Washington’s commanders should not have been here. Not now, not yet. But with their all-conquering franchise quarterback in place and thriving, they’re one win away from one of the most improbable Super Bowl performances.
The bar was low, as low as it gets in the NFL.. The first order of business was simply to escape the grim and bleak realities of Dan Snyder’s reign as Washington continued to ease their way into a new era of ownership under Josh Harris, desperate to rebuild and rebuild.
They could achieve both in just one year, with Dan Quinn successfully betting on himself to orchestrate a cultural transformation as a bold candidate willing to face the challenges ahead in Washington, and Jaden Daniels crafting one of the greatest rookie seasons, if not the greatest, in the NFL , by a quarterback in history, setting the stage for not only a current, but a new chapter in controversy.
Washington entered the postseason without winning a playoff game since the 2005 season, when they eventually lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round. They made the playoffs just six times in 24 years under Snyder’s ownership, which was finally sold in 2023 after allegations of sexual harassment against employees and creating a toxic workplace.
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Highlights of Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions in Divisional Round of NFL Playoffs
The Chiefs finished 24th in offense and dead in 2023, firing head coach Ron Rivera and continuing to suffer in their long-term defensive purgatory way among the wealthiest was a low floor and a “can’t get any worse” notion of life in Maryland, where the only way is possibly up.
They acquired Quinn after a resurgence in his coaching career in Dallas and used the No. 2 pick in the draft on Heisman Trophy winner Daniels. taking them out, and splitting their contributions between a fun ensemble of unvoiced merchandise and veteran additions.
On Wild Card weekend, they held off Baker Mayfield and a high-flying Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense thanks to a last-second field goal by Zane Gonzalez. beat Ben Johnson and Jared Goff to eliminate Detroit The circulation of the lions also plays a decisive role at night.
Daniels’ dominance has accompanied Kingsbury’s redemption at Washington’s core. was ordered to Thailand for a break from football before 2023 Caleb Williams running back at USC and eventually returning to the NFL to join Quinn’s staff and lead one of the league’s best offenses.
Now, I’m not sure how many of you are fans of The Hangover II, but there’s a scene where Alan meditates in the Ching Mei Monastery in Bangkok, leading him to the next clue in his search for his missing friend Teddy.I really like Kingsbury a character who follows suit, humming his way to find the answer to the offensive reinvention and repair.Spoiler: he found
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Washington Commanders Jaden Daniels hits a Hail Mary on Noah Brown to seal the win over the Chicago Bears.
In Saturday night’s 45-31 win over the Lions, he had answer after answer, most notably his decision to complete a 20-yard corner route to tight end John Bates on third-and-five, keeping the engine rolling and an all-ice game four minutes to play. No Terry McLaurin, no Zach Ertz, no Austin Ekeler, no Dyami Brown, no Olamide Zacchaeus. John Bates, who had just eight catches in the regular season.
Interesting fact: A quick Google search for John Bates and the first image that pops up is a figure from Center Abbey. Kingsbury, by the way, is still being paid by the Cardinals.
“Ohhh,” exclaimed a nearly grimacing Tom Brady at the sight of the gap emerging in the Lions’ defense as Dayami Brown broke free from a scissor concept, Kingsbury lined up with 12 personnel and both ends in the backfield as a decoy chip blocker before going flat and cutting Detroit’s stinging second level in turn : Then came a dose of fake outside, as Kingsbury used pulling guards to run a screen play in the formation and McLaurin did the rest on his 58-yard touchdown catch-and-run. There was also aggression to counter Aaron Glenn’s blitz with a 38-yard shot to Brown on a deep route. Daniels made a dram and his receiver made an equally stunning catch to set it up Ertz’s five-yard touchdown was how Kingsbury was for most of the game.
The story, though, is Daniels, the slickest forward on the block, immune to panic as he glides through his progressions, rules the pocket, punches the league’s best teams and slaloms as the ultimate killer off the ice.
He’s the reason New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen insists on seeing the videos of his son instructing him to try to get Daniels on an episode of Hard Knocks , and why the Chicago Bears were desperate to hire Lions offensive lineman Ben Johnson as their new head coach.
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Highlights of the Washington Commanders NFL Wild Card weekend vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Daniels immediately signaled his NFL bow, winning Offensive Rookie of the Month in September after posting the highest completion percentage in league history through four games.
In Week 8, he broke the Internet and the Bears when he went back and forth for 12.79 seconds, long enough to send Chicago’s downfield coverage into a frenzy before a Hail Mary pass caught by Noah Brown because of Tyreek Stevenson’s naivety. In Week 16, he laughed and joked with Jaylen Carter after the Eagles defensive tackle dived to catch the ball as Daniels fumbled it to stop the clock with 11 seconds left, and five seconds later he put his feet in the pocket as the ball.The seasoned veteran would give Jameson Crowder a 36-33 win over Washington. over their NFC East rivals.
Daniels set rookie records for both completion percentage and quarterback rushing as he finished the regular season 331 for 480 for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns to just nine interceptions, along with 891 rushing yards and 6 scores on 148 carries first rookie to post 300-plus rushing yards in multiples in playoff games and the first with a passer rating of 100 or more in multiple playoff games.
“He’s a young quarterback with a birth certificate, not a ribbon,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said this week.
“You know, the guy’s playing extremely well. You can tell how well they think he’s playing by the amount of offense and the things they trust him to do.”
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Washington Commanders Jaden Daniels finds Jamison Crowder in the end zone for a late game win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The rookie hurdles were inevitable, and when they came, he matched them. 16th through Week 12 after a three-game losing streak to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Eagles and against the Cowboys, ultimately giving Philly control of the division in the process.
Daniels didn’t blink. And with Kingsbury reeling from the collapse, earlier criticism of him being too focused on his scheme has worn off. Although the run game has dried up a bit, the Commanders have responded by ranking eighth in EPA/play and sixth in success rate in Weeks 13-18. : The disaster was averted.
“That’s what happens in the NFL these days. Once you get to the middle point, teams are going to catch on a little bit, and you’re not a surprise to anybody,” Andrew Wiley said during their midseason slump we have towards the staff and the players. We will continue to collect and achieve it.”
Behind Daniels, they finished the campaign ranked seventh in total yards, 17th in passing, third in rushing and fifth in scoring, while also ranking fourth in third down efficiency and fourth in total EPA/game.
Ertz insisted they wouldn’t hit the “panic button.” Daniels never does. Right now, no quarterback is playing better football than him.
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Highlights from the Los Angeles Rams’ clash with the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs.
On defense, Quinn has produced everywhere, minus the presence of a stud name. Noah Igbinogen saved his career as a cornerback when he couldn’t fill a spot in Miami, linebacker Bobby Wagner continues to put up elite numbers at age 34, and Dante Fowler Jr. just led the team. in the second best position with 10.5 removals. nearly 10 years after his career season was drafted, Frankie Luwu emerged as a focal point was used as a run defender, pass rusher and in coverage en route to a career-best 8.5 sacks and first playoff appearance in his seventh season.
Behind the resilience, behind their two playoff wins so far, an unpredictable campaign and a big roster of contributors is an accountable, personable and unified locker room formed by Quinn and his staff. It’s been Washington since 1991 with a first 12-win campaign, playoff victories over top-5 offenses in Tampa and Detroit, and now the NFC against a familiar foe in the league in Philly, for which a No. 1-ranked defense and a Saquon Barkley-inspired offense await.
Between them, Quinn and Daniels made the story laughable. Together, they could have won this whole thing.
What’s next?
Sunday January 26th is the NFL Conference Championship live Sky Sports NFL – with the Philadelphia Eagles first hosting the Washington Chiefs in the NFC title game at 8 p.m., then the Chiefs hosting the Bills at 11:30 p.m.
Super Bowl LIX will take place on Sunday, February 9 at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. live on Sky Sports NFL.
