Washington Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels made his Sunday Night Football debut on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. It was a game with a lot on the line for both teams, as the Falcons were trying to hold onto their lead in the NFC South while the Commanders looked to clinch a playoff berth.
Daniels delivered, completing 24 of 36 passes for 227 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also led the Commanders with a career-high 127 rushing yards. His touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ert won the game in overtime, and Washington improved to 11-5.
It wasn’t just Commanders’ fans tuning in to see Daniels. According to NBC Sports PR, the Washington-Atlanta game had 19.7 million viewers, the most for a Sunday night game since the 2019 regular-season finale. In that game, the 49ers played the Seahawks for the NFC West title.
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) December 31, 2024
Sunday’s game was certainly dramatic, with Daniels pulling off late-game heroics for the second consecutive week. Sunday’s game against the Falcons wasn’t Daniels’ prime-time debut. He led the Commanders to a thrilling road win over the Bengals on Monday Night Football in Week 3. In Week 11, Daniels and the Commanders fell to the Eagles on Thursday Night Football.
The Washington-Atlanta game was flexed to Sunday night. You can bet next spring that when the NFL schedule is released, the Commanders will be one of the more popular prime-time choices.
It’s all thanks to Jayden Daniels.
