Jayden Daniels threw the ball just three times in the second quarter during the Washington Commanders' victory at the New York Giants that got them to 7-2 this season.
The rookie quarterback was unbothered.
“Sometimes that’s how it’s got to be,” Daniels said. “We adjust.”
It's working out swimmingly so far, with Washington off to its best record through nine games since 1996 thanks not only to Daniels, but a balanced offense and a defense that has improved drastically over the past two months. The Commanders are one of just five NFL teams with more runs than passes, they lead the league with 15 rushing touchdowns and rank second with 1,475 yards.
“Defending us is really all 11 (players), as the quarterback has a factor in this too on plays that could be designed option plays,” coach Dan Quinn said Monday. “You have to be able to defend the quarterback runs.”
Daniels, even playing the past two weeks with sore ribs, has been a big part of that. His 459 yards rushing trail only Baltimore's Lamar Jackson among QBs.
But take the heavy AP Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite out of the equation and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury's commitment to the run is steadfast. The Commanders have handed the ball to a running back 196 times through nine games.
They racked up 149 yards on the ground Sunday to beat the Giants, even after starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. was a late scratch because of a hamstring injury.
"That’s just the next man up mentality," Daniels said of Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. carrying the lead in Robinson's absence. "It doesn’t matter when. Our coaching staff does a tremendous job of bringing confidence into the players, no matter if you’re the starter or the practice squad guy. You never know when your number might get called."
Same goes on defense, even after standout defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Rookie Johnny Newton has helped fill the void, and the Commanders getting strong play from linebacker Bobby Wagner and safety Jeremy Chinn, in particular.
They now have the 14th-ranked defense after being 29th out of 32 teams three weeks into the season.
“Defensively, we can still be better,” Wagner said. “If we fix those mistakes that we make, we’ll make a really good team.”
Washington is consistently winning in turnover margin with just three giveaways and eight takeaways. Dante Fowler forced Daniel Jones' fumble Sunday, Wagner recovered it and the team has not turned the ball over in four consecutive games.
Defending against the run remains an issue. The Commanders allowed the Giants to rush for 164 yards and are near the bottom of the league in that category, giving up 143 a game.
Quinn in particular has been troubled by the big gains his team is getting gashed for, such as DeAndre Swift's 64-yard touchdown last week when it took a Hail Mary to avoid blowing a late lead and losing to Chicago. Jones had seven carries for 54 yards Sunday, and with more mobile quarterbacks on the schedule, it's an area that could use some attention.
Chinn led the team with 12 tackles at New York in what Quinn called the 26-year-old's best game of the season, which also showcased some improvement in coverage.
“He’s worked really hard on the man-to-man side of things,” Quinn said. “Whether that’s pre-practice with (defensive backs coach) Tommy Donatell or post practice, you see the work that he puts into that spot.”
Second-year cornerback Emmanuel Forbes did not play a single snap Sunday, despite being active and in uniform. Quinn said that was not by design and “just kind of how the game played out,” but the 2023 first-round pick has not made the strides forward the organization had hoped for.
Robinson's hamstring bears watching, even if the decision to sit him — such as against the Ravens last month — was made out of an abundance of caution. He's the workhorse back that makes the offense one of the NFL's best, and his presence allows Ekeler to be used in change-of-pace situations.
7 — Losses in a row by teams that won their previous game with a go-ahead touchdown at the end of regulation, a streak the Commanders ended by beating the Giants.
Brace for a brutal scheduling situation with games at home against 6-2 Pittsburgh and at 6-2 Philadelphia over a five-day span. Washington opened as a 2 1/2-point favorite on BetMGM Sportsbook against the Steelers, who are rested coming off their bye week.
AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, New Jersey, contributed.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (30) avoids a tackle by New York Giants safety Tyler Nubin (31) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson (84) pushes through the Washington Commanders defense on his way to a touchdown during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/John Munson)
Washington Commanders running back Austin Ekeler (30) carries the ball against New York Giants cornerback Adoree' Jackson (21) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Washington Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. (23) celebrates with tight end John Bates (87) after gaining a first down against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
SEATTLE (AP) — Unionized factory workers at Boeing were voting Monday whether to accept a contract offer or to extend their strike, which has lasted more than seven weeks and shut down production of most Boeing passenger planes.
A vote to ratify the contract on the eve of Election Day would clear the way for a major U.S. manufacturer and government contractor to resume airplane production. If members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers vote for a third time to reject Boeing's offer, it would plunge the aerospace giant into further financial peril and uncertainty.
In its latest proposed contract, Boeing is offering pay raises of 38% over four years plus ratification and productivity bonuses. IAM District 751, which represents Boeing workers in the Pacific Northwest, endorsed the proposal, which is slightly more generous than one the machinists voted down nearly two weeks ago.
Union officials said they achieved all they could though bargaining and the strike, and that if the current proposal is rejected, future offers from Boeing might be worse. They expect to announce the result of the vote late Monday.
Boeing says average annual pay for machinists is $75,608 and would rise to $119,309 in four years under the current offer.
Pensions were a key issue for workers who rejected the company's previous offers in September and October. In its new offer, Boeing did not meet their demand to restore a pension plan that was frozen nearly a decade ago.
If machinists ratify the contract now on the table, they would return to work by Nov. 12, according to the union.
The workers got their last paychecks in mid-September, a few days after the strike started, and are likely facing more pressure on their personal financial well-being.
Bernadeth Jimenez, who has worked in quality assurance at the Boeing plant in Everett, Washington, since 2022, said she voted “yes” on Monday after voting against previous company offers. She was satisfied with the proposed wage increases, and said she never expected a pension anyway — she's putting money her 401(k) plan.
“This (offer) is good, and I really want to go back to work,” she said. “This time we're ready.”
Theresa Pound isn't ready. The 16-year company veteran said she voted “no” just as she did on the two earlier offers that went to a vote.
“Adding 3% (to the previous offer) doesn’t change anything for my future. It still doesn’t solidify that when I retire I’m going to have a comfortable living, and that’s the bottom line," she said. “Instant gratification is not going to save me.”
Both Jimenez and Pound have husbands who also work at Boeing, and both couples anticipated the strike and worked overtime before it started. Still, money is getting tight.
“We're making it by the best we can," Pound said. "We're going to run out soon, but it’s not going to be a stopping point for me to say, ‘Well, I’m out of money. I need to go back.’ I’m going to find other ways to make it work.”
The strike began Sept. 13 with an overwhelming 94.6% rejection of Boeing's offer to raise pay by 25% over four years — far less than the union’s original demand for 40% wage increases over three years.
Machinists voted down another offer — 35% raises over four years, and still no revival of pensions — on Oct. 23, the same day that Boeing reported a third-quarter loss of more than $6 billion. However, the offer received 36% support, up from 5% for the mid-September proposal, making Boeing leaders believe they were close to a deal.
The contract rejections reflected bitterness that built up after union concessions and small pay increases over the past decade.
The new proposal that Boeing made last week offered slightly larger pay increases plus a $12,000 contract-ratification bonus, up from $7,000 in the previous offer, and larger company contributions to employees’ 401(k) retirement accounts.
Boeing also promises to build its next airline plane in the Seattle area. Union officials fear the company might withdraw the pledge if workers reject the new offer.
The strike drew the attention of the Biden administration. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su intervened in the talks several times, including last week.
The labor standoff — the first strike by Boeing machinists since an eight-week walkout in 2008 — is the latest setback in a volatile year for the company.
Boeing came under several federal investigations after a door plug blew off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Federal regulators put limits on Boeing airplane production that they said would last until they felt confident about manufacturing safety at the company.
The door-plug incident renewed concerns about the safety of the 737 Max. Two of the plane's crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The CEO whose effort to fix the company failed announced in March that he would step down. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving regulators who approved the 737 Max.
As the strike dragged on, new CEO Kelly Ortberg announced about 17,000 layoffs and a stock sale to prevent the company’s credit rating from being cut to junk status. S&P and Fitch Ratings said last week that the $24.3 billion in stock and other securities will cover upcoming debt payments and reduce the risk of a credit downgrade.
The strike has created a cash crunch by depriving Boeing of money it gets when delivering new planes to airlines. The walkout at Seattle-area factories stopped production of the 737 Max, Boeing’s best-selling plane, and the 777, or “triple-seven,” jet and the cargo-carrying version of its 767 plane.
Ortberg has conceded that trust in Boeing has declined, the company has too much debt, and “serious lapses in our performance” have disappointed many airline customers. But, he says, the company’s strengths include a backlog of airplane orders valued at a half-trillion dollars.
Koenig reported from Dallas.
From left, Boeing employees Vance Meyring, Josue Ramirez and Joseph Mellon work the picket line after union members voted to reject a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, outside Boeing facilities in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
A picket sign sits outside the Angel of the Winds Arena as striking Boeing employees gather to cast their votes, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
A worker holds a sign as Boeing employees vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at a voting location in the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Boeing employees on strike arrive to vote on a new contract offer from the company Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the Aerospace Machinists Union hall in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
A Boeing employee walks by a sign carved out of wood while arriving to vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Boeing employees on strike arrive to vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the Aerospace Machinists Union hall in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
A volunteer holds a vote to accept a new contract offer from Boeing, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
A Boeing employee looks at informational pamphlets before heading in to vote on a new contract offer from the company, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, at the Aerospace Machinists Union hall in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
