Former Super Bowl champion and one of the hosts of “The Pat McAfee Show,” A.J. Hawk, has a lot of faith in rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and thinks the Washington Commanders can go into Lincoln Financial Field and win the NFC Championship Game.
Pat McAfee Show Panelist Thinks Commanders Can Upset Eagles
The popular daily NFL show sat down recently to review the events of the Divisional Round matchup. Much was made of the Commanders’ surprise win at Ford Field against the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the Detroit Lions.
As a result, Hawk was asked his opinion on the upcoming NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Commanders.
“I do love the Eagles, I love Saquon [Barkley]. I think the Commanders have a good chance of going there and getting a win,” said the 11-year NFL veteran. “I think we’re gonna be in for a barn burner.”
“I think the Commanders have a good chance to go into Philadelphia and get a win..
It’s gonna be a BARN BURNER” @OfficialAJHawk #PMSLive #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/fK26NUGQz7
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 20, 2025
Pat McAfee had many things to say, echoing his prediction and adding his own praise for Washington.
“Rookie sensation! He’s starting to crack into territory that nobody’s ever been. Any time they say, ‘He’s the first rookie to do this since,’ or, ‘There’s only been three rookies that have done this.’ I mean, what Jayden Daniels has been doing in the moments that he’s been doing them, and the way that they go about doing their s*** is bananas,” McAfee said.
Daniels Keeps Cool Head Under Pressure for Commanders
Perhaps his most important attribute is Daniels’ ability to keep a cool head and protect the ball. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner showcased an error-free game against Detroit, not getting sacked or throwing an interception.
PFN’s QB+ metrics gave the rookie quarterback an 81.0 game score, slightly better than Wild Card Weekend. Daniels finished with 299 yards and two touchdowns, completing 71% of his pass attempts.
Daniels finished with 0.48 EPA per dropback, which increased to 0.51 EPA when pressured. He now has the best two outputs in the 2024 playoffs when pressured and complemented that with an improved performance from a clean pocket (0.46 EPA/DB).
While his third-down conversion rate was lower against Detroit, Daniels’ decisive fourth-down play allowed him to keep drives alive. He finished with a combined 46.2% conversion rate across third and fourth downs.