A Fairy Tale Season

I have been a Washington Redskins/Commanders football fan for a very long time. My first memory is from when I was 10 years old. My elementary school held a pep rally for the Redskins who were headed to their first Super Bowl. They lost to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, but got revenge ten years later when John Riggins lead them to victory in Super Bowl XVII. The Redskins have played in five Super Bowls, winning three of them with Joe Gibbs as coach. But it's been a long drought for the team and its long-suffering fans.

Tonight, the Redskins played in their first NFC Championship game since 1992. They were defeated by a more powerful Philadelphia Eagles team, and their fairy tale season came to an abrupt end. But, what a ride it was. Before today's game the Redskins had won two road playoff games, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and heavily favored Detroit Lions. After going 4-13 last year, they won 12 games in 2024. It was an amazing turn-around and an unforgettable season.

While it takes the whole team to win games, the 2024 season belonged to sensational rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels (QB1). Daniels was the second pick in the 2024 NFL draft.  He exceeded all expectations in his rookie year and was named the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year. Most pundits rank his rookie season as the best ever and consider Daniels a generational player.

Daniels beats you with his arm or legs. His poise is unmatched as a rookie QB. Nothing seemed to fluster him. He made so many great plays during the season and in the playoffs. Clutch plays. He threw for over 3,500 yards and ran for almost 900 yards (the most ever by a rookie QB; he broke RGIII's record). Jayden played well in the playoffs and had many people believing the Redskins would go to (even win) the Super Bowl. Sadly, they came up short.

Jayden Daniels   #5    QB1

The team's other star player was/is wide out Terry McLaurin, aka "Scary Terry" (#17). Before Daniels, McLaurin was arguably the team's best player and face of the franchise. He and Daniels made a formidable combination. McLaurin had 13 TD passes, second in the league. He scored a breakaway touchdown in the NFC title game against the Eagles. He had a 59-yard TD, off a screen pass, in the divisional playoff game against the Lions. McLaurin had over 1000 receiving yards for the 5th consecutive season. He is considered one of the best catch-and-run receivers in the league. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod.

Scary Terry's 36-yard touchdown against the Eagles

It goes without saying that the 2024 season and post season had many memorable moments. The biggest play of the year was undoubtedly the 52-yard Hail Mary pass from Jayden Daniels to Noah Brown. Many Hail Mary passes are thrown in the NFL, but few result in touchdowns and wins. I have a sweatshirt commemorating the play. Robin got it for me for Christmas. Ironically, the play occurred on my nephew Kevin's birthday. He is a huge Redskins fan. We often exchange text messages about the games.

The Redskins defeated the Chicago Bears 18-15. The loss seemed to derail the Bear's season, while the Redskins, with Daniels at the helm, continued to pull off amazing victories. They hit a 3-game slump in the middle of the season, but went on to win 12 games, including an amazing come-from-behind victory against the Eagles. Many of the Redskin wins were come-from-behind and last minute victories.

The Hail Mary

The Redskins played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card game. They were 3-point underdogs. They won the game in dramatic fashion. Of course. In the game's last six seconds, Zane Gonzalez bounced the ball off the uprights. Doink! His 37-yard field goal attempt was good. The Redskins won 23-20. They were on their way to the divisional round of the playoffs. The win was the Redskins first playoff win since 2006. Gonzalez was the team's 4th kicker; others having been hurt.

The Doink!

No one expected the Commanders to beat the first seeded Detroit Lions. The Lions had their own magical season, going 15-2. They were solid favorites, expected to win by more than a touchdown (an +8.5 point spread). Instead they lost by two touchdowns, 45-31. The Redskins defense intercepted the Lions four times, once for a touchdown, and recovered a fumble. Meanwhile, Jayden and the offense played flawlessly.

Four interceptions against top-seeded Detroit

Obviously Dan Quinn deserves a lot of credit for this year's miraculous season. He created a winning atmosphere. He's a finalist for NFL Coach of the Year. I think he should win. Throughout the season and into the playoffs, Quinn was known for taking a lot of chances, going for it a lot on 4th downs. Quinn and the team had so much confidence in Daniels. The team converted 87 percent of their 4th downs, tops in the league. Daniel's QB rating was out of this world on 4th downs. Sometimes he threw perfect passes; sometimes, he got the needed yardage with gutsy runs.

Poor Tress Way, who gave up his #5 jersey for Jayden.  He hardly ever got to punt. The team put together many long drives and frequently played all four downs. The team's most daring play might have been the fake punt in the NFC Championship Game. 4th and 6 from their own 34-yard line Tress Way lofted a perfect 23-yard pass to the 3rd string tight end. It was a first down. Instead of giving the ball back to the Eagles, they were able to put 3 points on the board.

Tress Way throws a completion for a 1st down.

It's fun to be a Washington Redskins/Commanders fan again. It's been a long time since we've been able to say that. We suffered for years under Dan Snyder's ownership. We've gone through name changes, losing our beloved Redskins moniker. But this year, the team almost got to the Super Bowl. We have a franchise quarterback, finally (we just need to keep him healthy -- remember RGIII?). Hopefully, 2024/25 is just the beginning of many years of competitive football in the DMV. I will wear my Jayden Daniels jersey and other Redskins/Commanders gear with pride.

To all the players and coaches -- thanks for the memories. 2024/2025 is a season I will never forget.