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John Keim, ESPN writer
LANDOVER, Md. — When the Washington Commanders took possession 57 yards from the end zone with less than two minutes remaining and trailing by five points against a team that had won 10 straight games, quarterback Jayden Daniels showed no signs of stress.
It’s easy to see why: Daniels continues to deliver right now. He did it once again with a 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jamison Crowder with 6 seconds left in a 36-33 win over the Philadelphia Eagles (12-3).
“He really shines in those moments,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “Today he became a great hitter.”
But Daniels’ heroics weren’t limited to the final touchdown pass. He became the first rookie quarterback in franchise history, and seventh in NFL history, to throw five touchdown passes in a game as the Commanders inched closer to a playoff berth.
Washington (10-5) can clinch a spot with one more win. The Commanders will play on December 28 against the Atlanta Falcons (8-7).
For Daniels, Sunday’s performance was a continuation of big plays and even bigger moments. He threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter alone, along with an interception on the Commanders’ penultimate drive.
“You want to see how you compare to that kind of [teams]”Daniels said.
Already this season he completed a 52-yard Hail Mary to beat the Chicago Bears; He threw two touchdown passes in the final four minutes against Dallas that would have resulted in a tie if Washington had scored the second extra point. In a win over Cincinnati in Week 3, Daniels threw a touchdown pass with less than four minutes left to clinch the victory.
Daniels also led a game-winning field goal to beat the New York Giants in Week 2. There’s a reason he’s the NFL’s highest-scoring quarterback in the final two minutes of regulation among quarterbacks with at least 10 openings. He has thrown an NFL-best four touchdown passes in that stretch.
“I love those kinds of situations,” Daniels said. “That’s when things are on thin ice and you need to make plays. That’s what you live for. If you really love the sport, you live those great moments when everything comes to the end, everything is against you, your back is” . against the wall. How will you respond?
That’s why Daniels is considered the likely favorite to win offensive rookie of the year. He now has 22 touchdown passes.
“I see a lot of poise,” Crowder said. “He’s calm, collected and collected under pressure. A lot of times you don’t get that from a lot of quarterbacks.”
In the postgame locker room, receiver Terry McLaurin, who caught a 32-yard overhand pass for a touchdown in the second quarter, told Daniels he loved playing with him. It’s understandable: McLaurin has a career-high 12 touchdown receptions and surpassed 1,000 receiving yards for the fifth consecutive season.
“Whether we’re making plays or missing plays, he just has a way of staying balanced,” McLaurin said. “I’ve never seen that in a rookie at any position, much less a quarterback. He has a way of making the right plays when the time comes. You can’t teach that. His ability to get better every week and learn from his “His mistakes are the reason he has a chance to be one of the greats.”
Daniels also hurt the Eagles with his legs. He rushed for 82 of the Commanders’ 114 rushing yards. None mattered more than the 29 yards he picked up on a fourth-and-11 scramble, deflecting defenders in the middle of the field, to the Eagles’ 12. Three plays later he connected with receiver Olamide Zaccheaus for a 4-yard touchdown. .
“I’ve never seen him back down,” McLaurin said. “The only time I saw him show emotion was when we lost to Baltimore. [in Week 6]. He was on the sidelines and I was upset, but I was smiling to myself because [I was thinking]we have one. He hates losing.”
Daniels arrives at the facility at 5:30 a.m. and takes a walk-through with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury three days a week, finishing around 6:30 a.m. Quinn said he has worked with his players more on situational football than at any other time in his career. training history.
That’s why players said it felt like practice when they drove for the winning score. In fact, Daniels threw a touchdown pass to Crowder on the same route against the same two safeties in Friday’s practice.
Thanks to this preparation, Daniels avoids feeling stressed, even after throwing an interception late in the fourth quarter that led to an Eagles field goal.
“That keeps the rest of us calm,” Washington guard Sam Cosmi said. “The most important thing to see is that the person who believes the most in his ability is himself. He’s a dog, he’s a competitor. I’m very happy that he’s my QB.”
