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Jayden Daniels has done it. He has surpassed Robert Griffin III for the most rushing yards by a rookie quarterback, and his predecessor cannot be any happier.
On Sunday, the Washington Commanders' second overall pick of this year's draft reached 820 rushing yards for the season in a 30-24 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons that clinched the playoffs sixth seed for the long-struggling team. It is their first since Josh Harris bought the franchise from the much-maligned Dan Snyder in 2023. Daniels also completed two-thirds (24) of his passing attempts (36) for 227 yards and three touchdowns (two to Zach Ertz) against an interception.
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Later, Griffin, himself a second overall pick in 2012 for the same franchise (when it was called the Redskins), shared that he was rooting for it to happen, and that detractors need to stop hating:
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Jayden Daniels reacts to Commanders' win over Falcons
After the game, Daniels faced the press to address his emotions. He said that he was excited to be in the playoffs in just his first year as a pro (0:15 to start):
"The fanbase waited a long time for this. I really can't put it into words how much it means to them and how much it means to me, being able to go out there and lead this franchise, this team to opportunities like that."
He continued (2:12 to begin):
"You could just tell through the atmosplere of this game. I haven't been here long, so I'm still learning everything. But I know the fanbase is very excited."
Coach Dan Quinn also had nothing but praise for his rookie signal-caller in his own post-game press conference, especially singling out his "warrior instinct" in critical situations (19:25 to begin in the video below):
"This game, we knew we were gonna be bold. But at the end I thought the second half especially, there were just some strong plays, and he just willed it - just the competitor (that) he is, and I thought he was able to demonstrate that, express himself tonight."
The Commanders conclude their season at the Dallas Cowboys this Sunday. More broadcast details will be revealed after the San Francisco 49ers-Detroit Lions game ends.
