The Washington Commanders’ remarkable turnaround season came to an end in the NFC Championship Game, with the Philadelphia Eagles winning in a record-setting 55-23 rout to reach Super Bowl 59.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels has been at the heart of the Commanders’ remarkable turnaround from cellar dwellers to championship contenders. While he was unable to become the first starting rookie quarterback to reach the Super Bowl, Daniels had an amazing postseason run on top of his historically great regular season, setting multiple single postseason rookie records along the way.
Most total yards by a rookie quarterback in a single postseason
Just through his first two playoff games, Daniels totaled 654 yards of offense (567 passing, 87 rushing). The previous rookie quarterback for total yards in a postseason belonged to Russell Wilson, who had 651 in his first season with the Seattle Seahawks, including a record 450 yards in a loss to the Atlanta Falcons. Daniels added another 303 yards (255 passing, 48 rushing) against the Eagles to give him 957 total yards.
Most passing yards by a rookie quarterback
Coming into the NFC Championship, Daniels only needed six yards to surpass Wilson for most rookie single postseason passing yards, so this was a formality. Good luck to any rookie who can exceed 822 yards any time soon.
Most completions by a rookie
Daniels set the total completions record after the Divisional Round with 46, racing past Mark Sanchez and Brock Purdy. With another 29 added to the total against Philadelphia, he’s got a commanding lead at 75. The lack of a reliable run game also meant more responsibility was placed on his shoulders; 114 total pass attempts is another rookie record.
Best completion percentage by a rookie
Daniels’ completion rate dipped from 69.7 percent to 65.8 percent after his 29-of-48 performance in Philadelphia, but he still edged out Brock Purdy for best rookie completion rate in a single postseason. John Elway technically had a 10/15 (66.7%) game in his playoff debut but was not a starter.
Most passing touchdowns by a rookie
With his first-half strike to Terry McLaurin, Daniels wrapped up his playoffs with five passing touchdowns, breaking a tie with Mark Sanchez for the previous top mark.
Most quarterback rushing yards by a rookie
Russell Wilson had the mark at 127 yards through two games. The extra game obviously helped Daniels but he put up 48 yards and a rushing TD against the Eagles, giving him 135 yards for the postseason.
Most fourth-downs converted by any quarterback
Dan Quinn entrusted his quarterback to convert fourth-down throughout the regular season and into the playoffs. Washington set an NFL playoff record with six fourth-down conversions prior to the Eagles game, then extended that mark four more conversions on Sunday. Daniels was responsible for nine of those conversions through the air or with his legs.
The Commanders’ crushing loss will undoubtedly be a bitter pill to swallow after an unforgettable and extraordinarily exciting season, but the NFC Championship loss shouldn’t take away from the exceptional performance of the No. 2 overall pick in his rookie year. If this is not his final form, then perhaps that wait to return to the Super Bowl won’t be too much longer.
(All stats provided by Stathead)
