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30Dec

Primetime overtime victory clinches playoff berth for Washington

In one of the biggest moments of one of the biggest games of the entire season, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels proved he’s actually human.

After leading the offense up and down the field all night long against a motivated and desperate Atlanta Falcons team, the Heisman Trophy winner needed a moment to catch his breath. Deep into overtime, head coach Dan Quinn called a timeout to allow his electrifying 24-year-old time to regain his composure.

As Daniels kneeled on the field, his backup, Marcus Mariota, walked over to him and delivered a timely pep talk.

“Stand up, catch your air, get your wind and go out there and execute,” Mariota said. “Use your God-given abilities, and let’s go win this game.”

It should come as no surprise the rookie phenom did just that. Daniels connected with veteran tight end Zach Ertz in overtime for his third touchdown pass of the game, capping off an incredible performance. The LSU standout completed 24 of 36 passes for 227 yards with three touchdowns and ran for a season-high 127 yards, including 42 in overtime.

During the most-watched Sunday Night Football game since 2019, the most clutch version of this franchise during my 20 seasons covering the team delivered once again. The Commanders, led by Daniels, rose to the occasion with the game on the line, defeating the Falcons in overtime, 30-24. Washington has 11 wins for the first time since 1991 and has officially qualified for the playoffs.

Washington has scored 30 or more points seven times, including three times in the last four games, and is one of only three teams to score on more than half of its drives this season. Considering the Commanders were 4-13 one year ago and the franchise hadn’t posted a winning season since 2016, it’s been a remarkable turnaround for a franchise that hasn’t had much to be cheerful about over the years.

The Commanders’ win was also testament to Daniels’ poise and resilience. He shook off an interception and a 10-point halftime deficit to lead the winning drive in overtime. At 11-5, Washington now has a chance to secure the sixth seed in the NFC. A victory over the Dallas Cowboys next weekend, could set up a wild-card round game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Los Angeles Rams.

23Dec

Jayden Daniels and Commanders stun Eagles at the buzzer

The Philadelphia Eagles came into town riding a 10-game winning streak, thanks to a potent two-headed offensive attack featuring Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley as well as arguably the best defense in the league. Philadelphia rushed out to an early lead and a blowout of the Commanders looked likely … until the 11th play of the game when Hurts was sidelined with a concussion.

With backup Kenny Pickett behind center, the Eagles leaned heavily on Barkley, who rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns, enabling the Birds to jump to a 14-0 lead barely eight minutes into the game. By the third quarter, Philly was ahead 27-14 lead and the Commanders had a five percent chance of winning the contest. But the fourth quarter veered heavily off script and the burgundy and gold rallied to stun their division rival.

Washington’s rookie phenom Jayden Daniels sparked an improbable 22-point fourth quarter to steal a 36-33 win over the Eagles, capped by a nine-yard touchdown pass to Jamison Crowder with just six seconds remaining. On the day, Daniels completed 24 of 39 attempts for 258 yards with a career-best five touchdowns and two interceptions, while also rushing for a team-high 81 yards.

Through 15 weeks, Philadelphia hadn’t given up more than two touchdown passes in a single game this season. Daniels, who is still technically a rookie, threw for five. One of those went to his favorite target, Terry McLaurin, who hauled in his 12th touchdown reception of the season — tying the franchise record with Super Bowl champion Ricky Sanders.

With the win, Dan Quinn became the first coach in franchise history to win at least 10 games in his first season. Amazingly, the last time the franchise was 10-5 was back in 1991. The Commanders now have a 94 percent chance to make the postseason, and a win over Atlanta next week on Sunday Night Football will clinch their spot. As the franchise seeks its first playoff victory in 19 years.

21Dec

Lindgren leads Capitals to win over Canes in spectacular fashion

As Carolina forward Tyson Jost ripped a shot on net while racing into the offensive zone midway through the second period, Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren made a split-second decision. Rather than attempting to “get big” in hopes of deflecting the shot aside, Lindgren pulled off an absurd acrobatic windmill save that electrified the building and earned him a standing ovation from those in attendance.

The feat became even more impressive upon discovery that the netminder was so under the weather that he was vomiting during intermission. Lindgren, who had 23 saves on the night, was rewarded for his heroic efforts as Washington earned a 3-1 win over Carolina. Forwards Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael scored crucial goals in the final minute of the first and second periods, respectively, to propel the Capitals to victory and snap a two-game losing streak.

Jakub Vrana added an insurance goal for the Caps, who improved to 10-4-2 at Capital One Arena this season. Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis spoiled Lindgren’s shutout bid with 9:38 left, but it was too little, too late for the visitors.

Despite a strong showing from goalie Pyotr Kochetkov, who stopped 19 of 22, Carolina’s recent road woes continued. The Canes have been outscored 21-10 in regulation while dropping five consecutive away game (0-4-1). The Capitals, meanwhile, won their ninth game in 13 without injured captain Alex Ovechkin. Coach Spencer Carbery ruled out a possible Ovechkin return before the Christmas break, but the 39-year-old could be back before the new year.

16Dec

Commanders start fast, narrowly hold off late Saints comeback

When playing a bad team, the ideal approach is to put points on the board early and then allow them to implode. Put your foot on their neck until they roll over and show you their belly, if you will. 

The Washington Commanders lost to the Dallas Cowboys a few weeks prior because they started slow, messed around for most of the first half and allowed a clearly limited inferior opponent to stick around long enough to become invested. Well. It almost happened again in New Orleans, when the Commanders once again played an injury ravaged opponent who should have represented an easy win. 

Spencer Rattler and the Saints went marching on for two touchdowns and two field goals during the final 23 minutes of the game and were a failed two point conversion away from a shocking come-from-behind victory for the home team. Considering Washington led 17-0 earlier in the afternoon, it was quite a nerve racking conclusion for everyone involved, with the Commanders eeking out a 20-19 victory. 

To absolutely no one’s surprise Jayden Daniels, returning back to the bayou where he won the Heisman Trophy at LSU, was the best player in the game. His preferred target, Terry McLaurin, had two touchdown catches and could have easily had two more. But Washington allowed eight sacks, committed nine penalties and failed to produce a consistent ground game without center Tyler Biadasz, who was a late scratch due to an illness. 

Greg Joseph missed a 54-yard field goal attempt with roughly two minutes remaining that would have sealed the win for the visitors. Because kicker has been Washington’s least stable position on the roster all season — and for more than two decades — the newest addition to the roster was always unlikely to convert the long attempt. Nothing against Joseph, who is probably a solid kicker and/or human being. It’s just he’s the latest guy to walk through the revolving door at kicker this season, filling in for Zane Gonzalez, who was filling in for Austin Seibert, who replaced Cade York, who replaced Brandon McManus.

With veteran quarterback Derek Carr injured, interim coach Darren Rizzi opted to start Jake Haener, who led the Saints to just 38 yards of offense before he was benched at halftime in favor of Rattler. Cornerback Marshon Lattimore played 53 snaps in his burgundy and gold debut. New Orleans wisely opted to avoid the former Saints standout, not targeting the four-time Pro Bowler once the entire game. 

While it wasn’t easy and it certainly wasn’t pretty, the victory ensures Washington’s first winning season since 2016. Depressing stat of the day: The last time the franchise was 9-5 after 14 games was 1992. With three games remaining, the Commanders have an 88 percent chance to make the playoffs, according to the league’s website. 

06Dec

Luka Doncic and friends make light work of Wizards

The Dallas Mavericks are championship contenders in “win now” mode. The Washington Wizards, to put it kindly, are not. In related news, Luka Doncic posted a triple-double and Kyrie Irving added 25 as Dallas soundly defeated the Wizards, 137-101.

Washington, which is in the early stages of a lengthy rebuild, entered the contest with 15 consecutive losses and limited firepower, thanks to injuries to forwards Kyle Kuzma and Corey Kispert. After completing a winless November, the Wizards remain content to take their lumps now while dedicating extended minutes to the kids on the roster in hopes of brighter days ahead. While that’s a smart strategy long term, it makes for some ugly struggles in the interim.

Seven Dallas players finished with double digits in points, including Doncic (21 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds) as the Mavericks toyed with the Wizards for most of the night. The Mavericks, who have now won six straight games, shot 53 percent from the field and 52 percent from three-point range, while also dominating the boards (58 to 39) and blocked shots (12 to 3).

Forward Marvin Bagley III and guard Malcolm Brogdon each scored 16 points for Washington, which drops to an NBA-worst 2-18 record after the loss. For the second year in a row, the Wizards have a 16-game losing skid. Washington now needs to defeat the 2023 NBA champions Denver Nuggets in order to avoid setting the franchise’s new record for futility, with a 17th consecutive loss.

04Dec

Surprising Sharks attack sleepy Capitals for overtime win

Expectations were low for both the Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks entering the season. Washington limped into the playoffs last season allowing 37 more goals than they scored. The Sharks landed the first pick in the draft after earning a league-worst 47 points one year ago.

Fortunately for both fanbases, both teams have been significantly better than advertised. The Washington Capitals have been a joy to watch this season, with seemingly every offseason gamble the front office made already paying dividends. A team that struggled to score with any regularity last season now boasts one of the league’s best offenses.

Washington has done an amazing job of consistently creating high-percentage shots and scoring chances this season. All four lines have been productive, making it easier for coach Spencer Carbery to spread playing time out more evenly than in previous years. Additionally, Caps defensemen — specifically John Carlson, Jakob Chychrun, Rasmus Sandin and Trevor van Riemsdyk — have consistently contributed to the offense as well, nearly matching the production of last year’s defense in roughly a quarter of the season.

The normally high-octane Capitals failed to get rolling against a young and scrappy San Jose team that appears to be ahead of schedule in their rebuild, losing 2-1 in overtime which snapped Washington’s four-game winning streak. William Eklund scored the game-winning goal during a power play just 39 seconds into the extra session. A high sticking by Tom Wilson on Sharks center Macklin Celebrini resulted in a double-minor penalty, which was too much for the home team to overcome. Capitals goalie Logan Thompson stopped 29 of 31 shots, while goalie Mackenzie Blackwood saved 27 of 28 shots faced for San Jose.

The Sharks, who started the season 0-7-2, improve to 10-6-3 over their last 19 games — which is ninth best in the NHL during that span. Baby-faced Celebrini, the number one pick in the 2024 draft, leads the way with 11 points in his last nine games.

02Dec

Commanders dismantle Titans to snap three-game losing streak

Angst was readily apparent in the nation’s capital after consecutive losses to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Dallas derailed an improbable 7-2 start by the Washington Commanders.

Had the franchise quarterback hit the rookie wall? Had the offensive coordinator become too predictable? Could the head coach turns things around before it’s too late or is the fanbase destined for yet another winter of sadness?

While it’s too early to know how the rest of the season will unfold, Washington scored touchdowns on its first four drives in a 42-19 rout over the Tennessee Titans for the franchise’s first December home victory since 2017.

Coming into the game, Tennessee excelled at shutting down the run and had the best third-down defense in the NFL. Amazingly, Washington dominated the Titans in both facets of the game — rushing for 267 yards while also converted nine of 14 third-down attempts.

On his first carry of the day, running back Brian Robinson Jr. broke free for a career-long 40-yard touchdown that set the tone for the afternoon. After leaving the Dallas game early due to injury, Robinson bounced back with 16 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels completed 25 of 30 passes for 206 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. The rookie also rushed for a touchdown that gave Washington an early 14-0 lead. And when Daniels went to the air, he looked for receiver Terry McLaurin, who was targeted eight times. Scary Terry caught all eight passes thrown his way for 73 yards and two touchdowns.

By the time the Titans ran their 10th offensive play, they already trailed 28-0 early in the second quarter. While Tennessee looked better in the second half, the game was far from ever becoming competitive. Washington outgained the visitors 463 to 245 and dominated time of possession. Backup running back Chris Rodriguez Jr., who has been a forgotten man for most of the season, even racked up 94 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Bobby Wagner reached a significant milestone on Sunday, when he joined fellow Washington linebacker London Fletcher as the only players to reach 100 tackles in 13 consecutive seasons. The 34-year-old future Hall of Famer continues to be worth his weight in gold for a Commanders franchise that desperately needed veteran leadership and consistent production from the heart of the defense.

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