ALLEN PARK, Mich. – How tough is it to sack Jayden Daniels?
Za’Darius Smith knows. The veteran defensive end, acquired by the Detroit Lions in a midseason trade, has already been down that road this season. Smith got a full dose of the elusive Washington Commanders rookie in Week 5 while with the Cleveland Browns.
“Ever seen a chicken in a chicken coop? That’s what it’s like,” Smith reflected on Wednesday. “I got him once, but I missed him twice.”
Now looms another shot, with Detroit’s ability to contain Daniels a key subplot for the NFC divisional playoff game on Saturday night (8 p.m. ET, Fox) at Ford Field.
Daniels rushed for 891 yards during the regular season, second-most to Lamar Jackson (915) among NFL quarterbacks while setting a rookie record for passers. And his 4-yard scramble in the final seconds at Tampa Bay on Sunday night, when he avoided a sack and dashed around right end, set up the game-winning field goal.
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No, it won’t be an easy task for Smith, 32, who has nine sacks on the season. In his 10th NFL season, he’s the most experienced member of the Lions defense. Which also qualifies him to serve up testimony about chasing an increasing number of mobile quarterbacks, such as the 24-year-old Daniels.
“The older I get, the younger the quarterbacks get,” he said with a grin.