01/15/25 05:28:00
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01/15 17:26 CST Jayden Daniels to Terry McLaurin connection has blossomed for
the Commanders
Jayden Daniels to Terry McLaurin connection has blossomed for the Commanders
By STEPHEN WHYNO
AP Sports Writer
ASHBURN, Va. (AP) --- When the Washington Commanders had to have it --- fourth
down, trailing in the fourth quarter of a playoff game --- Jayden Daniels found
Terry McLaurin in the end zone for a touchdown.
That moment marked the pinnacle of the rapport between the dynamic rookie
quarterback and dependable sixth-year wide receiver that has been developing
since offseason workouts.
Daniels has connected with McLaurin 77 times for 1,033 yards and 13 TDs, and
that relationship blossoming on and off the field is a big reason the
Commanders are in the postseason and advanced to the divisional round to face
NFC-leading Detroit on Saturday night.
"They have built through the year, there's no doubt," offensive coordinator
Kliff Kingsbury said Wednesday. "The first couple of games, the ball wasn't
coming to him as much as we would have liked, and we've had our ups and downs.
... Those two guys are just going to get better and better as they go. They're
two very conscientious players that are team-first guys and work really hard at
it."
Daniels and McLaurin are the first Washington QB-WR duo to be selected to the
Pro Bowl since Mark Rypien and Gary Clark in 1991. That was also the
franchise's most recent Super Bowl season.
This one started with very different, much lower expectations. The Commanders
were expected to win six or seven games and start the climb toward being a
contender.
Instead, they went 12-5 with the NFL's fifth-highest scoring offense and beat
Tampa Bay to set up another road challenge against the Lions, when McLaurin
said he needs to "be ready to make plays for Jayden." He has since September.
"Come game day, you don't really think about it," Daniels said. "You just put
the ball in the vicinity for Terry to go make a play, and nine times out of 10
he makes them."
What Daniels called "continuous growth" for him and McLaurin has not been
progress in a straight line, even beyond the early season bumps in the road
Kingsbury pointed out. Daniels has thrown the ball McLaurin's direction as many
as 10 times in a game down to as few as twice.
Even through those times, there was never tension between teammates at those
positions that can often fester in football. Nothing beyond two athletes at the
top of their sport wanting to maximize their performances.
"We're extremely competitive people," McLaurin said. "We really put a lot of
time and effort into our craft. Good is not good enough, and you're not just
happy being here. I think that is what we have in common. Even the great plays
we've had, we've still focused on the plays that we missed and the ways that we
could continue to get better."
On the field, coach Dan Quinn has consistently lauded Daniels' poise beyond his
24 years of age and limited professional experience --- something evidenced by
the Commanders winning their past five games in a row all on the final play
from scrimmage. He also credited McLaurin for the offense's immense success
down the field for the receiver's ability to read deep throws and get under the
ball at the perfect time.
"Obviously you have to have speed, but tracking a deep ball is one of the most
difficult things," Quinn said. "He's got a knack on a deep ball of tracking it
that not everybody has because to get some of the plays that he has to get
behind people."
That has not gone unnoticed among Lions coaches, and defensive coordinator
Aaron Glenn compared McLaurin to Detroit All-Pro wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown for
his all-around willingness to compete on every catch.
"He does a really good job on 50-50 balls, which you wouldn't think that he
would because of his stature, but he does a really good job of that," said
Glenn, who was a standout cornerback as a player. "He will block, he'll go
across the middle, he'll take hits, he'll get back up, get back to the huddle,
so he's a gamer. He's a gamer, so it doesn't surprise me the success he's
having."
Off the field, Daniels has learned from "the ultimate pro" McLaurin's film
study and workout routines and said the two have bonded over their faith and
had conversations about life that have helped them bond quickly.
McLaurin, after Washington cycled through 10 different quarterbacks in his
first five seasons said he's "fortunate to play with a young player who's
coming into the league and been so ready right off the bat where a lot of our
communication and conversations are more next level." The play has shown the
results of that.
"He makes my job a lot easier when I just know I have to put myself in position
to be open," McLaurin said. "He's going to put the ball right where it needs to
be."
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AP Sports Writer Larry Lage in Allen Park, Michigan, contributed.
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