In a thrilling overtime showdown Sunday, the Washington Commanders came out victorious over the Atlanta Falcons, 30-24, securing their first playoff berth since 2020.
“Games like this you gotta scratch, crawl, you know when you’re trying to make an appearance as far as you gotta do everything that you can to get in,” said linebacker Frankie Luvu. “Shoutout to the guys for fighting all the way. I think it’s midnight right now and if it’s gotta go to one o’clock however 2 a.m., we’re gonna take it there.”
The win marked a major milestone for Washington as they clinched their 11th victory of the season, which hasn’t been achieved by the franchise since 1991, while also delivering their first win in overtime since 2014.
This game spotlighted the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr., two rookie quarterbacks, making it a prime-time matchup to remember. But it was Daniels who stole the show.
He not only led the Commanders in rushing, but he also dominated on the ground with a strong run game. Daniels finished the day completing 24-of-36 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. In rushing, Daniels finished the day with 127 rushing yards on 16 carries.
“What I told [Atlanta Falcons head coach] Raheem [Morris] after the game, I said, ‘Man, there’s just some things that five [Daniels] does that you can’t put on a card.’ And that’s what practice is for, where there’s certain moments, a route, a play,” said Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.“But at the end I thought, in the second half especially, there [were] just some strong plays and he just willed it. That’s the competitor he is. And I thought he was fully able to demonstrate that and express himself tonight with his legs, with his arm.”
Daniels’ performance made history as he became the first rookie quarterback to accumulate the most rushing yards in NFL history.
“I’m tired right now but I’m excited, I’m happy,” said Daniels. “The fanbase waited a long time for this. I really can’t put into words how much it means to them and how much it means to me to be able to go out there and lead this franchise and this team to opportunities like that.”
Washington set the tone early on, capitalizing on an interception made by safety Quan Martin. The Falcons turnover led to a 7-yard touchdown pass from Daniels to wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, putting the first set of points on the scoreboard for the Commanders.
However, the Falcons didn’t hesitate in their response as they finished the first half with 17 points, building on a 10-point lead by halftime. This was considered the largest score deficit Washington had faced so far this season.
Atlanta’s standout running back, Bijan Robinson, found the end zone twice scoring 1-yard touchdowns in the first half that contributed to the Falcon’s 10-point lead performance.
“Yeah, it just feels like we had no rhythm in the first half and we’re at our best when we’re able to find a little rhythm and play fast, be the aggressor,” said tight end Zach Ertz, who scored the game-winning touchdown. “So, for us it’s just about positive plays, eliminating negative plays, and if we’re able to do that when we got a guy like Jayden back there, we feel like we’re going to be able to put up points but it’s impossible when we’re just shooting ourselves in the foot every drive.”
The Commanders remained resilient eventually rallying a dramatic scoring overhaul in the second half that led to their playoff spot clinch.
They surged ahead in the fourth quarter, which was capped by a 2-yard touchdown by running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., reclaiming the lead at 21-17.
Moments later, Washington’s defense stepped up with a game-changing sack on Penix for a loss of 8 yards. This sack put Washington back in significant scoring position.
With momentum firmly in grasp, the Commanders were clear position of solidifying their playoff berth with another touchdown that would have put the game further out of reach, diminishing any chance of an overtime thriller.
But just as the endzone seemed to be within striking distance, a holding penalty was called on Guard Sam Cosmi hindering Washington’s touchdown drive.
They had to settle for a 31-yard field goal instead, increasing their lead to 24-17. Fans were on edge and the game’s outcome shifted balance quickly.
Atlanta made an attempt with a comeback campaign that tied that game 24-24 with a 13-yard touchdown pass by Penix to tight end Kyle Pitts.
Later on, the Falcons attempted a 56-yard field goal that would have taken away Washington’s early playoff chances. However, Falcons kicker Riley Patterson missed the field goal attempt sending Northwest Stadium into an electrifying midnight trigger into overtime.
With Washington winning the overtime coin toss, in true Commanders fashion, a dramatic scoring overhaul was unleashed to close out the game.
After going 70 yards in seven minutes, the Washington playoff berth was born. Daniels made a 2-yard pass to Ertz for the game-winning touchdown.
“Zach is an ultimate pro,” Daniels said. “His story, how he got here, everything he’s been through in his life man that’s what makes him, him. He’s a guy with high character and I couldn’t be more excited to have him as my teammate, have him as one of the best, and keep moving forward and learning from him.”
To put the cherry on top of Washington’s playoff clinch, safety Jeremy Reaves proposed to his longtime girlfriend Mikaela Worley making the dramatic overtime thriller even more special.
“We had a long day to think about it and I was like man listen, ‘God, you gonna tell me if this is the day to do it,’ you know, like when we win this game,” said Reaves. “She earned it, man. I can’t say enough about her, when I was at my lowest last year, she was there to pick me up every day. She showed up and that’s been my best friend since high school.”
The Washington Commanders will now hit the road in the new year to take on the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Jan. 5 at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
