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Rookie Jayden Daniels Makes Rare NFL History in Commanders' Upset Win Over Lions
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Logging what will be by far the biggest upset of the weekend, the Washington Commanders took down the Detroit Lions on Saturday night—knocking the NFC's one-seed out of the NFL playoffs.
The 45-31 victory for Washington not only sends them to their first NFC championship game since 1992, but also has rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels joining some rare company.
Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, will become just the sixth rookie quarterback in NFL history to play in a conference championship game. Here's a look at the full list:
- Shaun King, Buccaneers - 1999
- Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers - 2004
- Joe Flacco, Ravens - 2008
- Mark Sanchez, Jets - 2009
- Brock Purdy, 49ers - 2022
- Jayden Daniels, Commanders - 2024
The 24-year-old shined on Saturday in Detroit, completing 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for 52 yards on 15 carries while leading the Commanders offense to 38 points.
Not bad for a rookie.
Now locked into the NFC championship game, Washington will take on the winner of Sunday's matchup in Philly between the Eagles and the Rams in Philadelphia. As the sixth seed, the Commanders will be on the road regardless—with kickoff scheduled for 3:00 p.m. EST next Sunday.
A win would send Washington to their first Super Bowl in over 30 years, with Daniels becoming the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to start a Super Bowl.
An awesome story all around.
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Mike Kadlick is an NFL writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.