It has been a euphoric season for Washington Commanders fans in 2024. They just won their first NFL Playoff game since the 2005-06 season, a 23-20 last second win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Interestingly enough, they also beat the Buccaneers in that previous playoff win 17-10 in Tampa, when QB Mark Brunell was running the show. For 19 years, those were the last memories that Washington fans had of winning in the playoffs. Many things have changed since then, but nothing has been more crucial to the franchise turnaround than rookie signal-caller Jayden Daniels out of LSU.
As you probably already know if you are reading this, Daniels has been a revelation for Washington this season. What he has done has defied all expectations, as new quarterbacks usually have some challenges in their first year. All Daniels did was come in and throw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, while also throwing only nine interceptions all year. He was 4th in total QBR, behind only superstars Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. I can’t even begin to explain how impressive that is for a rookie.
Most importantly though, he led his franchise to the playoffs and won a football game, which is something I think some fans thought might never happen again. In that game with the Buccaneers, it took a herculean effort from Daniels to get the win, and a little luck on the field goal as well. He actually set multiple records in the game, a testament to how valuable he is to the franchise.
He became the first rookie QB in NFL history to lead his team in both passing and rushing yards in a playoff win. He threw for 268 yards and ran for 36 more, but it was his two touchdown passes that helped the team advance to the Divisional Round against the Detroit Lions this weekend. Not since legendary Hall of Fame QB Sammy Baugh in 1937 has a rookie thrown for 2+ touchdowns in a playoff victory, per the Accociated Press. Of course, I doubt that Daniels even cares about his record-breaking performance, and cared much more about getting that W for a fanbase that so desperately needed it.
Now, he will face the Lions in what should be an epic game to decide who will play in the NFC Championship Game against either the Los Angeles Rams or Philadelphia Eagles. Daniels is going to almost certainly have to have another career performance if he wants his team to beat another as incredibly good as the 14-3 Lions at Ford Field.
Detroit is nearly unstoppable on offense, but their defense does have its holes. The Lions ranked 30th in passing yards given up, and have been vulnerable to explosive plays as well, ranking 27th in yards per play. We’ll see if the rookie can exploit these holes and pull off what would be one of the biggest upsets we have seen in many years.
One thing is for sure, however. Washington, after so many years of pain, has finally found a franchise quarterback to build around. The Jets, Bears, Browns, and many other teams can only watch, wait, and hope for their turn.
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