Jayden Daniels has made a remarkable entrance into the playoffs, reminiscent of the legendary Slinging Sammy Baugh. The rookie quarterback for the Commanders has achieved something that hasn’t been accomplished by an NFL quarterback since Baugh’s first season in Washington back in 1937.
On Sunday night, Daniels threw two touchdown passes, leading the Commanders to a thrilling 23-20 victory against Tampa Bay. With this win, he joins an elite group of only four rookie quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era—Russell Wilson, Mark Sanchez, and Joe Flacco—who have succeeded in winning a playoff game on the road. However, Daniels’ accomplishments extend beyond just securing a win. He amassed 268 yards through the air and contributed 38 rushing yards, making history as the first rookie quarterback to lead his team in both passing and rushing yards during a playoff victory. Furthermore, he becomes the second rookie quarterback after Baugh to throw at least two touchdown passes in a road playoff win, with Baugh famously throwing three in the 1937 NFL title game against the Chicago Bears.
Daniels’ 13 wins across both regular season and playoffs place him just shy of Ben Roethlisberger’s rookie record of 14 wins set back in 2004 for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This talented rookie has demonstrated remarkable poise, having orchestrated five fourth-quarter comebacks, showcasing his clutch performance as evidenced by a stellar passer rating of 117.3 when trailing by eight points or less in the fourth quarter or overtime, which ranks first among 233 quarterbacks with a minimum of 50 attempts since 1991.
This season has also seen the Commanders accomplish a rare feat under Daniels; they managed to play three games without either punting or turning the ball over. This remarkable achievement has only occurred twice before in playoff history, with Josh Allen performing it for the Buffalo Bills against the New England Patriots in the 2021 season and Hall of Famer Peyton Manning achieving the same for the Indianapolis Colts in 2003.
In his inaugural season, head coach Dan Quinn has led the Commanders to a successful playoff run, providing hope to the seven franchises seeking new head coaches this offseason. Taking over a four-win team, Quinn has propelled the Commanders to the divisional round, a testament to the possibility of quick turnarounds in the NFL due to high draft picks and easier schedules. Quinn stands as the ninth coach within a decade to reach the divisional round in his first full season, a phenomenon that has become increasingly common, evident from last year with both the New York Giants and Jacksonville Jaguars making it to the divisional round under first-year head coaches.
Among the previous eight coaches, three made it to the conference title game, while Gary Kubiak achieved the remarkable feat of winning the Super Bowl in his debut season with the Denver Broncos in 2015, joining an exclusive club of coaches who have accomplished that feat.
In the divisional round of the AFC this season, a sense of familiarity will ensue as Kansas City, Buffalo, Baltimore, and Houston all return for a repeat appearance. This year’s matchups differ, with the Chiefs hosting the Texans and the Bills preparing to face the Ravens.
This recurring scenario draws parallels to the 2011-12 season, where New England, Denver, Baltimore, and Houston reached the divisional round in consecutive years. In contrast, the NFC only sees the Detroit Lions making a return in the divisional round after a long absence since 1991.
Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Steelers faced another disappointing playoff exit, losing 28-14 against the Baltimore Ravens, an outcome that extends head coach Mike Tomlin’s streak of postseason defeats to six games. Tomlin now stands among an exclusive group of coaches with the second-longest postseason losing streak in NFL history, just one loss short of Marvin Lewis’s record of seven consecutive losses.
The Steelers have been outscored heavily in these playoff games, specifically with a staggering 73-0 deficit in the first quarter. Notably, they’ve never held a lead throughout these six defeats, with their only brief moment at the top occurring in a wild-card game against Kansas City when T.J. Watt scored a defensive touchdown.
In the broader scope, the Houston Texans’ defense has generated substantial challenges for quarterbacks this season, stifling notable stars like Josh Allen, who struggled significantly in their matchup earlier. Justin Herbert’s performance against Houston added to the stretch of problems quarterbacks have faced, as he threw four interceptions in a recent loss, marking the most in any of his professional games.
With nine intercepted passes against Goff and Herbert combined across the two games, the Texans’ defensive prowess sent them to the divisional round for the second consecutive season, as quarterback C.J. Stroud joins an elite group by winning playoff games in both his initial seasons in the league.
As the playoffs continue, the excitement escalates within the NFL, highlighting emerging talents and seasoned coaches alike amidst well-established rivalries.
