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TAMPA, Fla. – Whenever quarterback Jayden Daniels’ sensational season finally comes to an end, the Washington Commanders and their fans will have plenty to look back on fondly.
Unfortunately for the rest of the NFL, the curtain has not yet fallen.
In the NFC playoffs on Sunday night, Daniels shined once again in Washington’s 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – the Commanders’ first playoff victory since 2006.
Displaying his rare combination of talent and grit that breathed new life into Washington and its once-disheartened fans, Daniels moved the team methodically in 10 plays covering 51 yards late in the fourth quarter. Place kicker Zane Gonzalez punctuated the victory with a 37-yard field goal as time expired, although the Commanders and their fans at Raymond James Stadium froze momentarily when the ball hit the inside of the goal post straight before landing on top of the crossbar.
On the climactic drive, Daniels made key plays both passing and running (with just 55 seconds left on the game clock, he gained four yards on a designed run on third-and-2 to set up the scoring drive). winning foot) to lead the match. Commanders in the divisional round. The top-seeded Detroit Lions will host sixth-seeded Washington on Saturday.
After a raucous celebration behind closed doors in the visitors’ locker room, the commanders were united in their view of who played the biggest role in ending their long winter.
“That’s what he’s done all season,” All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin said of Daniels. “Seeing Jayden continue to make us make the right decisions, execute what (offensive player Kliff Kingsbury) calls, showing composure, I mean, just taking complete control of the game, complete control of the group …I’m lucky. play with him and see how much he has grown this year. That’s who he is. He was gifted with incredible ability. But his ability to be ready for every moment that comes his way is definitely special. »
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For good reason, commanders expect late-game exploits from Daniels. He’s had so many standout moments in what will likely result in his selection as the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year that it’s hard to rank them.
Surely, most Commanders fans would point out Daniels’ 52-yard desperation pass to Noah Brown as time expired in an 18-15 Week 8 win over the visiting Chicago Bears. Then again, in Week 17, Daniels was a wizard down the stretch in a 30-24 overtime victory against the visiting Atlanta Falcons.
Of course, the NFL playoffs are very different from the regular season. Not everyone is built to handle pressure, especially those in the most important position in sports. Daniels’ regular season performance, however, provided some clues as to what the Commanders could expect from him on the biggest stages.
Overall, it did not disappoint.
Returning to the stadium where he made his career debut in Week 1 (the Commanders lost 37-20), Daniels completed 24 passes in 35 attempts for 268 passing yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He had an outstanding passer rating of 110.2 and also led the Commanders with 36 rushing yards.
After the Buccaneers tied the score at 20 on a field goal, the Commanders got the ball back at their 30-yard line with 4:41 left in the fourth.
“Nothing needed to be said,” said McLaurin, who led the team with seven receptions for 89 receiving yards and teamed with Daniels on a 5-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter to help Washington to take a 20-17 lead.
“We looked each other in the eye and said, ‘They’re not getting the ball.’ You know what I mean? Like, we end up with the ball in our hands and it’s our turn.
On third-and-6 from the 34-yard line early in the drive, Daniels connected with Brown for 21 yards on a deep pass over the middle. His third down later in the drive was clutch.
“Kliff called my number” on the scheduled run on third down, Daniels said. “Basically, before (this play), I told him, ‘Hey. You can put the ball in my hands. »
You know what you call leaning on Daniels? Great supervision.
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Commanders left guard Nick Allegretti and right tackle Andrew Wylie have seen this kind of thing before. Before joining the Commanders, they won the Super Bowl while blocking another quarterback with potential – Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs.
“To make a comparison to Pat…that’s something you almost don’t want to do yet,” Allegretti said. “He’s different.
“However, you look at Jay in the fourth quarter, when the game is on the line, (or) on fourth down… there’s just a playmaking ability (only some) quarterbacks have. He gives you that confidence that if you do your job, if you just give him time (to pass) or if you give him the lanes he needs (to run), he’s going to play. And it’s great.
Wylie is in sync with Allegretti.
“In winning moments, you can look at guys like that and see that they are 100 percent determined to win no matter what,” Wylie said. “Jayden has that dog in him. He has that killer mentality that I’ve seen before.
The commanders watch a young, formidable quarterback at work. In his first season, he’s already among the best in the game. And for a franchise that has wandered aimlessly in the wilderness for decades, oh what a sight to behold.
