The question is simple, the answer complex. Just ask two of the, well, commanders of the Lions' defense: How do you handle Jayden Daniels? Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell will be in the thick of it Saturday night, chasing him one play, dropping into coverage the next, reading his eyes and his mind and his body language all at once: Is he keeping it? Is he pitching it? Is he chucking it? On Wednesday afternoon, the two linebackers pondered the challenge in the calm before the storm.
"Jayden Daniels can do everything," said Campbell.
"The last time we played a mobile quarterback was that Buffalo game," said Anzalone, "so you gotta look at those plays that hurt us and correct them. At the end of the day, you have to be disciplined and sound in your zone-read responsibilities, and unfortunately in that game we didn’t play too cleanly. Hopefully we can going into this game."
That Buffalo game was Detroit's worst defensive performance of the season. Josh Allen racked up 430 yards himself, killing the Lions outside the pocket. He frequently extended plays with his legs to make plays with his arm. Daniels poses the same threat, in an offense designed to confuse the defense with pre-snap motion and allow its rookie quarterback to make simple throws.
"It’s going to come down to eye discipline this week," said Campbell. "They've got so much eye candy, so that’s going to be the main thing."
The Commanders' passing attack is relatively straightforward once you sort through the window dressing, said Campbell, echoing Aaron Glenn. But the threat of Daniels' legs presents a different set of challenges on the ground, "just because you got turbo motion on this play, eight pullers coming this way, it’s unbalanced -- like, a bunch of B.S.," said Campbell. "We have to keep it simple in our minds."
When the Lions rush Daniels, the primary focus will be crushing the pocket. But as they learned last month against Allen, Daniels will inevitably escape. Allen feasted on Detroit's defense when it lost contain in the secondary at the end of extended plays, and Daniels made similar plays in the Commanders' win last week over the Bucs. To Anzalone, this is where the game could be won or lost Saturday night.
"Obviously he can run, he can scramble, but it's when he’s scrambling, the guys in coverage have to plaster and latch onto their guy. If we’re in zone, you gotta find a guy to cover," Anzalone said. "Because even in that Bucs game you could see him scrambling and he could run for a first down, but instead he’s throwing for a 30-yard gain. Those explosives are what you have to limit.
"Obviously you have to be disciplined in your pass rush and all that, but he’s going to get out. It’s a matter of what you do in those situations."
Anzalone wasn't on the field for the Bills game. And with the Lions missing their best linebacker in coverage, Allen threw for 251 yards to his running backs and tight ends -- often finding them wide open. Anzalone immediately made a difference when he returned in the season finale and shut down Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson to help the Lions clinch the top seed in the NFC. Austin Ekeler is dangerous out of the backfield for the Commanders, and must be watched closely.
Daniels is older than the average rookie quarterback at 24, having spent five seasons in college. Even Jared Goff noted this week, "it doesn’t look like he's a rookie. It feels like he understands the moment and is comfortable in it, and our job on defense is to try to make him uncomfortable." Daniels was unfazed by the stage in his playoff debut last Sunday night, but Ford Field is a different den with a different din.
"It’s going to be loud, I know that," said Campbell. "The environment is not going to be in their favor. The atmosphere is going to be insane."
All that's on the line is a spot in the NFC championship, with the Super Bowl on the other side. Detroit's defense will lay it on the line against Daniels, who can do it all. The Lions can only let him do so much.