The Washington Commanders said they felt confident heading into the final scrimmage play of Sunday’s 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. It didn’t matter that they’d turned the ball over five times or climbed out of a 14-0 hole. With just a few seconds left on the clock and down by five points, the Commanders had a chance to win.
And they did.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels found wide receiver Jamison Crowder in the back of the end zone to seal the victory, delighting the thousands of supporters in burgundy and gold at Northwest Stadium.
The result wasn’t surprising for wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who said his first-year signal-caller carries himself like a seasoned veteran. And it didn’t surprise tight end Zach Ertz, who said he knew what play would be called before he got in the huddle. Rookie receiver Luke McCaffrey shared the same sentiment.
“If you were there at practice three days ago, we had the exact same play,” McCaffrey said after the game. “It couldn’t have hit more perfect.”
The game-winning touchdown wrapped up another unlikely victory for Daniels and the Commanders. They’ve made a habit of that this year, from the Hail Mary against the Chicago Bears in Week 8 to last week’s game-saving defensive stand against the New Orleans Saints.
This week, Washington’s offense upped the difficulty by turning the ball over five times. Daniels tossed a pair of interceptions, including one late in the fourth quarter, while running back Brian Robinson Jr. lost two fumbles. It didn’t matter.
“Never say die,” McCaffrey said of the team’s mentality. “People doing what they needed to do at the right moment and just kind of clicking. There’s a lot of faith.”
That faith rests on the shoulders of Daniels, the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft, who has helped the 10-5 Commanders accelerate their rebuild.
Last year, the squad was 4-13. This year, Washington has secured its best start since the 1991 Super Bowl campaign.
On Sunday, Daniels showed why he’s the betting favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. He led the team with 81 rushing yards while throwing for 258 yards and five touchdowns, carrying the offense while the typically efficient rushing attack struggled.
“He’s so poised. No matter if we’re making plays or missing plays, he just has a way to stay even-keeled that I’ve never seen from a rookie,” said McLaurin, who caught five passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. “He has a way of just making the right plays when it’s time.”
But Daniels deflected any credit after the game. Instead, he spotlighted receivers Crowder and Olamide Zaccheaus — who both caught two touchdowns — and the defense, which kept Philadelphia out of the end zone for the final three quarters after allowing three touchdowns in the opening period.
In the first quarter, fans held their breath as Philadelphia marched down the field with ease. Running back Saquon Barkley, the betting favorite for Offensive Player of the Year, gashed the Commanders for 109 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries as the Eagles jumped to a 21-7 lead.
Barkley carried the ball 22 more times but added just 41 yards as Washington’s defense adopted a “bend but don’t break” mentality, holding Philadelphia to four field goals in the second half.
“It means a lot just to have people step up and make plays,” Daniels said of his supporting cast. “Obviously, [McLaurin] gets a lot of attention, rightfully so, but those guys in these types of moments, they got to step up and make plays, and that’s what they did.”
The ability to step up in what McLaurin called “winning time moments” has set the Commanders apart. He would know, as someone who’s been on the roster for six mostly mediocre seasons. This year, with coach Dan Quinn at the helm and Daniels taking snaps, has been different.
“To win this game speaks to the resilience and the culture that we’re building here,” he said. “It’s easy when things are going good. When there’s a little adversity, that’s when you get to see the true character of a group.”
Sunday’s comeback victory secured Washington’s first 10-win season since 2012 when coach Mike Shanahan and a rookie Robert Griffin III took the league by storm. The Commanders are still one win away from securing their first playoff berth in four seasons.
These aren’t the same old Commanders. The 2021 squad limped into the playoffs with a winning record after conquering a weak NFC East.
This year looks different, as the team seems to find new, blood-pressure-raising ways to win games.
“[We] kind of just find a way,” Ertz said. “That’s kind of just been the mantra for this team the first 15 games. Just find a way to win. It doesn’t matter how it looks; they all count the same at the end of the day.”
The victories keep adding up, slowly welcoming long-suffering fans to a new era of Commanders football. Local supporters can look to McLaurin for permission to move past decades of mediocrity.
“When you’re moving at a pace the way we are, the past, you can leave in the past. We’re taking the necessary steps to continue to move forward,” McLaurin said. “I don’t even think about the past anymore. To be honest, I’m living in the present and looking forward to the future.”
The present has the Commanders holding a firm grip on the third and final wild-card spot in the NFC. The near future could include a clinched postseason berth if Washington defeats the Atlanta Falcons at Northwest Stadium next Sunday night.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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