There are a lot of subplots that swirled through the Washington Commanders' miraculous, improbable win over the Philadelphia Eagles. But there was only one main plot line.
It was written in bold type, twice the size of everything around it. Jayden Daniels is a spectacular player. An NFL game is never won single-handedly, but the Commanders' quarterback came about as close as you can to winning this contest all by himself.
This was not a nothing game — the type that Washington has been playing a lot of in recent Decembers. This was a key clash against the hottest team in the league.
The Eagles had won 10 straight and were in prime contention for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. This may not have been a must-win for Dan Quinn’s men, but they are still in a battle for their postseason spot and a loss would have made things tighter.
Washington won this game because Frankie Luvu made a crucial interception early on. They won because Luke McCaffrey finally made a major contribution, setting up the offense in excellent field position with a bunch of strong kickoff returns. They won because Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder came up big in huge moments. And because the Commanders' defense — especially Daron Payne and a bunch of no-names in the middle of the trenches — got angry enough to stuff Saquon Barkley over the final three quarters.
They also won because Philadelphia made a lot of mistakes.
From Jake Elliott’s failed opening kickoff through DeVonta Smith’s drop of a sure first down late in the game, Eagles players who normally make positive plays seemed to make negative ones.
The Smith error was very reminiscent of the Malik Nabers' drop which helped secure a victory over the New York Giants in Week 2. Of course, some of the Eagles' mistakes were not quite so surprising.
Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and eventual ejection were standard operating procedure for a player who routinely flirts with the edge of what is allowable. Those were two of 10 Eagles penalties that helped Washington mount a comeback.
Most of all, the Commanders were the obvious beneficiaries of the first-quarter injury that took signal-caller Jalen Hurts out of the game. The Eagles' offense was not the same with backup Kenny Pickett on the field.
Jayden Daniels continues to spearhead the Commanders into a different stratosphere
But none of that would have mattered if Daniels didn’t don his Superman cape yet again.
Washington lost three fumbles and threw two interceptions. The interior offensive line was utterly dominated by the Eagles' dynamic defensive tackles. Running backs had no lanes. Daniels was often under pressure. He lost Dyami Brown, who of course, was already filling in for Noah Brown. And still, the Commanders found a way.
They found a way because Daniels regained the deep ball touch that went missing last week against the New Orleans Saints. His two deep throws to Brown and Terry McLaurin — the second of which resulted in a touchdown — were things of beauty that kept Washington in the game early when it looked like the Eagles would win in a cakewalk.
Even though the running backs could barely move the ball, when Daniels needed to take off, he was phenomenal. He ran nine times for 81 rushing yards, none more astonishing than his 29-yard scamper on fourth-and-11 at the end of the third quarter.
5 TAKES IT FOR 30#ProBowlVote @JayD__5 | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/t0YKRgDU5q
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 22, 2024
We have seen Daniels learn how to slide and get out of bounds to protect himself throughout the season, but he couldn’t afford that luxury. He had to make big plays with his legs and he did. His elusiveness, speed, and toughness were on full display.
When he needed to make throws, he did that as well. The final touchdown to Crowder in the back of the end zone was a perfect read and a perfect throw.
Maybe the most encouraging thing about Daniels' performance — and the scariest thing for the rest of the league — is that he was far from perfect. His two interceptions were either bad decisions, bad throws, or both. He airmailed Zaccheaus with his very first throw and missed a few others throughout the game. But he didn’t miss his final effort with the game on the line.
We have been marveling at Daniels’ poise all season. How he never seems to get down. How he always seems to bounce back. In a big game against a quality opponent, he brought the Commanders back from a huge early hole.
Then, after throwing a seemingly disastrous pick late, he did it again.
Sure, he had help from his teammates, from mistakes, and fate. But it’s beginning to look like a team with Daniels at quarterback is never out of a game.
With a little more help, there’s no telling how far he can take the Commanders.