The Detroit Lions’ dream season abruptly ended as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders pulled off a stunning 45-31 upset in the NFC Divisional Round.
Playing on the road, Daniels kept his composure and delivered an impressive performance, completing 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns, enough to impress the greatest NFL quarterback of all time, Tom Brady. Led by Daniels, the Commanders sent Dan Campbell’s team packing and advanced to their first NFC Championship Game in over three decades.
Tom Brady Is All In on Jayden Daniels’ Ability To Handle Pressure
Now a Fox broadcaster, Brady praised Daniels during the ‘Let’s Go!’ podcast with Bill Belichick and Jim Gray. “They [Commanders] got to run the ball, got to possess it, got to keep the Lions offense off the field, and they’ve got to play a flawless game. And the reality is that’s exactly what they did. Went in there. They didn’t care who they were playing. They played hard on every snap,” Brady said.
“Their young quarterback, Jayden Daniels, put together his best performance of the season,” Brady continued. “And that’s what it takes this time of year. There’s very little margin of error.”
Brady highlighted Daniels’ ability to handle Detroit’s relentless blitzes, pointing to a brilliant 38-yard throw to Dyami Brown.
“Jayden Daniels handled it [blitz] so well, got the ball out of his hands quickly to his receivers in space, they made a bunch of yards, so I was very impressed by their performance,” the seven-time Super Bowl winner said.
"Jayden Daniels put together his best performance of the season."@TomBrady @Belichick_B & @JimGrayOfficial discuss the @Commanders win over the Lions, on this week's all-new "Let's Go!"
DOWNLOAD 🔗 https://t.co/7MYVDLq96X pic.twitter.com/iEnOtGcKMr
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) January 21, 2025
Washington leaned on its league-best fourth-down efficiency, converting three of four attempts against Detroit.
The Commanders’ five forced turnovers helped seal the victory, but Quinn needs to address the defensive issues ahead of their NFC Championship showdown with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Brady likened Daniels’ mental toughness to that of a young Tiger Woods because of the rookie’s poise under pressure. “Even though Jayden Daniels is just a rookie, he has that confidence. It’s him versus him, and he’s proving he’s ready for the big stage.”
NEWS: Tom Brady talks about the greatness of #Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels
“How do we evaluate confidence? Some embrace big moments, thinking, ‘This’ll be amazing.’ Others fear failure. Jayden Daniels, like young Tiger Woods, has poise—it’s him versus him”
(Via Let’s Go) pic.twitter.com/x0t8ocLeZp
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 22, 2025
Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner, led the Commanders to a 12-5 regular-season record after inheriting a 4-13 team. His 3,568 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, and rookie records for completion percentage (69%) and rushing yards (891) have him on the fast track to superstardom.
The Commanders now face the Philadelphia Eagles, a team they split their regular-season series with, for a chance to make their first Super Bowl appearance since 1991. The Eagles entered as six-point favorites, but Brady acknowledged Washington’s ability to exploit weaknesses, as seen in their last-minute win over Philadelphia earlier this season.
The NFC Championship Game will kick off on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
