Jayden Daniels threw the ball just three times in the second quarter during the Washington Commanders’ win over the New York Giants, which moved them to 7-2 on the season.

The rookie quarterback wasn’t bothered.

“Sometimes that’s the way it has to be,” Daniels said. “We’re adapting.”

It’s working out well so far, with Washington at its best nine-game hitting streak since 1996 thanks not only to Daniels, but a balanced offense and a defense that has improved drastically over the past two months. The Chiefs are one of five NFL teams with more rushing than passing, they lead the league with 15 rushing touchdowns and are second with 1,475 yards.

“Defending all 11 (players) because the quarterback has a factor in that and the plays that could be designed for option plays,” coach Dan Quinn said Monday. “You have to be able to defend quarterback runs.”

Daniels, even playing the last two weeks with sore ribs, was a big part of that. His 459 rushing yards trails only Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson among QBs.

But take the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner out of the equation, and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s commitment to the run is firm. The Chiefs have handed the ball off to a quarterback 196 times in nine games.

They piled up 149 yards on the ground Sunday to beat the Giants, even after starting running back Brian Robinson Jr. was a late scratch with a hamstring injury.

“That’s just the next man up mentality,” Daniels said of Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez Jr. leading in Robinson’s absence. “It doesn’t matter when. Our coaching staff does a tremendous job of instilling confidence in the players, whether you’re the starter or the practice squad guy. You never know when your number might be called.”

The same is true on defense, even after standout defensive tackle Jonathan Allen was lost for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Rookie Johnny Newton helped fill the void, with the Chiefs 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 we’re making, we’re going to make a really good team.”

what’s up

Washington consistently wins in turnover margin, with just three turnovers and eight turnovers. Dante Fowler forced Daniel Jones’ fumble Sunday, Wagner recovered it and the team hasn’t turned the ball over in four straight games.

Which needs help

Run defense remains an issue. The Chiefs have allowed the Giants to rush for 164 yards and are near the bottom of the league in that category, giving up 143 yards per game.

Quinn, in particular, has been troubled by the big gains his team is hitting for, such as DeAndre Swift’s 64-yard touchdown last week, when it took a Hail Mary to avoid blowing a lead late and lose to Chicago. Jones had seven carries for 54 yards on Sunday, and with several mobile quarterbacks in the program, it’s an area that could use some attention.

Supply

Chinn led the team with 12 tackles in New York in what Quinn called the best game of the season from the 26-year-old, who also showed some improvement in coverage.

“He worked really hard on the man-to-man side,” Quinn said. “Whether it’s pre-practice with (defensive backs coach) Tommy Donatell or after practice, you see the work he puts in at that spot.”

Stock down

Sophomore cornerback Emmanuel Forbes did not play a snap Sunday despite being active and in uniform. Quinn said it wasn’t by design and “just how the game played out,” but the 2023 first-round pick didn’t make the strides the organization had hoped for.

injury

Robinson’s hamstring has to catch up with him, even if the decision to sit him — like against the Ravens last month — was made out of an abundance of caution. He is the workhorse that makes the offense one of the best in the NFL, and his presence allows Ekeler to be used in change-of-pace situations.

Key number

7 — Back-to-back losses by teams that won the previous game with a touchdown at the end of regulation, a streak the Chiefs ended by beating the Giants.

Next steps

Get ready for a brutal schedule with home games against 6-2 Pittsburgh and 6-2 Philadelphia over a five-day span. Washington started as a 2 1/2-point favorite on the BetMGM Sportsbook against the Steelers, who are rested after the bye week.

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AP Sports Writer Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, New Jersey, contributed.