Jayden Daniels' clutch gene leads Commanders, ravaged fan base to playoffs

By / / Sports / 8 minutes of reading


LANDOVER, Md. — Zach Ertz rolled the dice signing with the Washington Commanders in the offseason.

They didn’t have a likely Week 1 starting quarterback on the roster when the veteran inked a one-year contract in March. What the organization had in bulk was the stink of a horrific reputation well earned for over two decades. Having entered the league during Barack Obama’s second term as president and spent much of his career in Philadelphia, Ertz was wise to the on- and off-field transgressions with the division rival down I-95.

“You heard things, rumblings here and there,” Ertz said Sunday night.

So did the NFL universe, along with countless non-football fans, thanks to late-night comics and sordid headlines. Oddsmakers and pundits reasonably projected another underwater campaign despite an ownership change, front-office and coaching staff shakeup, and a revamped roster. Then, the group assembled and bonded during offseason programs, various practice sessions and games. Any preconceived notion of a cursed franchise faded away.

“From the moment I got here, it felt like all those stories were not part of my experience,” Ertz said.

He’s one of the lucky ones. On Sunday night at Northwest Stadium, even those die-hards branded with doubt and derision for years counted their blessings. Atop the list, quarterback Jayden Daniels and a playoff berth that was deemed inconceivable before the season began.

Despite Washington trailing by 10 points following a lackluster first half, committing 13 penalties and blowing a seven-point lead with just over a minute remaining in regulation, Daniels did it again. What is “it”? To borrow from the title of a 2022 movie, “Everything Everywhere All At Once.” He capped his latest unreal performance with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Ertz on the opening drive of overtime for a 30-24 victory.

The play ensured Washington’s first playoff appearance since 2020. Atlanta kicker Riley Patterson missing a 56-yard field goal on the final play of regulation more than helped.

If the Commanders beat the Cowboys Sunday in Dallas, they will be the conference’s sixth seed and will travel to play either the NFC West champion Los Angeles Rams or NFC South representative, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Falcons. With a loss to Dallas and a Green Bay victory over the Chicago Bears in Week 18, the Commanders will meet the Eagles for a third time. Whatever happens, at least Washington and its rookie phenom are in the mix.

We shouldn’t reduce Daniels’ dynamism to what transpired in the team’s seventh home victory of the season when his year-long efforts count for much, much more.

The game-winning touchdown pass to Ertz guaranteed at least 11 wins for Washington for the first time since 1991, that the Commanders would be part of the postseason fun, and that the pair would live forever in Washington lore. They have ample company.

Managing partner Josh Harris established logical working parameters. General manager Adam Peters headed the roster redux. Head coach Dan Quinn and his staff set the tenor for this improbable season.

“Man, it’s an awesome feeling to be on the other side of things,” said special teams ace Jeremy Reaves, a part of the organization since 2018 and an engaged man moments after the final touchdown. “(Quinn) preaches all the time, ‘Winning moments, winning moments.’”

The owners and football leaders don’t work inside the white lines when the games start. Daniels does. Compile the fan base’s thoughts about that previous statement into a two-word comment, and you will get, “Thank goodness.”

Daniels dazzled with a career-high 127 rushing yards, often taking off because the offensive line struggled to keep a clean pocket — and little else clicked consistently. Despite being sacked five times, he completed 24 of 36 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns — two to Ertz — and one interception before a roaring crowd that for years booed or remained mute.

“Tough to tackle down the stretch,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said of Daniels. “That guy’s an absolute beast. He showed it today. He’s shown the clutch gene all year.”

It’s a cliché to say a player left it all out on the field. In this case, the cliché is a bullseye.

“I’m tired right now,” Daniels said postgame, “but I’m excited. I’m happy. The fan base waited for this for a long time.”

The wait seemed likely to continue at various points. Washington, bullied by the Falcons (8-8) on both sides of the line, trailed 17-7 at halftime. Atlanta ran over the Commanders’ defense for 101 yards in the first half. On first down, the Falcons averaged 6.3 yards on 11 carries, including the first of two 1-yard touchdowns by Bijan Robinson.

There were stressful fourth-down plays — Washington converted all three. Injuries to center Tyler Biadasz (ankle) and Cornelius Lucas (groin), who was at right tackle for the injured Andrew Wylie (groin), hampered the line play.

Daniels’ legs, arm and will to win fueled a rally, but Atlanta tied the game at 24 with 1:13 remaining in regulation on fellow rookie Michael Penix Jr.’s 13-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal to tight end Kyle Pitts.

After holding Washington without points for the first time in four second-half drives, Patterson, a participant in the Commanders’ training camp this summer, was short on the 56-yarder as the clock expired. Atlanta had the opportunity after cornerback Michael Davis, one of the picked-on replacements for the injured Marshon Lattimore, was flagged for pass interference against Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney with two seconds remaining.

Morris’ questionable decision to let the clock run inside the final minute rather than use a timeout led to the extra-long kick.

Whatever the circumstances — whether in practice or live action — this team doesn’t blink. Nobody is more steely-eyed than the 24-year-old Daniels.

“He’s the most mature rookie I’ve ever been around,” Ertz said.

go-deeper

GO DEEPER

A season’s worth of fights strengthened Commanders and led them to the playoffs

While Ertz triggered $750,000 in season-long performance bonuses, the record-keepers remained busy because of Daniels.

According to the NFL, he became the fifth rookie quarterback since 1950 with a 10-plus-point comeback in back-to-back starts. Daniels became the first quarterback in NFL history with at least two touchdowns, 200-plus passing yards and 65 or more rushing yards in three straight games, per Commanders PR. The achievements don’t stop there.

The thrilling rookie quarterback began soaring in a Week 2 comeback win over the New York Giants, with the offense scoring field goals on every drive. Zip past his professional breakout performance on “Monday Night Football” in Cincinnati, a bonkers game-winning Hail Mary touchdown over the Bears in Week 8, or last week’s crazy comeback over the division-winning Eagles. Everything led to Sunday’s magic.

Terry McLaurin caught six touchdown passes from Daniels over the previous four games. Thanks to good coverage by A.J. Terrell and tipped passes, the Falcons held McLaurin to one catch on seven targets. Washington’s running backs weren’t chain-movers much of the game. Wide receiver Dyami Brown was inactive. The Falcons’ defense had six tackles for loss along with the five sacks, causing havoc for Washington’s rookie left tackle Brandon Coleman, among others.

Regardless, Daniels found a way.

Olamide Zaccheaus became the go-to wideout. After scoring twice last week, Zaccheaus caught eight passes for 85 yards, highlighted by a 7-yard touchdown for the game’s first points. Daniels faked a handoff, ran left and then threw across his body for the score.

Washington’s first two possessions of the second half ended in touchdowns by Ertz and running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., curtailed Atlanta’s momentum and chewed up nearly 15 minutes of game clock. Washington maintained possession for nearly 42 minutes of the roughly 67-minute game.

The final toss to Ertz — “a trust throw,” the tight end said — required a fingertip catch. Daniels put the ball where his big target could make the play and “threw the ball about a thousand miles an hour,” Ertz joked.

Daniels’ 16 carries matched the Week 1 total at Tampa Bay when he was feeling out the NFL game. This time, the runs felt purposeful. It’s never a one-man show, but this felt like a college offense where the quarterback is the earth, moon and sun.

“I was trying to make plays and help the team the best I could to win this football game,” Daniels said. “Man, I just want to win.”

Teammates noticed and gushed about Daniels’ work ethic, poise and camaraderie from the jump.

Safety Quan Martin, who had an interception and repeatedly hammered Atlanta players as if they did him wrong in real life, said of Daniels, “He’s spectacular.”

Linebacker Bobby Wagner’s resume includes a Super Bowl title and numerous personal accolades. He knows the goods when he sees them.

“He’s a special player,” Wagner said of his football little brother. “There’s nobody like him.”

There’s been nothing like this team here for years. The stench of the past is gone, replaced by the smell of success and, on this night, love in the air.

Love for the soon-to-be-married Reaves, the fans of this 2024 squad and the organization from top to bottom.

Although this group has yet to surpass other iterations on the field, they believe this run isn’t over. The Commanders already possess great emotional wealth. The D.C.-area football family is back shining brightly because of ownership, team leaders, key additions, important holdovers and, perhaps most of all, Daniels doing it again.

What is it? For this fan base, everything, everywhere, all at once.

(Photo: Amber Searls / Imagn Images)





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About The Author

Fannie Hogan is a writer and editor who covers lifestyle, books, sports, education, and tech. She's always loved to write—from the time she was a little girl writing stories about talking animals to the day she got her first job as an editor at a lifestyle magazine. Her hobbies include long walks on the beach, running, and taking breaks from work to read a good book.

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