Maurice Jones-Drew played in the NFL for nine years, rushing for over 8,000 yards and 68 touchdowns. He once led the league in rushing and was a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler.
These days, Jones-Drew is an analyst on the NFL Network and, each week, ranks NFL running backs in his “RB Index.”
Ahead of Week 6, Jones-Drew ranked the top five NFL rushing duos. MJD didn’t necessarily mean a team’s top two running backs, but it could also be the quarterback and top running back.
No surprise, Jones-Drew ranked Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry at No. 1. The Ravens have the NFL’s No. 1 rushing offense, averaging over 200 yards rushing per game.
Jayden Daniels and Brian Robinson Jr. of the Washington Commanders were also ranked in the top five, at No. 4.
Like Jackson and Henry in Baltimore, Daniels and Robinson make up a devastating lightning-and-thunder duo, with the young quarterback shiftily weaving his way through open space and the 6-foot-1, 228-pound back punishing defenders when running between the tackles and at the second level. Thanks to this pair, along with contributions from Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols, the Commanders boast the league’s second-best rushing offense (178.4 yards per game) and have scored the most rushing touchdowns (13, four more than any other team) through five weeks. Daniels and Robinson have combined for nine of those scores. This team has rushed for more than 200 yards in three games, though Washington faces its biggest test yet this Sunday at Baltimore, which boasts the league’s best run defense (60.4 yards per game).
Daniels has been the key to this entire operation. We knew the reigning Heisman Trophy winner had that dual-threat ability coming into the league, but I don’t think anyone expected to see him absolutely torching defenses with his arm (ranking top five in several throwing categories) and legs this early in his career. Daniels is simply electric, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury knows it. The rookie has executed the third-most designed runs (20) among quarterbacks this season, behind only Jackson (30) and Pittsburgh’s Justin Fields (22), per Next Gen Stats. He has been OK on those plays, but he’s most efficient in scramble situations, amassing a league-high 244 yards and a touchdown on 32 attempts (7.6 yards per carry). That ability to evade pressure in the pocket and pick up big gains on the ground is what has taken this rushing attack to the next level. Daniels’ 300 rushing yards is the most by a quarterback in his first five games since 1950 — breaking the record set by former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III (241) in 2012.
The Commanders face MJD’s top duo on Sunday. Currently, Baltimore ranks No. 1 in rushing offense, with Washington right behind at No. 2. Can the Commanders slow down Jackson and Henry enough to allow Daniels and Robinson to put up big numbers on the ground?
