking over the Commanders offense and turning it into a dynamic machine. He's done it by being the perfect version of the dual-threat quarterback, with a league-best 82.1% completion percentage, the third-best passer rating (107.4) and the second-highest rushing total (218 yards) through four games for a quarterback in NFL history.
Daniels is third among quarterbacks in total offensive yards with 1,115 yards. At No. 2 directly in front of him: Jackson, with 1,166 yards.
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) scrambles out of the pocket against the Cardinals during a game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sept. 29, 2024.
"We have a quarterback that's a dual-threat quarterback that has the ability to not only pass at a high-efficiency rate, but also run when necessary," safety Rodney McLeod said. "He's smart when he runs, is not necessarily looking to take the big hits, put his team in jeopardy, but just doing enough.
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"And it's been very effective. He's going through his reads, his progressions well, he doesn't spend a lot of time back there, ball's coming out quick, whether it's in the short game, if you have space, he's taking it, and they're keeping him on rhythm."
That leads the Browns defense back to Jackson. Multiple players specifically cited the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player as the one they're looking at while trying to scheme a way to slow down Daniels.
The Browns have had their successes against Jackson, even if the losses to him resonate more to players and fans. They've held him to sub-60% completion percentage and below 60 rushing yards in two of the last three meetings, and a sub-85 passer rating in three of the last four.
Daniels has yet to have a game with a sub-93.1 passer rating or a sub-70.8% completion percentage. As for the rushing, he's hasn't run for more than 47 yards in any of the last three games, but has thrown for at least 226 yards in those games, all Washington wins.
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"He's been very efficient with the ball," defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said. "He really understands the RPO zone read world. It's something he's done. Played a lot of college football in a very similar situation. So you see that comes up in his legs makes a difference. … We got to play tight coverage, we got to be in our gaps and we have to tackle well on the perimeter, and they'll challenge all of those things."
The challenge only get tougher with Daniels as the defense gets closer to getting off the field. Washington, as a team, has converted a league-best 53.5% of its third downs.
Daniels, meanwhile, is fourth in the league with 40.8% of his passes going for first downs. He's also run for 18 first downs, tied with former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III for most by a quarterback through his first four career games.
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"The poise on third down, him being able to convert," defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo said. "I believe they've only punted four times this season. For a rookie quarterback running the show, that's almost unheard of. So that's an impressive stat."
One player for whom that may mean extra work is Owusu-Koramoah. The fourth-year linebacker was drafted with eyes on stopping Jackson in the AFC North, and now he will likely be tasked with keeping extra eyes on Daniels.
The key to that is centered in discipline. It's a discipline in not getting caught looking in the backfield too much, and a discipline in not getting out of position in order to allow Daniels to either find creases he can run through or targets to whom he can throw.
"I mean, it is pressure, but I don't think it's necessarily extra distress," Owusu-Koramoah said. "Maybe a little stress, but not distress. So I think when it comes to that RPO, that kind of running game that he has, obviously we're a little bit more familiar with it, so it's not something that we're like, 'Aw man, it's going to be hell.' I think we've done it for so long, at least for me."
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Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns draw from past with Lamar Jackson to prepare for Jayden Daniels
