FULL BOX SCORE

1. Daniels carries Commanders into the playoffs. This is a new era in Washington under a welcome new regime. The fresh face of the franchise had every Commanders fan smiling broadly after his latest histrionics Jayden Daniels dazzled with his arms and legs, leading Washington to a comeback victory that included a game-winning 2-yard touchdown pass Zach Ertz in the OT. It was Daniels’ third touchdown pass of the night. He capped a historic night in which Washington secured only its sixth playoff berth this century by completing 24 of 36 passes for 227 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. However, it was often his legs that did the heavy lifting, as he carried the ball 16 times for a season-high 127 yards. Daniels now has 864 rushing yards this season, surpassing Robert Griffin III’s previous rookie record of 815 yards set in DC in 2012. Daniels also now has 31 total touchdowns, becoming just the fourth rookie QB with more than 30 total touchdowns, along with Justin Herbert (36; 2020), Cam Newton (2011; 35) and Russell Wilson (2012; 30). If there were any questions about who the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year should be, Daniels answered. If there were any questions left as to whether Daniels has turned the franchise around, he answered those as well, as he and the Commanders are officially back in the postseason.
2. Robinson closed things out in the second half. Amid great anticipation for 2024 first-round quarterbacks Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. In comparison, it was the first-round running back in 2023 Bijan Robinson who stole the show in the first half. He had a career-best 82 rushing yards and two 1-yard touchdowns in the first half. However, Dan Quinn and the Commanders’ defense made it a point to keep Robinson in check, and they did so emphatically. While Daniels led the Commanders’ offense to a comeback, the defense stifled Robinson, who had just 36 yards on six carries, including 12 on one run, in the final 30 minutes of the game. Credit to Bobby Wagner and the group for their efforts and to Quinn and his staff for the adjustments. Falcons coach Raheem Morris’ time management, particularly avoiding timeouts as time expires in the first and second halves, is under scrutiny. It should be, but the Commanders’ ability to prevent Robinson from taking over the game after halftime was huge for Washington.
3. Zaccheaus competes again, this time against his former squad. There were no perfect performances in this and Olamide Zacchaeus Unfortunately, a great ball from Jayden Daniels went through his grasp on third-and-10, ending Washington’s final drive of regulation time. However, Zaccheau’s performance before and in the last two weeks deserves recognition. Since Noah Brown After being placed on injured reserve after Week 13, Zaccheaus stepped up. The veteran, who played four seasons in Atlanta, found the end zone for the second straight game and had eight catches for 85 yards (both team highs) in addition to his 7-yard touchdown in the first quarter. With AJ Terrell blanket Terry McLaurin and held him to a catch, Zaccheaus was not only a No. 2 backup player, but he also became Daniels’ No. 1 target. Much of the Commanders’ success this season is due to the veterans on one-year deals, and Zaccheus is one of them.

Insight into next-gen stats for Falcons commanders (via NFL Pro): Jayden Daniels ran 16 times for 127 yards against the Falcons in Week 17, resulting in the most rushing yards and the third-most rushing yards above expectations (+42) of any quarterback in a game this season.

NFL Research: Sunday’s matchup between Jayden Daniels (No. 2 overall pick in 2024) and Michael Penix (No. 8) was just the third game between rookie QBs from teams with a winning record since 1950. The first came in Week 9 of the year 2012 when Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts defeated Ryan Tannehill and the Tennessee Titans. Daniels has now played along and won the last two. He and the Commanders also won with a Hail Mary in Week 8 against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.