Daniels’ Hail Mary felt like divine intervention for long-suffering Commanders fans

The Monday morning sun was a bit brighter for Washington football fans this week. After decades of on-field mediocrity and off-field controversies, something clicked for the local NFL franchise on Sunday afternoon.

Fans across the region — the entire country, really — were still talking about a game-winning Hail Mary that instantly became one of the most iconic plays in the franchise’s storied history.

For some, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels’ long ball to beat the Chicago Bears as time expired felt like divine intervention.

“That’s God saying, ‘Yeah, Commanders, we put you through 20 years of hell with [former owner] Dan Snyder, so now we owe you a few, and we’re giving you that one,’” said NBC analyst Matthew Berry, a longtime fan.

Supporters called into their favorite radio shows on Monday morning to declare that a new era had begun. They said the frustrations that dogged the franchise during the Snyder years — from the naming controversies to the workplace misconduct scandals — are fading away.

“It was more of like an exorcism of the whole stadium that Daniel Snyder’s vibe was out with that one play,” one caller told “The Sports Junkies” on 106.7 The Fan. “It kind of took all the bad juju out of the stadium, so, in fact, we are a team of destiny. You have to feel that.”

Even unbiased observers are starting to feel the momentum building around the Commanders. 

CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson had a front-row view of Sunday’s electric finish. She saw the final pass ricochet off of the fingertips of defender Tyrique Stevenson. She heard the stadium explode with cheers and navigated postgame interviews as Washington’s players and coaches stormed the field.

“I’ve been part of a lot of incredible games but that one is right at the top. Right now it’s Washington’s world and we are all living in it,” she wrote on X. “When a team has ‘IT’ things tend to just work out. Think Chiefs. This Commanders team is special.”

Fans lucky enough to attend Sunday’s game in person certainly felt the “it” factor. They erupted when wide receiver Noah Brown caught the final pass in the end zone to turn a disappointing loss into a miraculous victory. The packed house exploded,  fans jumping up and down, hugging each other and screaming in disbelief.

Washington diehards aren’t used to plays like that breaking in their favor.

Former Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III understands the team’s history better than many — his pain was once the franchise’s pain. 

After an incredible rookie year in 2012, Griffin tore his ACL during a home playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.

The dual-threat quarterback, now an analyst, was never the same. 

On Sunday and in every game so far this season, Daniels has tantalized fans with the kind of dazzling, electric style that Griffin flashed in his first year.

“Washington, D.C., deserves the level of excitement that Jayden Daniels has brought to the city. Commanders fans, we got the guy,” Griffin said, calling Sunday’s game the best finish in Commanders history. “This city deserves this. I’m so excited for y’all.”

Daniels, the No. 2 pick in this year’s NFL draft, has looked the part of a franchise quarterback through his first eight games. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner has thrown for 1,736 yards and run for another 424, posting 11 total touchdowns with only two interceptions.

As the season approaches the halfway mark, Daniels is the clear favorite in the rookie of the year race and has the fifth-shortest odds for MVP, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

His highlights, from deep passes to ankle-breaking runs, have elicited constant attention from the national media. With Daniels under center, the Commanders aren’t a national laughing stock — they’re appointment viewing.

The Daniels-led success has been a long time coming for veterans like wide receiver Terry McLaurin and defensive tackle Daron Payne. They’ve endured plenty of losses in their 14 combined seasons in Washington.

“It feels good, just, finally. I’ve been here for seven years, building and building and building,” Payne said Sunday. “Stuff usually does not come out on top for us, so just being able to be the ones that come out happy and celebrate with the guys felt good.”

While Washington’s fan base basked in the victory Monday, the team returned to work at its Ashburn practice facility. 

There are techniques to clean up and adjustments to be made. The Commanders emerged with a win on Sunday night, but they didn’t score a touchdown until the last play of the game.

According to coach Dan Quinn, the Hail Mary buzz that jolted the locker room after the game was gone by the next morning.

The 6-2 squad returned to its weekly routine. It was “Tell the Truth Monday,” where players and coaches watch film to see what went right and what went wrong.

That routine keeps the team from “riding the roller coaster,” as Quinn has said throughout the season. He wants steady improvement, not overly emotional performances.

But Washington’s first-year coach said he felt an unprecedented energy from the crowd on Sunday. He wasn’t around for the last three decades of mediocrity, but he has felt the fanbase emerge from hibernation over the last nine months.

When the Bears scored a go-ahead touchdown with 25 seconds, the folks in burgundy and gold stayed in their seats.

“Many places you may see when a touchdown happens, that the stadium empties out. That was not the case. And so I’m hopeful about the next 25 years; that will not ever be the case,” Quinn said. “‘Hey, remember that time in 2024?’ I just love the energy that’s been created from the fans.”’

Armed with a 1/2-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East, the Commanders head to New Jersey on Sunday for a divisional clash with the New York Giants.