C.J. Stroud was the best rookie quarterback in the NFL last season. But when he came to Baltimore, it didn't turn out well for him.
The Ravens handed Stroud two losses last year, one in his first game as a pro and another in the playoffs.
Those welcome-to-the-NFL moments, especially from linebacker Roquan Smith, stuck with him. He said the hardest he got hit all year was versus Baltimore.
The Ravens will face another rookie quarterback, the Washington Commanders' Jayden Daniels, Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Daniels, like Stroud, was the No. 2-overall pick. Daniels, like Stroud, is doing excellent things in his rookie season. Daniels, like Stroud, will have a tough challenge.
The Ravens have a 26-7 record, including three playoff wins, against rookie quarterbacks during the Head Coach John Harbaugh era (since 2008). In the last nine games started by rookie quarterbacks, they have combined for just one touchdown.
Since 2018, Baltimore is 18-2 against rookie quarterbacks at M&T Bank Stadium. The two losses were to the Bears' Mitch Trubisky (2017) and Steelers' Kenny Pickett (2022).
There are several primary reasons for the Ravens' success in rookie matchups. Big picture, the Ravens have just been a good team during the Harbaugh era. They've beaten a lot of quarterbacks, rookie or otherwise. M&T Bank Stadium's atmosphere and crowd noise is also particularly tough on a rookie. Smith pointed to the Ravens' diverse schemes, which make diagnosing what's happening a chore for a rookie that hasn't seen a lot of NFL football.
"We give things that a lot of teams don't really give throughout the league in the sense of our disguises, coverages, and just the way we play the game of football," Smith said. "It will definitely be something new. He definitely hasn't seen a defense like ours this season."
Another factor, which Smith alluded to with "the way we play the game of football," is the Ravens' physicality and attitude. There's an attitude about welcoming rookies into The Bank.
Smith trashed talked Stroud last season, telling him during his first pro start that "this [crap] ain't college anymore!" During the playoffs, he and Stroud had a little trash-talking exchange as Smith chased him to the sideline.
Daniels deserved props for the start he's had to the season, leading the Commanders to four straight wins, the top spot in scoring (31 points per game), and leading the NFL in completion percentage (77.1). Those aren't typical rookie numbers.
"[Daniels] creates problems in different kinds of ways," Harbaugh said. "He can throw it – he's throwing the ball downfield at a very efficient rate. He's hitting all of the quick-out throws, [and] the RPO throws and the quick-game throws very effectively – he gets the ball out fast on those throws. And then, if it's not there, he's creating plays on the run with his legs. He's not just running, which he is running, but he's also throwing on the run and making plays that way. He's doing it in all those different ways."
But Smith isn't in the business of giving any quarterback a bouquet of flowers – particularly a rookie.
"Got a lot of respect for this rookie, Jayden, and what he's done thus far this season," Smith said. "But, hey, it's the NFL. We're looking forward to it. At the end of the day, he's still a rookie."
Harbaugh, Smith, and other Ravens defenders said they're impressed with how the Commanders have built their offense around Daniels' unique dual-threat skillset and that he's executing at a "high, high level."
Defenders also said defending Lamar Jackson in practice day in and day out will help some with knowing how to defend Daniels. The run-pass options are similar, as is their ability to attack down the field with their arm and extend plays to throw.
"But there's only one Lamar at the end of the day," Smith said. "Make no mistake about that."
Baltimore's defense, which ranks first in the league against the run but second-to-last against the pass, will look to slow down Washington's rushing attack first, which trails only the Ravens in rushing yards per game (178.4). At the same time, Baltimore can't afford to let Daniels, who has been very accurate on his deep passes, hit it with bombs over the top to Terry McLaurin or Dyami Brown.
"[Daniels] is a great player," defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike said. "[He] has a lot of hardware from college. [He's] a great athlete playing really good ball, so it's going to be a great challenge for us, for sure."
The Ravens faced a Washington rookie quarterback in 2012 in FedEx Field. Robert Griffin III was also a No. 2-overall pick, like Daniels, who had D.C. buzzing with a strong start to the season. His day ended, however, with a sprained knee after a big hit from Haloti Ngata. Another rookie, Kirk Cousins, relieved Griffin and led Washington to a comeback 31-28 win in overtime.
After giving up 38 points last week in Cincinnati, the Ravens defense is hungry to prove it's better than it showed. And it just so happens that a rookie is next up.
"We're excited about the challenge knowing they have a really good offense and have been playing some good ball this season," Smith said. "But we're looking forward to the opportunity knowing how good we are when we're on the same page. We have to be at our best, and when we're at our best, we're a [darn] hard defense to move the ball on."
