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By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
Rookie QB Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders' remarkable playoff run ended one game away from a Super Bowl, losing heavily during the NFC Championship Game in a lopsided defeat at Lincoln Financial Field 55-23 at the hands of division rivals Philadelphia.....and while it won't satisfy any Washington player or fans right now, I must point out the historic context in which we find ourselves.
Despite the heavy loss, becoming the 6th straight rookie QB to lose at the conference championship level (0-6 all time), Jayden Daniels & the Commanders achieved the improbable in 2024 & 2025....climbing to heights that were purely impossible only a few years prior under a different owner.
Leading this young team to an NFC Championship Game (the franchise's first title game appearance since January 1992), two road playoff victories (Washington's first playoff win since 2005), supplying a 12 win regular season (their first since Washington's last Super Bowl in 1991/92), while surely on his way to becoming a nearly unanimous Rookie Of The Year recipient & a rare first year QB nominated for the league's MVP, Jayden Daniels displayed all of his dual threat majesty & became the central focus of Kliff Kingsbury's renegade offensive vision. Throughout what will be remembered as an iconic, "never say die" campaign, Jayden Daniels became must see TV.
Throwing for 4,390 yards, 30 touchdown passes, 22 big time throws, 10 interceptions, rushing 183 times for 1,026 yards on the ground with 7 rushing scores (638 yards after contact, while making 49 tacklers miss), in 2024, Jayden Daniels earned the title of "the NFL's most dynamic rookie quarterback of all time".
Leading Washington on an onslaught of clutch performances and plays unlike the NFL had seen in a single season in some time, winning 8 games by a single score, JD5 repeated his comeback wizardry from his time in Baton Rouge (beating 5 consecutive opponents on the final play during one stretch), featuring an unforgettable & endlessly entertaining Heisman vs Heisman showdown between Daniels & Joe Burrow's Bengals (another clutch 38-33 last moment win by JD5's Commanders), followed by the ultimate Hail Mary moment vs Chicago, a double digit comeback & last second touchdown pass for the ages in Week 15 vs the Eagles, a crazy overtime win over Atlanta to seal the division crown, a wild Wild Card "doink" field goal kick off the post @ Tampa Bay, the last quarter comeback heroics vs Malik Nabers' New York Giants.....at every turn, Jayden Daniels' unstoppable mentality catapulted the Commanders forward at a supersonic pace.
But Daniels wasn't just clutch at the end of games: Kliff Kingsbury's historically aggressive offense also took a page out of Mike Denbrock's 2023 LSU playbook and rode Jayden's dual threat arsenal to the highest 4th down conversion percentage of any NFL team during the Super Bowl era, converting 30/38 attempts (10/15 over 3 playoff games).
Accordingly, Washington's pedal to the metal offensive attack paid major dividends all season long; Pro Bowl receiver Terry McLaurin benefitted greatly from the arrival of Jayden Daniels, catching a career high and franchise record 16 touchdown passes, all but 1 thrown by the former LSU Heisman winner.
At many stages over the course of 2024 and early 2025, many wondered how defenses could stop Daniels or this high flying offense: completing multiple touchdown passes across 10 appearances (5 TD passes vs Philly in Week 15, the most by a Washington QB since Mark Rypien did it the year Batman Returns came out), rushing over 74 yards in 5 separate performances, tossing 250+ yards against 8 different defenses, the former LSU legend elevated his teammates, inspired Washington's young defense, and emboldened his coaching staff to their greatest levels of pedigree, trust & belief.
Because of the Jayden Daniels Effect, Washington's franchise possess a shining beacon of hope for the future, a juggernaut of a quarterback to build around for the next decade, although here's hoping Washington can keep Kingsbury on staff this offseason.
By LONN PHILLIPS SULLIVAN
Ā©ļø 2025 Uninterrupted Writings Inc
His legend is just beginning. He has the commitment, drive, and ability to sustain success. He truly is a humble leader.