A True Quarterback Battle at the Bank

Sunday, Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels went head-to-head for the first time in their careers, and put on a true display of elite quarterback play. Both quarterbacks came into the Week 6 matchup sitting atop their respective divisions and in the discussion for AP awards. Washington has shocked a lot of people to kick off the season, riding the hot hand of Daniels to a 4-1 record.

Sunday was no different for the Commanders and the young rookie quarterback. With starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. inactive with a knee injury, the Washington offense, which came in ranked second in the league in rushing, would need to look elsewhere to find a successful gameplan. Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury put his trust in the 23-year-old from LSU, and the result was a career day for Daniels against one of the top AFC contenders. Daniels looked like a seasoned veteran, making play after play to keep his team alive throughout the close loss. Daniels threw for a career-high in pass attempts (35), passing yards (269), and tied his high of two TD passes. The Commanders’ success through the air allowed their offense to continue picking up first downs, despite the lack of production on the ground. Daniels found a large part of his success on passes of 10-20 yards, going 7-for-10 for 106 yards and a TD. The Washington star finished the 1 o’clock slot leading all rookie quarterbacks in passing yards, and finishing as the only one to not turn the ball over.

It was a tough loss for Daniels, but Washington has plenty to look forward to as this kid looks the part of a true franchise QB.

Jackson was about as efficient as you could ask for Sunday. Going 20-for-26 passing, he finished the afternoon with his second-highest completion percentage of the season (76%). Jackson’s receivers’ ability to get open was clear, leading to a season-high +14.1% completion percentage over expected, according to Next Gen Stats. His connection with Zay Flowers was electric and more than efficient throughout the game. Jackson targeted the second-year receiver early and often, setting a Ravens record for receptions in a half with nine catches on nine targets to go along with a career-high 132 yards. It was the second week in a row Jackson and Flowers have connected for over 100 yards, as Zay continues to work into that WR1 role.

Sunday also brought fans the reawakening of star tight end Mark Andrews. An early target off the hands of Andrews leading to a Commanders interception had fans feeling it was about to be another lackluster performance from the tight end in the passing game. Andrews found a way to dig down and bounce back, coming up with his biggest performance of the season. The veteran returned as Jackson’s safety blanket, finding openings in the secondary. Andrews’ bounceback resulted in a season-high three receptions for 66 yards and his first score of the season.

A second straight elite performance from the pocket has Jackson potentially in the driver’s seat for a second straight MVP. Through six games Jackson has put up better numbers in passing yards, touchdowns, rushing yards, interceptions, sacks, and fumbles lost than his 2023 MVP campaign. It was another high-caliber performance from Jackson through the air on Sunday, as the Ravens picked up their fourth win in a row.

The focus flips to Tampa Bay for a Monday night matchup in Week 7, as Jackson prepares for a familiar opponent in Baker Mayfield.

A Look Around the AFC North

It’s time to throw in the towel on the Browns 2024 season following yet another disappointing loss. It’s a 1-5 start for a team with so much hope following their success in 2023. Nothing seemed to go the Browns’ way offensively in their 20-16 loss Sunday to the Eagles. It’s the third game out of the last four that quarterback Deshaun Waston suffered more than five sacks, as the offensive line still can’t seem to figure it out. With running back Jerome Ford suffering an injury mid-game, Cleveland’s offense seemingly disappeared in the second half, managing to only put up six points. Watson failed to score for the second time this season while also seeing a season-low 23 pass attempts. The Browns offense continues to rank in the bottom five of multiple offensive categories including yards per game, points per game, passing yards per game, and 3rd down percentage. Can’t imagine it’ll be too long before we start to see some changes in the Browns coaching staff. It’s only Week 6 but it seems time to look towards 2025 and the cap doom that approaches.

The Steelers put together their best offensive performance on the ground this season en route to a 32-13 win over the Raiders. Justin Fields showed off his running ability this week, picking up a season-high 59 rushing yards to go along with his two scores on the ground. Fields has also been solid at preventing turnovers this season, a large struggle while in Chicago. It’s the third week in a row without an interception for the young quarterback as he continues to find his place in the Steel City. It also marked the first game in which Russell Wilson was dressed and active in the lineup following his calf injury suffered just prior to Week 1. With his fourth win of the season, Fields continues to make his case for QB1 despite Wilson winning the job in camp. The Steelers are set for the Jets, Giants, and Commanders in three out of the next four weeks. Sitting at 4-2, Pittsburgh hopes to come away with at least two wins out of those next three before their first battle with the Ravens in Week 11.

It was a bit of an underwhelming win from Joe Burrow and the Bengals on Sunday night against the Giants. It’s the second time this year the Bengals star quarterback has been held to zero touchdown passes, while also receiving the most sacks he’s seen in a game so far in 2024. Burrow showed off his wheels however, hitting a career-high 19.86 mph on his 47-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. It’s the second win for Cincinnati in their last three games, following an 0-3 start to the season. Despite another slow start to the season and one that appears more of a problem than ever, a lot of the blame can’t be put on Burrow and the offense. The offensive line has obviously struggled, an issue since Burrow was drafted in Cincinnati, but the Bengals franchise quarterback is still putting up some of the best numbers we’ve seen this season. Following Sunday’s win, Burrow sits 9th in passing yards (1370) and is tied for 2nd in passing touchdowns with 12. With Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase each approaching large paydays this offseason, the Bengals are a team to keep an eye on as the trade deadline approaches. Will the once Super Bowl contenders decide to move on from one of their star pass-catchers? Or does Cincinnati ride out what’s expected to be the last season with both Higgins and Chase in a Bengals uniform?

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