Final-drive magic unfolded for the second time this season at Northwest Stadium, as the Commanders beat the Eagles, 36-33. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, wide receiver Jamison Crowder and linebacker Frankie Luvu produced special performances to give Washington its tenth win of the season and draw closer to grabbing hold of a playoff spot.

Jayden Daniels

Having déjà vu? The quarterback of course had to make the game balls list after that comeback.

There were some blips on the stat sheet for Daniels (namely two interceptions) in a game that had some ugly and chaotic moments for both sides. However, even when momentum was with the Eagles or a mistake had been made, the rookie quarterback never faltered and continued to show the coolness, accuracy and ability with his legs that has led to so much joy for Washington this season.

Twice Daniels took the reins himself on fourth down, going on the run to extend drives and put his team in positive positions. His run on fourth-and-4 in the first quarter led shortly after to his first touchdown pass of the day to Jamison Crowder. With just 18 seconds left in the third quarter and Washington down 13, the signal-caller wove through the Eagles defense for 29 yards on fourth-and-11, and that drive finished with a Zaccheaus touchdown.

Then, of course, there was that final drive. He had less than two minutes to try to get his team a touchdown, and Daniels worked the assignment with spell-bounding speed and accuracy.

The win was a career day for #5 as he completed 24-for-39 passes for 258 yards, threw five touchdowns (his first time with 4+ TDs) and ran for a team-high 81 yards. Dan Quinn perhaps summed it up best in talking about Daniels' performance: "Today, he became a heavy hitter."

Olamide Zaccheaus

There were some questions about who could step up as other go-to options for Daniels in the air for this game. It was unclear whether Zach Ertz, ranked second in the team in receiving yards, would be available as he worked through the concussion protocol. Noah Brown, ranked third in receiving yards, is out for some time after receiving what was later determined to be a kidney injury against the Titans.

Yesterday, Zaccheaus stepped up and finished as Washington's receiving yards leader with 70 yards on five catches. And it gets better; he also recorded two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter as the Commanders mounted their comeback.

On the first, he broke away from his defender and was able to get his hands under Daniels' throw while sliding to the ground. The four-yard pass was Zaccheaus' first touchdown of the season. The second was the Commanders' next scoring play. The wideout once again found a good deal of space away from his defender and collected a downfield bomb from Daniels. There was still a lot to be done to get into the end zone after securing the pass. Zaccheaus shrugged off a defender and skipped away from another to take it home and tie it up for Washington.

The last time the wide receiver recorded two touchdowns in a game was in Week 9 of the 2021 season. Doing it again in an important win against your former team? Clutch.

Jamison Crowder

Zaccheaus wasn't the only one to answer the receiving weapon call for Washington. Crowder also showed up huge for the Commanders in this victory.

It was only 14 days ago that the veteran returned to practice after landing on injured reserved early October with a calf injury. Before that, he had appeared in two games this season, playing 12 offensive snaps and two special teams snaps and notching one catch for five yards.

Against the Eagles, Crowder busted onto the scene of the 2024 season in a big way. He cut Philadelphia's lead in half and got Washington on the board in the first quarter as he slipped behind his defender to haul in a six-yard throw from Daniels.

The wide receiver was also responsible for the last touchdown of the day. With less than ten seconds to play on the final drive and Washington needing a touchdown to win, Crowder, from the left this time, snuck in between a group of Eagles defenders and connected on Daniels throw in the back of the end zone. With that ice-in-the-veins catch, the Commanders took the lead and put a bow on the comeback.

Frankie Luvu

The linebacker is becoming a usual suspect on the game balls list. Week in and week out he has been setting the tone and making things happen on defense for Washington. Against a top 10 overall offense and the number one rushing offense heading into this game, the Commanders were going to turn to Luvu to have a strong performance.

Washington didn't look sharp on either side of the ball to start the game, and Philadelphia capitalized, jumping out to a 14-0 lead. After Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was ruled out with a concussion and backup Kenny Pickett stepped in, it seemed a window opened for the Commanders to lock in and sink their teeth into this contest.

Luvu was the one who got the ball rolling on that mission. With four and a half minutes to play, the linebacker dropped into the slant area and picked off a pass intended for A.J. Brown, and Washington took possession on the Eagles' 25-yard line. It was Luvu's first interception of the season and his first since 2022.

His role was already vital coming into this matchup against this kind of offense, but it seemed to become even more crucial as Hurts went out and the Eagles relied more heavily on the run game. Running back Saquon Barkley certainly had his moments of brilliance breaking away, but he was also frustrated, and Luvu played a part in that. Take, for example, his tackle on Barkley for a loss of three yards just before halftime as Philadelphia was looking to grab back hold of a two-score lead.

In addition to the interception, Luvu amassed seven tackles, two tackles for loss and one pass breakup.