It’s a Like v. Like weekend. The Broncos and Chargers meet; they have the two stingiest defenses. The Ravens host the Commanders, with the two highest-scoring offenses. And Lamar Jackson and Jayden Daniels are the headliners.
Jackson and Daniels are leading those offenses, and they’re unusual quarterbacks, with enough athleticism that they could have played other positions. Both are good passer, but it’s their rushing ability that turns them into difference makers.
Both have the speed to take off on game-changing runs, and both aren’t shy about using it. (I’ve seen them both take unnecessary hits that has me worried about their chances of playing in all 17 games.) Nonetheless, it’s fun while it lasts. Jackson thus far is averaging 72 rushing yards per game. Daniels is averaging 60, and with 4 TDs.
In league history, only 10 quarterbacks have run for at least 300 yards in the first five weeks of an NFL season. Here, for the first time, we’ve got two of them going head-to-head.
Get your popcorn ready.
QUARTERBACK RUSHING, FIRST FIVE GAMES | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Player | Att | Yards | Avg | TD |
1972 | Bobby Douglass, Chi. | 51 | 409 | 8.0 | 3 |
2006 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 46 | 401 | 8.7 | 2 |
2022 | Lamar Jackson, Bal. | 49 | 374 | 7.6 | 2 |
1961 | Billy Kilmer, S.F. | 60 | 371 | 6.2 | 8 |
2024 | Lamar Jackson, Bal. | 53 | 363 | 6.8 | 2 |
2021 | Lamar Jackson, Bal. | 56 | 341 | 6.1 | 2 |
2011 | Michael Vick, Phil. | 38 | 318 | 8.4 | 0 |
2019 | Lamar Jackson, Bal. | 50 | 308 | 6.2 | 1 |
2013 | Michael Vick, Phil. | 33 | 307 | 9.3 | 2 |
2024 | Jayden Daniels, Was. | 57 | 300 | 5.3 | 4 |
2020 | Kyler Murray, Ari. | 41 | 296 | 7.2 | 5 |
2022 | Jalen Hurts, Phil. | 68 | 266 | 3.9 | 6 |
2023 | Lamar Jackson, Bal. | 47 | 265 | 5.6 | 4 |
2021 | Jalen Hurts, Phil. | 43 | 256 | 6.0 | 3 |
2004 | Michael Vick, Atl. | 38 | 251 | 6.6 | 0 |
1990 | Randall Cunningham, Phil. | 44 | 251 | 5.7 | 2 |
Statistics compiled using search tools at Pro-Football-Reference.com
—Ian Allan