Winner No. 2
Jayden Daniels - Commanders QB
Jayden Daniels fought with everything he had. The rookie quarterback took on the challenge and tried valiantly to keep the Washington Commanders competitive. However, another outstanding effort was not enough to compensate for some critical errors from others.
Daniels set the tone immediately. He controlled the clock on the opening drive before Dan Quinn had to settle for a field goal. The signal-caller made smart decisions in the face of pressure and held his own versus an exceptional defense. But the turnovers killed any chance Washington had of making a difference.
There was an interception late in proceedings — Daniels was forcing the issue by then. He left everything out on the field and gave his absolute all. Others did not meet their end of the bargain and the Commanders' fairytale run concluded.
This defeat hurt Daniels more than most. He was visibly emotional after the contest and made his intentions clear about not wanting to feel like this again. It's the sort of mentality that allowed the No. 2 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft to galvanize this storied franchise much sooner than expected.
Daniels can hold his head high. He put together one of the greatest seasons for a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Building on this immediate success is the next challenge.
Loser No. 3
Dante Fowler Jr. - Commanders OLB
The Commanders had to make their presence felt in the trenches to stand any chance of beating the Eagles. Aside from a few flashes, it was largely underwhelming on both sides.
This was especially evident in the pass-rushing room. The Commanders couldn't get enough pressure on quarterback Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia exploited their inability to set the edge against the run. That's a bad combination going up versus star running back Saquon Barkley.
Dante Fowler Jr. didn't cover himself in glory. The former first-round pick got just 16 snaps after failing to make an immediate impression. His solid production throughout the campaign deserted him at the worst possible time. Washington's decision to reduce his role hinted at the team's lack of confidence.
Finding a way past Philadelphia's bookend tackle tandem of Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson is a tricky prospect. They are strong, athletic, and technically sound with a ruthless streak that comes across constantly. The Commanders didn't have the right quality along the line of scrimmage and the Eagles got whatever they wanted.
Fowler finished with just one tackle, which meant his campaign finished with a whimper. His 10.5 sacks during the regular season could mean he's given another short-term deal. That does not detract from the dire need to find another explosive edge threat at some stage during the offseason.