Commander Washington shouldn’t be here. Not now, not yet. But with their all-conquering franchise quarterback discovered and thriving, they’re one win away from that most unlikely of Super Bowl appearances.

The bar is very low, the lowest in the NFL. The first mission is simply to escape the dark and grim reality of Dan Snyder’s reign, as Washington continues to ease into a new era of ownership under Josh Harris, desperate for a comprehensive reset and rebrand.

They may have achieved both in just one year, with Dan Quinn successfully betting on himself as a courageous candidate willing to face the challenges that await in Washington, orchestrating a cultural Transformation, while Jaden Daniels put together one of the greatest rookie seasons – if not the greatest quarterback in NFL history – laid the foundation for a new chapter that’s not only relevant, but controversial.

Washington has entered the postseason without winning a playoff game since the 2005 season, when they ultimately lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round. They made the playoffs just six times in 24 years under Snyder, who was eventually sold in 2023 after accusations of sexual harassment and a toxic workplace among employees.

The Commanders ranked 24th on offense, dead last on defense in 2023, and their quarterback has been in purgatory for a long time since head coach Ron Rivera was fired. They find themselves one of the least attractive destinations in the league for any coach or player, yet somehow one of the most opportunity-rich destinations like Maryland’s lower floor and “Can’t Get Any More Bad” ” concept of life, the only possible way from there is up.

They acquired Quinn after he resumed his coaching career in Dallas and used the No. 2 pick in the draft on Heisman Trophy winner Daniels. With the pair at the helm, they pushed the process ahead of schedule, creating a new family environment capable of withstanding the adversity that might have previously derailed them, and sharing the contributions of a funky mix of unknown merchandise and veterans.

During Wild Card Weekend, they held off Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense thanks to a last-second field goal from Zane Gonzalez. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Daniels outsmarted Ben Johnson and Jared Goff to eliminate the Detroit Lions this past weekend, The latter’s mistakes also played a decisive role in the team’s game. night.

Daniels’ dominance came with Kingsbury’s redemption at the heart of Washington’s charges. Kingsbury, who will be fired as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2022 after four seasons, three of them without a playoff, booked a one-way ticket to Thailand to rest, His coaching credentials are in desperate need of a reboot. He left football in 2023 to work with Caleb Williams at USC, eventually returning to the NFL to join Quinn’s staff and lead the league’s best offense one.

Now, I don’t know how many of you are fans of The Hangover 2, but there’s a scene where Alan meditates at Wat Chiangmei in Bangkok, which leads him to his next clue in finding his missing friend Teddy. I absolutely love the image Kingsbury emulates, rediscovering the answers to offensive reinvention and innovation in his own way. Spoiler: He found it.

He had answer after answer in Saturday night’s 45-31 win over the Lions, not the least of which was his decision to complete a 20-yard corner route for a third-and-5 Replacement of tight end John Bates to keep the offense going. With four minutes left to play, the pace of the game almost made it the icing on the cake. Terry McLaurin, Zach Ertz, Austin Ekeler, Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus – John Bates, who had just eight catches in the regular season.

Fun fact: Do a quick Google search for John Bates and the first image that comes up is of a character in a downtown monastery. Kingsbury, by the way, is still paid by the Cardinals.

Tom Brady exclaimed “oh oh oh” when he saw the cracks appearing in the Lions defense as Dyami Brown broke through with a scissors concept and Kingsbury lined up With 12 men, both tight ends stayed in the backfield as decoy cut blockers and then went into the flat, dissecting Detroit’s second level in turn. Kingsbury then took advantage of pulling defenders to cover on one side of the field, and McLaurin did the rest on his 58-yard touchdown reception. There was also an aggressive blitz against Aaron Glenn that set up a 38-yard field goal to Brown on a deep route, set up a score by Daniels, and his receiver did the same with a stunning catch to set up Ertz’s five-yard touchdown run set the stage. Kingsbury had his way for much of the game.

The star of the story, though, is Daniels. The coolest, craftiest offensive pilot on the court who doesn’t panic in the face of chaos, he glides in progression, controls the pocket, dunks against the league’s best teams, and performs spins as the latest ice-cold runaway killer.

It’s because of him that New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen insisted on watching a clip of his son coaching him on trying to draft Daniels on “Hard Knocks.” He’s the reason why expectations are amplified for this year’s No. 1 pick, Caleb Williams, and why the Chicago Bears are eager to hire Lions offensive puppet master Ben Johnson as their new head coach. .

Daniels immediately set the tone for his NFL bow, winning Offensive Rookie of the Month in September and posting the highest completion percentage through four games in league history.

In Week 8, he broke Internet and Bears records by running back and forth for 12.79 seconds, long enough to throw Chicago’s frontcourt defense into disarray before catching No. 1 with Tyrik Stevenson’s naivety. Hail Mary touchdown pass caught by Ya Brown. In Week 16, after Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter dove to try to catch the ball, Daniels stopped the ball with a spike with 11 seconds left, and five seconds later he looked like a He also put his feet in his pockets. The veteran veteran threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jameson Crowder in Washington’s 36-33 win over its NFC East rival.

Daniels set rookie records in completion percentage and quarterback rushing yards, completing 331 of 480 passes for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns while being sacked just nine times during the regular season. interception, in addition to rushing for 891 yards and six scores on 148 carries. He also became the first rookie to have over 300 yards of offense in multiple postseason games and the first rookie to post a passer rating of 100 or above in multiple postseason games.

“He’s a young quarterback based on his birth certificate, not on tape,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said this week.

“You know, the guy plays really well. You can tell how well they think he plays by the amount of offense they have and the things they trust him to do. He helps them out in a big way, and he’s tough to deal with it.”

Rookie hurdles are inevitable, and when they come, he’s more than capable of matching them. The Commanders’ offense, which ranked first in EPA per game and fourth in success rate during a 5-2 start to the season, dropped to 18th in EPA per game from Weeks 8 through 12 after a three-game losing streak. position, ranking 16th in success rate against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Eagles and Cowboys, ultimately giving Philadelphia control of the division in the process.

Daniels didn’t blink. Kingsbury avoided a meltdown, and criticism of him had previously focused on his scheme, but that criticism had grown stale over time. While the run game did get a little dry, the Commanders responded, ranking eighth in EPA/game and sixth in success rate from Weeks 13-18. Disaster averted.

“That’s what happens at this point in the NFL. Once you get to the halfway point, teams figure it out and you’re not going to surprise anybody,” said right tackle Andrew Wylie, who declined midseason. Shi said. “We have full confidence in the staff and the players. We’re going to keep working hard and get the job done.”

Behind Daniels, they finished the season seventh in total yards, 17th in passing, third in rushing, and fifth in points while ranking fourth in third down efficiency in EPA. /Ranked fourth in the competition.

Ertz insists they won’t hit the “panic button.” They don’t. Daniels never does this. Now, no quarterback left in the playoffs is playing better than him.

On defense, Quinn extracted production from all over but didn’t have a big name. Noah Igbinoghene salvaged his career as a starting cornerback after failing to keep a spot at Miami; linebacker Bobby Wagner continues to put up elite numbers at age 34; Dante Fowler Jr. just finished second on the team with 10.5 sacks. Nearly 10 years since he was drafted, Frankie Luvu is having a career season while also being used as a running back, pass rusher and cover In his seventh season, He had a career-high 8.5 sacks and made the playoffs for the first time.

Behind their tenacity, behind their two playoff victories so far, behind an unforeseen campaign, behind a massive “everyone eats” list of contributors, are Quinn and His staff makes up a responsible, personable and united dressing room. Washington is on its way to 12 wins for the first time since 1991, with postseason wins over top-five offenses in Tampa and Detroit and now an NFC championship showdown with a familiar opponent in Philadelphia, where the No. 1 defense and the A Saquon Barkley-inspired offense awaits.

Quinn and Daniels crushed the joke together. As long as they work together, they can win this whole thing.

What to do next?

Sunday, January 26th is the NFL Conference Championship – Live Broadcast Sky Sports NFL – The Philadelphia Eagles first face the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game at 8 p.m., then the Chiefs take on the Bills at 11:30 p.m.

Super Bowl LIX will be held on Sunday, February 9th at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. Sky Sports NFL live broadcast.