Jayden Daniels Victory Monday (Photo from IG)
It’s Victory Monday in Washington and it’s January! I still can’t believe it! And yes, I’m talking about the Washington Commanders beating the Detroit Lions 45-31 in the Divisional playoff game. Said in another way, the Washington Commanders are playing in the NFC Championship game!
Thirty+ Years
It’s been 33 years since the last NFC Championship appearance for Washington. Thirty-three! For the first time in my adult life, I have only witnessed two playoff wins. Why is this so shocking? Well, if you have been watching the Washington Redskins, now Commanders, for the last thirty plus years, you’ve yelled a four-letter word, a lot. Your Sunday’s (for the most part) have left you constantly asking yourself why you love a team that in the last 32 years has been a joke in professional sports.
Since 1992, Washington had ZERO NFC Championship appearances. They were 0-3 in the Divisional round, we’ve seen 12 head coaches, celebrated very few Victory Monday’s, and witnessed 36 starting Quarterbacks! Thirty-six different starting QB’s is just as downright disrespectful to the game of football and to the fan base as watching a Jim Zorn fake field goal attempt. For comparison, the Green Bay packers have had three starting postseason QB’s since 1992 (Favre, Rodgers, and Love).
Team Win
Talk about a team win. With new leadership in town, the difference has been huge. A total turnaround from top to bottom. Proof that with the right people making decisions, you can win. It also helps when a healthy Detroit offense turns the ball over five times. Washington outscored Detroit 28-14 in the second quarter making it the highest scoring quarter in NFL playoff history. Head coach, Dan Quinn, had the Commanders ready for the moment. The Commanders knew they were a big underdog, instead, they shocked the doubters and most of the NFL by beating the number one seed in the NFC.
Making Cowboys and Giants fans watch Commanders vs. Eagles in an NFC East showdown for the NFC Championship, Ah, the sports gods do have a sense of humor.
That Kid Jayden
Jayden Daniels became the 2nd rookie QB to defeat a #1 seed in the playoffs. With 242 passing yards in the first half was the most by a rookie in a playoff game in the first half in NFL history. When asked what did you and this team know that no one else did, Jayden said “It starts with our faith in God. As a team, we believe in each other. We believe in the man upstairs.”
In 2014, Jayden Daniels posted on social media: ‘One day you guys gonna hear my name everywhere’
Daniels was the 2023 Heisman winner and the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. He has now led the Commanders to the NFC Championship for the first time in 33 years. He is also 2-0 in NFL Playoff starts and the Rookie of the Year front-runner. And America tuned in to watch. The game was the fourth most-watched Saturday NFC Divisional game in Fox history with 33.6M viewers. Yes, Jayden, that day has come and we love hearing your name everywhere!
NFC Championship
How does Commanders head coach, Dan Quinn feel about next Sunday’s NFC Championship game: “Anybody. Anywhere. Anytime.” Let’s bleeeeeping Go!
The Commanders will play the Eagles Sunday at 3:00PM EST on FOX for the NFC Championship. The winner goes to the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
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(Beka, Victory Monday is a common NFL term giving the team Monday off after they win the weekends game.)