The Washington Commanders far exceeded even the most optimistic expectations anyone had for the franchise in 2024.
Led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who authored one of the most impressive seasons ever seen by a first-year signal-caller, the Commanders won a playoff game for the first time since 2005, upsetting the top-seeded Detroit Lions in the divisional round.
After that win, the Commanders had a chance to advance to the Super Bowl in the NFC championship game vs. the Philadelphia Eagles.
But it was not to be.
The Commanders' magical ride ended with a 55-23 loss to the Eagles on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. And for Daniels, it was difficult to hide the raw emotions defeat conjured up.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Daniels was blunt in his response when asked what he takes from the Commanders' journey this season.
Jayden Daniels - “This sucks. This shit sucks. Excuse my language but I couldn’t be prouder of my guys.” pic.twitter.com/qjv03knkKg
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) January 27, 2025
"Honestly man, it sucks. This s--t sucks," Daniels said. "Excuse my language, but I couldn't be prouder of the guys in the locker room. Year one, everybody not really knowing each other ... The rookies ... The veterans did a tremendous job of bringing us in and helping us out. We all just meshed."
"We got to this point, but at the end of the day, we lost. It sucks. But we'll move on from this."
Among the toughest pills to swallow about Sunday's result for Daniels and the Commanders is the fact that a team that had the ninth-fewest giveaways in the regular season turned the ball over four times against Philadelphia.
"Turnovers played a huge factor," Daniels said. "Especially playing a good team like Philly. You can't give those guys extra possessions."
The Commanders were understandably emotional, as described by beat writer JP Finlay, in the locker room after the game. But Daniels feels that he and his teammates are drawing a sense of motivation from the bitterness of defeat.
"For sure. I don't want to have a feeling like this again," Daniels said. "But you gotta deal with it. And move on from it."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jayden Daniels Had Blunt, NSFW Summation of Commanders' Loss to Eagles.
