On September 23rd, 2024, the Washington Commanders beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday Night Football, 38-33. The Commanders, who were 7.5 point underdogs, pulled off the upset being led by the 2023 Heisman Winner and second overall draft pick, quarterback Jayden Daniels. In this clash between two former LSU Heisman Winners, Daniels completed 21 out of his 23 passes and threw for 254 yards with two touchdowns, giving his performance the title of the highest completion percentage of a rookie Quarterback in NFL history. Currently, the Commanders are first in the NFC East.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen a quarterback ever play that good for my team,” Champe teacher and Commanders fan Noah Madgwick said. “His attitude and style of play gives me hope for the future. He is good.”
These weren’t the only major accomplishments by Daniels and the commanders, however. Washington’s offense was the first team in the Super Bowl era to have back-to-back games with zero turnovers and punts. Interestingly, Daniels’ first career NFL touchdown pass was thrown to offensive lineman Trent Scott. This newfound success gives Washington fans a feeling they haven’t felt in a long time, as the team has gone through 14 quarterbacks in the last five years. As Daniels and a new coaching staff take the helm, fans feel like they have a chance to be a winning team again, and a new era has begun in Washington.
