The Washington Commanders beat the Philadelphia Eagles 36-33 thanks to a last-minute touchdown pass by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels to improve to 10-5 on the year.
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin had a huge game, catching six passes for 60 receiving yards and a touchdown in the second quarter. That touchdown tied a franchise record for most receiving TDs in a single season.
While discussing the monumental victory, McLaurin gave credit to the mindset that has been established by head coach Dan Quinn, who led the Commanders to their first victory of the season against a team with a winning record.
“Ohhhh man. Winning-time moments. Honestly, winning-time moments,” McLaurin laughed. “That’s why I love DQ [Dan Quinn]. He just knows the right things to say. I just love playing for a coach like that where we never flinch… To win this game, where there were a lot of ebbs and flows, speaks to the resilience and the culture that we’re building here. Like I’ve said in the past, if you want to look at a culture being built and what it stands for, it’s easy when things are going good. When there’s a little adversity, that’s when you get to see the true character of a group of people. That was a gritty win by us.”
McLaurin, who has only played in one playoff game during his nine-year career, compared the game with the Eagles to a postseason matchup.
FRANCHISE RECORD TIED: THAT’S 12 TDs for @TheTerry_25
📺 FOX | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/JhFT4TLtQL
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) December 22, 2024
“That was a playoff atmosphere, honestly,” McLaurin described. “I was having the time of my life out there competing and being a part of this group.”
He then talked more about the five-touchdown performance of Jayden Daniels, highlighting how he never flinched in the face of adversity.
“Man, he’s so poised,” McLaurin said. “No matter if we’re making plays or if we’re missing plays, he just has a way to stay even-keel that I’ve never seen from a rookie at any position, let alone quarterback. He has a way of just making the right plays when it’s time, you know what I mean? You can’t teach that. I feel like his ability to continue to get better each and every week and learn from his mistakes is why I feel like he has a chance to be one of the great ones.”
The Commanders can still win the NFC East if the Eagles lose a few games, but they’ll first have to beat the Falcons in Week 17 followed by the Cowboys in Week 18.
