Loading ...The Washington Commanders are going to the NFC Championship Game.
Let that sink in for a minute.
After more than three decades of dysfunction, depression, and, well you get the drift, the Commanders are 60 minutes of football away from their first Super Bowl since 1991.
The Commanders upset the top-seeded Detroit Lions Saturday night 45-31. That’s right, a team that won just four games last season hung 45 points on the best regular season team in the NFC.
“The mantra of anybody, any place, anytime; that was today,” wide receiver Terry McLaurin said after the game. “I’m just proud of this team to come out the way we did and play complementary football. The defense with five turnovers, the run game with B-Rob and Eck (Austin Eckler)….. we’re extremely excited for this win but we’re not done yet.”
Once again, it was Jayden Daniels, the soon-to-be-named Offensive Rookie of the Year, who shined brightest on the biggest stage.
Prime time spotlights had been the undoing of this franchise for two decades. History is littered with players wearing Burgundy and Gold wilting on the national stage. Instead, Daniels thrives on it.
His final stats: 22 of 31 for 299 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, a quarterback rating of 122.9, and 51 yards rushing.
“He just has a different poise about him than most,” head coach Dan Quinn said. “In those moments, if he was a basketball player, he wants the last shot; as a ball player, he wants the ball in his hands to make the difference.”
Both teams came out of the locker room determined to play as if the divisional round was a Madden game.
The Lions stopped Washington on a fourth-down attempt. Runningback Brian Robinson Jr. ran into backup quarterback Marcus Mariota as Mariota appeared ready to pitch the ball to Daniels, who lined up as a running back.
That led to a Jahmyr Gibbs one-yard touchdown and a 7-0 Lions lead.
Despite the unprecedented offensive output by both teams, it was Washington’s defense that made the plays that proved to be the deciders.
Trailing 7-3 after a Zane Gonzales field goal, Dorance Armstrong forced a sack-fumble of Lions quarterback Jared Goff. Linebacker Frankie Luvu recovered the ball at the Commanders 22-yard line.
Daniels then directed the offense on an 11-play, 78-yard drive ending with Robinson Jr. crashing in from the two and a 10-7 Washington lead.
“We knew we were going to have to put up points,” Daniels said in his post-game press conference. “That’s a very explosive offense with a lot of great players over there.”
The back and forth continued for the rest of the first half. Goff threw a short touchdown pass to tight end Sam LaPorta, who made an incredible one-handed catch to give the Lions a 14-10 lead.
Washington immediately countered. McLaurin caught a wide receiver screen from Daniels and didn’t stop running until he reached the end zone, 58 yards later.
Then came the second big defensive play.
Goff overthrew Tim Patrick, and the ball sailed into the hands of safety Quan Martin who returned it 40 yards for a touchdown and a 24-14 lead. Goff was injured on a hit from Luvu and would leave the game to be evaluated in the next series.
It didn’t seem to matter. Backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater executed a reverse to Jameson Willaims perfectly, Williams ran 61 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 24-21.
Daniels didn’t blink. Capping a seven-play 70 yard drive with a short touchdown throw to tight end Zac Ertz to increase the lead to 10 again, 31-21.
Defensive play number two came at the end of the half. Goff was driving for a late score when cornerback Mikey Sainristil intercepted him in the end zone, depriving Detroit of critical points it needed to keep pace.
The closest Detroit would get the rest of the night was on its first possession of the third quarter. Gibbs’ second touchdown cut the lead to 31-28.
Washington’s response? A 15-play, 70-yard drive. Twice Daniels converted 4th down attempts. First, on a three-yard throw to Dyami Brown (6 receptions, 98 yards) then a three-yard run around right end.
The drive started in the third quarter and ended in the fourth with Robinson diving in for his second touchdown of the day, 38-28.
The defense would seal the game with its third big play.
The Lions tried to catch the Commander’s defense sleeping as Williams threw a deep pass to Gibbs. Sainristil didn’t bite, instead covering Gibbs and nabbing his second interception of the day.
Eight plays, another fourth-down conversion, and 66 yards later, Jeremy McNichols made the score 45-28. The Lions would kick a field goal but get no closer, final score; 45-31.
The NFC Championship Game, the first in 34 years, awaits.
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