Commanders Can't Make NFC Championship 'Bigger Than What it Really Is'

ASHBURN, Va. -- The Washington Commanders have made a habit of handling every week the same.

That means, according to receiver Terry McLaurin, preparing every week like the Commanders are playing in a championship-level game.

Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels commented this week that he doesn't really feel any difference between this week–with an NFC Championship Game looming–over any other. Tight end Zach Ertz says, that's the key.

Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz and quarterback Jayden Daniels. — Jan 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Commanders tight end Zach Ertz (86) celebrates touchdown pass with quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) during the second quarter in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

"You can't make it bigger than what it really is. The things that win you games in the regular season are the same things that win you games in the postseason, and really, the same things that lose you games in the regular season are things that will lose you games in the postseason," he says. "And it's not some mind-blowing saying or anything - it's not earth shattering - but the messaging that (head coach Dan Quinn) has done from the beginning of the season has been phenomenal, that every week that we partake in - is championship week."

Clearly, the messaging is not only effective, but consistent. As has the team, at least in its ability to battle with any foe placed in front of them.

That tenacity and resiliency have become a trademark for a team being labeled by some as the 'Cardiac Commanders,' a team that can't be counted out until the final whistle sounds.

Behind its electric quarterback, high-output scoring ability, and pass defense that keeps explosive passes to a minimum more than most teams in the league, some of the trademark traits that helped get Washington to 12 wins for the first time in decades, Erts says, will get them to the franchise's first Super Bowl since Ertz himself was just over one-year-old.

"The same things that got us to 12-5 in the regular season with an opportunity to be in the playoffs are the same things that we need to approach this game with," says Ertz. "And ultimately, it comes down to who is going to make the most plays, and I got a lot of confidence in the guys."

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