It was a season to remember for the Washington Commanders. Plenty of moments went into them going from 4-13 in 2023 to 12-5 and competing for an NFC Championship, but a few stood out among the rest.
So, here are 10 of the best plays the Commanders made in 2024.
Jayden Daniels' stumbling touchdown throw to Terry McLaurin
Daniels connected with McLaurin 12 times in 2024 -- the most the receiver has ever experienced with one quarterback in a single season -- but there's one that stands out to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. It happened in the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints on a play that "couldn't have gone any more wrong."
It was second-and-goal at the 16-yard line as Daniels scrambled to his left to avoid pressure from Bryan Bresee. He stumbled, which may have been the end of the play for almost any other quarterback. Instead, Daniels regained his composure, stepped up and launched a pass to the end zone.
It wasn't exactly clear who his target was on the play, as McLaurin and Brian Robinson Jr. were in the area. Either way, it was a pass into heavy traffic. That's an area where McLaurin thrives, though, and the veteran wide receiver leaped between two defenders to score the touchdown.
"I don't even know what that was, where he kind of rolled around, got knocked down, and Terry came up and made it," Kingsbury said. "That's why it's about players, not plays."
Frankie Luvu's interception vs. Eagles in Week 16
The Commanders needed something to help them regain momentum during their Week 16 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite Jalen Hurts being ruled out with a concussion, the Eagles jumped to a 14-0 lead with touchdowns from Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown. They had a chance to go up by three scores after a three-and-out from the Commanders, but Luvu had other plans.
A veteran-savvy move from Luvu led to Kenny Pickett's interception. He baited Pickett into thinking he was covering Dallas Goedert, which would have left Brown open near the hash marks. Instead, Luvu flipped his hips back to cover Brown as Pickett released the ball. It led to an easy grab for Luvu and set Washington's offense up at the Eagles' 25-yard line.
Washington got on the board four plays later thanks to a pass from Daniels to Jamison Crowder on third-and-goal.
Jayden's overtime touchdown to Zach Ertz vs. Falcons
Daniels put together a masterclass performance against the Atlanta Falcons in primetime, accounting for 354 total yards with three touchdowns to just one interception, but it was the final play of the game that showed how clutch the rookie can be when the time calls for it.
The Commanders got the ball first in overtime and moved the ball down to the Falcons' 2-yard line before taking a time out with 2:45 left on the clock. Daniels bent over to take a breather, and backup Marcus Mariota jogged over to encourage him.
"Stand up, catch your air, get your wind and go out there and execute," Mariota told him. "Use your God-given abilities, and let's go win this game."
Seconds later, Daniels did precisely that. He spotted tight end Zach Ertz at the goal line and zipped a pass to the veteran. It was a little outside his grasp, but Ertz reached out, plucked it out of the air and secured it on his knee to give Washington a win and a trip to the playoffs.
Mariota's game-winning touchdown vs. Cowboys
Washington didn't need the season finale win over the Cowboys to secure a playoff berth, but a victory ensured they would lock up the No. 6 seed and travel to play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The coaching staff tasked Mariota to handle that after pulling Daniels in the second half, and the 10-year pro showed that he could still lead an offense.
Mariota was efficient in the 23-19 victory, completing 15 of his 18 passes for 161 yards and rushing for 56 yards on five carries. His biggest throw came with the game on the line in the fourth quarter with three seconds left. He lofted a pass up to McLaurin in the corner of the end zone, and the receiver made the grab over a defender for the five-yard score.
It was Mariota's 15th career game-winning drive, and the day was one of the best in his decade-long NFL stint. His 83.4% completion rate and 141 passer rating were the sixth-best of his career. His 96.4 QBR was his best in a game where he recorded a stat as a passer since the 2020 season.
Quan Martin pick-six vs. Detroit
Head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. had preached the importance of creating turnovers all season long. There were moments when that message broke through, but it truly came to the forefront against the Detroit Lions in the Divisional round when the Commanders' defense forced five turnovers in a 45-31 win.
All the Commanders' takeaways helped seal the road win over the Lions, but perhaps the one that provided the most significant momentum swing came from Martin in the second quarter. The Commanders had just retaken the lead thanks to a 58-yard touchdown from Daniels to McLaurin. Two plays into the Lions' ensuing possession, Jared Goff overthrew his intended target, allowing Martin to make the catch instead.
Martin weaved through a mixture of teammates and would-be tacklers for 40 yards and ended the play in the end zone, giving Washington a 10-point lead against the No. 1-seeded Lions.
Zane Gonzalez's game-winning field goal vs. Buccaneers
There was plenty of pressure as Gonzalez lined up to make a 37-yard field goal attempt to give the Commanders their first playoff win since 2007. It was the end of a wild back-and-forth game against the team that beat the Commanders in Week 1. Daniels had just converted a third-and-2 with a diving two-yard run and took a knee on the left hash to line the ball up the way Gonzalez wanted it.
All Gonzalez needed to do was make the kick.
Even the kick itself had a bit of drama. It had the distance, but it started drifting too far to the right. It collided with the right upright but ricocheted back, making a loud "dong!" heard on the broadcast. The referees looked at each other briefly before raising their hands to signal that the kick was good.
The players on the sideline sprinted on the field to celebrate, and those in the field goal formation rushed to congratulate Gonzalez on the game-winning doink that sent Washington to the next round.
Jayden Daniels sealed the win over Cincinnati with a touchdown pass to Terry
The Commanders' offense was considered one of the best in the league for most of the season, with Daniels' skill set fueling the unit. That reputation can be traced back to Week 3 on Monday Night Football -- Daniels' first primetime NFL game -- when the Commanders matched the Cincinnati Bengals' blow-for-blow but emerged victorious thanks to a sensational fourth-quarter touchdown pass.
The Commanders, clinging to a five-point lead against Joe Burrow and the Bengals after Ja'Marr Chase broke loose for a 31-yard score, had the ball at the Bengals' 27-yard line and were facing a third-and-7. Moments before that play, Terry McLaurin suggested to offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury that he line up on the right because the player who would be covering him, Geno Stone, hadn't played against him much that night.
The play worked to perfection. McLaurin made a move at the 20-yard line to make a bit of room between him and Stone. Daniels took a shot on the play but managed to get the pass off and send it flying to the end zone. McLaurin had to slow up for a split second before making the grab and keeping both feet in bounds for the touchdown, giving the Commanders a 38-26 lead and effectively ending the game.
Besides how it capped off a 254-yard, two-touchdown night for Daniels, the best part about the throw was its difficulty level. It had a completion probability of 10.3%, making it the most improbable completion by the Commanders since Next Gen Stats began in 2016.
Dante Fowler's pick-six against Carolina
The Carolina Panthers were starting to build some momentum on their opening drive against the Commanders...and then they weren't.
Andy Dalton was looking for Chuba Hubbard on a screen pass facing a third-and-9 at the Commanders' 25-yard line. Dalton's pass missed the running back by inches and fell right into the hands of Dante Fowler Jr., who juked Dalton and left him on the ground as he sprinted the remaining 55 yards for the touchdown.
From then on, the Commanders faced little opposition en route to a 40-7 win over the Panthers. Fowler, who finished the day with two tackles and a sack, also got his first career pick-six. He became the first Washington player since Week 8 of the 1999 season with one pick-six, one sack and one tackle for loss since defensive lineman Dan Wilkinson.
Fowler's interception was also Washington's longest interception return touchdown since Kam Curl did so in 2020 with a 76-yard interception touchdown return against San Francisco and longest at home since Ifeanyi Ohalete's 78-yard interception return in 2002.
Mike Sainristil's interception puts the Commanders in scoring position
Whitt was in an interesting position heading into Washington's matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. He had never coached a defense that had to wait that long to force an interception. He didn't have to wait much longer, though.
As expected from a top-tier offense, the Ravens zoomed down the field on their opening drive and got to the Commanders' 20-yard line. Lamar Jackson had tight end Mark Andrews open on the left side of the field, but his pass missed its target and fell into Mike Sainristil's hands.
Sainristil took off down the sideline and got to Baltimore's 49-yard line before being taken down. The play set the offense up with good field position and led to a 42-yard field goal from Seibert.
It might have taken six weeks of patience, but the rookie proved the wait was worth it.
Commanders pull off a miracle against the Bears with a Hail Mary
It wouldn't be a top 10 list without this play. So, here's one of the most improbable plays in recent memory and arguably the most magical moments in a memorable season for the Burgundy & Gold.
