The new regime in Washington has produced immediate returns in the form of a trip to the playoffs.
The Commanders have punched their ticket to the postseason with their 30-24 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a 2-yard touchdown to Zach Ertz for the overtime game-winner, ushering the Commanders to the postseason.
"I'm excited, I'm happy. The fanbase waited a long time for this," Daniels told reporters after the win. "I really can't put into words how much it means to them, how much it means to be able to go out there and lead this franchise and this team to opportunities like that."
Along with clinching for themselves, the Commanders also secured a playoff berth and NFC West title for the Rams by giving Los Angeles the strength of schedule tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks.
It is Washington's first playoff appearance since 2020, as the Commanders return to postseason play searching for their first playoff win since the 2005 season, having lost in the Wild Card Round in each of their last four appearances over the last 19 seasons.
2024 marked a year of transition for the Commanders as the first season with new general manager Adam Peters and new head coach Dan Quinn.
The pair was tasked with bringing the Commanders back into the spotlight, with one of the first big decisions being to draft Daniels No. 2 overall and handing the rookie the starting reins from the beginning of the season. The trust in the young signal-caller has paid off, as Daniels has led his team to a 11-5 record so far, putting together a potential Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign along the way.
Washington had already secured its first winning record since 2016, and now, just one year removed from finishing second to last in the league at 4-13, the Commanders will play more football beyond the regular season.
