The Washington Commanders are the talk of the sports world right now, reaching the NFC Championship game for the first time 33 years. This is a franchise that has suffered for a very long time, with failure after failure for coaches, general managers, and lots at quarterback. However, it seems as though the red sea has finally parted with the arrival of rookie QB Jayden Daniels, who has been a revelation for a team stuck in the mud.
The former LSU superstar was drafted No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, with the expectation that he would be the guy to turn the culture around in Washington. Not only has he achieved that goal in year one, but he has managed to bring the team all the way to the NFC Championship with his stellar play and cool demeanor. No matter what the situation has been, he never seems to be too flustered, and just goes out and plays his game. It is rare to find that kind of poise in a rookie at the professional level.
I don’t think anyone would have imagined he would be this good immediately, even for a No. 2 pick. Only a handful of times has a rookie led his team this far into the playoffs, most recently being Brock Purdy with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022.
However, no rookie signal-caller has ever managed to actually reach the Super Bowl, going 0-5 straight up in conference championship games. Can Daniels be the first one to reach the biggest game in America as a rookie?
Personally, I have my doubts. After beating the Detroit Lions last weekend, a majority of people think nothing can stop Washington from achieving their destiny, especially not Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles. In fact, over 60% of the total wagers are backing the Commanders to advance to the Super Bowl. While it is a fun concept to think of, to me, it feels like a very different task compared to what they have faced so far.
The Lions defense was a shell of itself in their last game, having sustained multiple key injuries. The Buccaneers ranked as one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL this season. Meanwhile, Philadelphia is the No. 1 ranked passing defense in the NFL. Not only that, but they also ranked No. 1 in yards per play, not allowing many explosive plays at all. They allowed the fewest total first downs of any team in football this year. So, there are many reasons to think this will be a much tougher task for Daniels than his previous two opponents.
Plus, Washington’s defense has been average at best in their two games. Let’s not forget, they were ripped by the Lions for a lot of points as well last week, but their offense was able to bail them out. The Commanders ranked just 30th in the league against the run, and now have to face Eagles superstar RB Saquon Barkley. He’s played them twice already this season, rushing for nearly 300 yards in those games, with four touchdowns.
With the public all over the underdog at +240 odds, I think they are undervaluing how good and talented this Philly team is. Daniels taking his team to the Super Bowl is a fun thing to think about, but to me, it feels like this is where the Cinderella run comes to an end for the rookie. Much like college basketball, the Cinderella team may make the Final Four or Elite Eight, but they rarely actually reach the championship. The Commanders have that same type of feeling to me, but we will see what happens.
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