Jayden Daniels has been the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year since early in the 2024 NFL regular season. Although a midseason lull brought in question whether he should keep that status over a few worthy contenders, there should be no debate anymore.
Daniels put away OROY with his incredible game-winning comeback efforts against the Eagles in the Commanders’ thrilling 26-22 Week 16 home win on Sunday to keep Washington’s hopes of winning the NFC East alive.
The Commanders evened the season series after losing at Philadelphia and improved to 10-5 with Daniels starting. He now is up to three successful fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives as a rookie. The latter is more than Robert Griffin III had as Washington’s dazzling dual-threat OROY in 2012.
The Eagles did lose their QB Jalen Hurts early in the game, knocked out by a concussion, but they still led 27-14 going into the fourth quarter on the strength of Saquon Barkley’s running and their defense.
NFL HQ: Live NFL scores | Updated NFL standings | Full NFL schedule
Jayden Daniels’ stats vs. Eagles
Then Daniels took over, orchestrating three TD drives that resulted in 22 points. He ended up 24-for-39 for 258 yards with a season-high five TDs, overcoming two INTs. He also led the Commanders in rushing with 81 yards on nine carries.
After the game, Daniels said that these are the moments you live for as a player in the NFL.
Commanders franchise QB Jayden Daniels: “I love those type of situations. When it’s on thin ice and plays need to be made, that’s what you live for — if you really love this sport.”
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 22, 2024
That was a complete game in a complete comeback. Bo Nix, Brian Thomas Jr., and Brock Bowers are among the star rookies who have come into the OROY conversation at times, but what Daniels has done to make the Commanders relevant in the NFC playoff picture again confirms there’s no longer a competition.
The Commanders are down two games to the 12-3 Eagles with two weeks left to play. Stealing the NFC East is still a long shot, but the fact it’s a possibility at all going into Week 17 is all about Daniels and the Commanders constructing the ideal Kliff Kingsbury offense in which he could have immediate success passing and running.
The NFC championship in 2024 has been labeled as a two-team race at times, with only the top-positioned Lions and Eagles being mentioned. Then expanding to four, the Vikings and Packers have gotten some buzz. The Commanders had some very early hype until they went from 7-2 to 7-5 in a hurry. Their three-game winning streak to counter three consecutive losses has been huge and put them back in the contender discussion.
MORE: How Eagles’ loss to Commanders impacts race for NFC’s No. 1 seed
In Week 10, the Commanders lost by only one point to the Steelers. In Week 11, they were still within a possession in a 26-18 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia. In Week 12, they lost a wild rivalry game to the Cowboys, 34-26.
November ended in heartbreak. December has been heartwarming for the Commanders, getting a much-needed late bye and their groove back from earlier in the season. Daniels has had great timing with his best play, and the Commanders are back on track.
The Commanders close with the Falcons at home and the Cowboys on the road. They need to win those and hope the Eagles, maybe without Hurts, fall to the Cowboys and Giants. Regardless of whether they can win the division to host a playoff game or need to do it on the wild-card road, Daniels gives them a real chance every game, which gives them a real chance to make a deep run — all the way through Super Bowl 59, playing again in New Orleans close to Daniels’ Heisman stomping ground at LSU.
Daniels’ “it factor” is back after a short hiatus. The Commanders will be ultra competitive for a long time with him, and they could go a long way, right away.
Read the full article here
