The NFL is full of unexpected, surprise storylines, and CBS Sports' spotlight game of Week 8 featuring the 4-2 Chicago Bears visiting the 5-2 Washington Commanders is a perfect illustration of that.
CBS Sports lead play-by-play voice Jim Nantz was originally scheduled to call the Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) in Week 8, but with the first two picks of the 2024 NFL Draft -- Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels -- lifting their respective squads to unexpected, early heights, their matchup was flexed into being the jewel of the Sunday afternoon slate.
"This was one that at the beginning of the season, it was never on CBS' radar for us to have this as our primary game," Nantz said Thursday regarding the Chicago-Washington game. "We were supposed to be in Cincinnati for a game that the league gave us called a cross-flex game with Philadelphia at Cincinnati, but the records just weren't there. Now all of a sudden there was all this excitement, interest and buzz about the Bears and Washington, and here we are. It suddenly falls all the way to the top to the national game at 4:25 [p.m. ET]."
Coming out of hibernation
When two teams are both picking quarterbacks at the top of the draft, it's an indication they may have a long ways to go to playing a consistent, winning brand of football. That hasn't been the case for the Bears, who chose Williams first overall out of USC and the Commanders, who chose Daniels second overall out of LSU.
Williams is the first quarterback selected first overall to have a winning record through his first six career starts since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger. After a slow start statistically (no touchdown passes and two interceptions in his first two games), Williams has found his groove, throwing nine touchdowns (tied for the fifth most since Week 3) to three interceptions while completing 70% of his passes (the fifth-best completion percentage since Week 3).
A huge factor in his growth has been against the blitz. He completed just 47% of his throws against additional pressure in his first three games, but across the last three Williams registered an 81% completion rate against the blitz. Veteran Pro Bowl receiver Keenan Allen's return from injury has also galvanized the Chicago offense: the Bears average 6.4 yards per play with wide receivers D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze and Allen all on the field, versus 3.7 yards per play when any of them is on the sidelines.
"I watched all of the 'Hard Knocks' shows in August and watched all the behind-the-scenes chatter with the team and trying to get him [Williams] up to speed and watching him mature and grow. Statistically, the numbers weren't great the first couple of weeks, but they're sure certainly good now. ... The Bears are 4-2 and when the Chicago Bears have it going as they do right now, the NFL takes some kind of a different persona and personality when the Bears are good, they're such a key market. There are so many Chicago fans all over the country that when they're good, there's a buzz about the season. ... When you talk about the Bears, you can't help but look at that fleet of receivers they have with Rome [Odunze] and Keenan [Allen] and DJ [Moore]."
Sunday will mark the first game of Williams' career that Nantz has broadcast, but it will likely be the second game of Daniels' career, provided he plays through a rib injury suffered in Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers. Nantz is blown away by Daniels -- both the person and the player.
"I had a chance along with Tony [Romo] and Tracy [Wolfson], we got a chance to meet with Jayden in the production meeting. He is, man, I'm telling you he is one impressive young man, who it just feels like he's way beyond his years," Nantz said. "Then to see it in person, see what he brings to the field physically, there's incredible precision with his throwing."
It's Daniels' intangibles that has Nantz believing the rookie will keep the Commanders in contention for over a decade on down the line.
"He's over 75% [75.6% in pass completions] on the season, and a lot of these throws are with pressure, with players draped all over him or in his face, and he's able to make those tight throws into tight windows, take the hit and punishment," Nantz said. "Now, I know that of course led to the rib injury last week against Carolina, but super impressed by him, and Washington football is back. They hit on it. Everything hit at the right time. A great new coach in Dan Quinn, new ownership, new quarterback. We're going to be talking about the Commanders. They've been in a slumber for 20 years, and now they're going to be a team to watch for years to come."
Nantz knew Daniels was special after watching his game-winning 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Terry McLaurin in the back right corner of the end zone against the Bengals to secure a 38-33 road win in Joe Burrow's house in Week 3.
"I'll never forget that pass he had against Cincinnati on a Monday night game," Nantz said. "That's when the whole world, kind of the NFL world, woke up and said, 'Oh my gosh, they just beat the Bengals in Cincinnati!' This kid had to keep answering back in the fourth quarter with players all over him about to sack him. He hung in there in the pocket and made these throws when he hit McLaurin on the game winner. He's amazing. I have to say, I know I'm extolling a lot here for a guy that's only played seven games, but there's no question that these two players have big-time futures."
How Daniels stacks up among other great rookie quarterbacks
Daniels is the only quarterback in NFL history with a completion percentage of at least 75% (75.6%), 200 or more passing yards per game (201.4) and 50 or more rushing yards per game (53.1) in any seven-game span. His seven-game stretch lines up as his first seven career games. Daniels' 75.6% completion percentage leads the league through seven weeks in 2024, and if he ends the year as the season leader, he will be the first rookie to lead the league in completion percentage since the AFL/NFL merger. Daniels' 75.6% completion percentage is also the second highest in a player's first seven games all time, minimum 150 pass attempts, and behind only Drew Brees' 77.4% rate in 2018.
That production has equated to Washington averaging 31.1 points per game, tied for the most in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens. No team has finished with a top-two scoring offense since the 1970 merger with a rookie quarterback starting at least half of their games. Three rookie quarterbacks -- 2016 Dak Prescott, 2012 Robert Griffin III and 2011 Cam Newton -- have led top-five scoring offenses, but none of them led top-two attacks like Daniels.
"Well, I think his start, and I'm not measuring what the other players did with ... RG3 unfortunately got hurt. His career got cut short. But I think he [Daniels] is more electrifying through seven weeks. We're making a comparison for seven weeks, which is a very difficult thing to do," Nantz said. "I don't remember Cam's rookie year being all that great, but I remember his NFL MVP season of 2015. I'm not shorting him at all, but I think Jayden has exploded on the scene more than all of them. What was it Teddy Roosevelt said? That comparison is the thief of joy. So I don't want to take any of the joy out of what any of these players accomplished. They obviously accomplished a lot, but on an isolated case just on Jayden alone, I'm blown away by what I've seen."
| Top-Five Scoring Offense With Rookie Starting QB | QB | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
2016 Cowboys | Dak Prescott | 5th |
2012 Washington | Robert Griffin III | 4th |
2011 Panthers | Cam Newton | T-5th |
* 2024 Commanders are averaging 31.1 PPG with Daniels, tied for 1st in NFL with Baltimore Ravens
The question remains whether Daniels can sustain his level while weighing 210 pounds, a slighter frame for a 6-foot-4 quarterback who has a propensity to scramble. He suffered a rib injury that knocked him out of the Commanders' Week 7 victory against the Carolina Panthers.
"We always use Josh Allen [6-5, 237 pounds] as the [quarterback] body that can withstand a lot of pounding. I do, I really do," Nantz said when asked if he thinks Daniels can have a lasting career playing the way he does. "If he doesn't miss this game this week, we're going to move on past that discussion about the rib injury. They're exposed to a lot of contact, both of these quarterbacks. That's part of, unfortunately, life in the NFL is how you fall, how you absorb a hit and how you're able to bounce back up again."
More similarities than differences
"Well, I think stylistically, there's a lot more that is similar instead of how they're different," Nantz said of the two rookie quarterbacks. "They both can move around. They both have great arms. They both can improvise. They both can extend plays. They both can buy time to make a pass play happen. I'm just very excited about this matchup."
With Nantz's daughter being a USC alum, he's kept an eye on Williams' development for years well before he popped up on the NFL radar.
"I have no doubt he's going to be a star in this league."
Nantz said the same about Daniels after meeting him prior to calling his Week 6 matchup against Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens.
"After seeing Jayden two weeks ago ... after meeting with Jayden, there's no doubt in mind," Nantz said. "Same thing. He's going to be a star in this league. So fascinating to see the future come together Week 8 of their rookie years. See two franchises that have been kind of down, particularly Washington, suddenly revived and brought back to life. You know it's just the start of a run as long as they're healthy, a run for a long, long time with these franchises being significant again."
Lighting up the scoreboard
When these two quarterbacks take the field on Sunday afternoon -- if Daniels gets cleared to play -- Nantz wouldn't be surprised to see another duel similar to the 30-23 showdown he called in Week 6 between Jackson and Daniels in which Baltimore escaped with a seven-point victory.
"That [game] had a lot of juice to it," Nantz said. I think this one will too. ... I'm just very excited because these two teams, these two quarterbacks represent the future."