In a season of newfound hope and long-awaited revival, the Washington Commanders have officially turned the page on over three decades of disappointment. With a resounding 45-31 victory over the Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round, the Commanders punched their ticket to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season.
The man of the moment was none other than rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who once again displayed poise and playmaking ability well beyond his years. Daniels completed 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards and 2 touchdowns while adding another 51 yards on the ground. His ability to extend plays and connect in clutch moments proved pivotal.
“He’s so poised and so clutch,” running back Austin Ekeler said of Daniels. “Every week I’m like, man, this guy is really good. I know to expect it, but again and again he continues to show that, hey, he has a huge clutch gene and it shows up all the time.”
The Commanders’ youth movement was on full display, with rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil intercepting two passes. But the team’s revival is also a testament to the veteran leadership and culture shift instilled by first-year head coach Dan Quinn.
A New Era in Washington
Quinn’s impact was evident not just in X’s and O’s, but in the team’s resilience and belief. As linebacker Bobby Wagner, a two-time NFC champion with Seattle, observed during a midseason three-game skid:
“I didn’t see anybody waver, I didn’t see anyone have their heads down. Everyone was coming in still relaxed…Everyone became more accountable.”
That accountability and mental fortitude propelled the Commanders to their current seven-game winning streak. The team’s bond and belief in one another, forged in the offseason and hardened through adversity, proved to be their not-so-secret weapon.
A Moment 33 Years in the Making
For a franchise that had endured the NFC’s longest conference championship game drought and one of the worst winning percentages in the league since its early 90s glory days, the Commanders’ triumph carried extra significance. The raw emotion was evident in the jubilant locker room:
- Star receiver Terry McLaurin let out a cathartic “Wooooooo!” as he exited his press conference
- Rookie RB Brian Robinson spoke of how “amazing” it was for the team’s long-suffering veterans to experience this
- Safety Jeremy Reaves, with the team since 2018, marveled: “Man, this is cool. I can’t even put my head around this.”
Even franchise luminaries like former coach Joe Gibbs and minority owner Magic Johnson were on hand to soak in the long-overdue celebration. But amid the euphoria, a common refrain emerged: This team is not done yet.
“We’re not done yet,” McLaurin said definitively, capturing the team’s renewed ambition.
Whether they face the Eagles or Rams, these young, hungry Commanders have already defied expectations. One more upset stands between them and the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance in 31 years. In D.C., belief has been restored, but the mission is not yet complete. The Commanders’ magical resurgence continues.
