As the Los Angeles Chargers head into a pivotal week 5 game against the banged-up Washington Commanders, their defense will yet again be the key to coming out with a victory given the shaky performance of the offensive line.
Yet, although the Chargers have done an excellent job so far this season containing both opponents' running and passing games, they have already been burned by quarterback scrambles against the Kansas City Chiefs, and, if Jayden Daniels is fully healthy, Los Angeles could be in trouble again this week.
Daniels, in just over a season in the NFL, has proven to be one of the most capable runners from the quarterback position, and, if the team's linebackers and safeties cannot contain him, we could see a much more viable Washington offense this week than we would otherwise.
Jayden Danies could hurt the Chargers with his scrambling ability
Heading into Week 5 of the NFL season, the Chargers defense has been their bright spot, placing third in the league in total defense and fifth in passing defense.
Yet, stopping the run, especially from quarterbacks, has been an issue so far for them. Against the Chiefs, they allowed Patrick Mahomes to rush for 57 yards and a touchdown. While this is mostly forgivable, given Mahomes' skill-set and the amount he has already had to scramble this year, their performance against the New York Giants bodes significantly more poorly.
In rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart's first NFL start, they allowed him to rush for 54 yards and a touchdown. While a major strength of this defense is normally tackling in the second level and containing strong rushers, the team struggled to bring down Dart and rookie running back Cam Skattebo all game, leaving them in a poor position to keep a relatively dormant Giants offense in check.
Therefore, while the Commanders will likely be missing at least one pass catcher this week with Terry McLaurin out and Deebo Samuel being currently questionable, the Chargers defense will still need to limit Daniels in any way possible in the event that their offense stumbles yet again.
Last season, Daniels posted a 62.8% rushing success rate, gaining 891 yards and scoring five touchdowns on the season. While he is returning from a knee injury and will likely be somewhat limited in this regard, it is also possible that he is returning fully healthy after two weeks of rest.
Los Angeles, therefore, cannot allow another mobile quarterback to burn their defense and prevent the team from controlling the time of possession.