ExtremeRavens Posted January 23 Posted January 23 To say Jayden Daniels might be the best rookie quarterback in modern NFL history isn’t an exaggeration. After being picked No. 2 overall in April, the 24-year-old former LSU and Arizona State star led the Washington Commanders to a 12-5 record — their best mark since winning the Super Bowl 1991 — and a spot in the postseason for just the second time in nine years and the sixth time since 2000. But he hasn’t stopped there. By leading Washington to a thrilling 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a last-second field goal in the wild-card round and a stunning 45-31 upset victory over the top-seeded Detroit Lions, Daniels has the reinvigorated franchise in the NFC championship game for the first time in 33 years. Since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, only five rookie quarterbacks have started a conference championship game: Shaun King (2000), Ben Roethlisberger (2005), Joe Flacco (2009), Mark Sanchez (2010) and Brock Purdy (2023). None have ever won. Daniels, whose Commanders are 6 1/2-point underdogs against the host Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, would have to engineer another upset to become the first rookie to start the Super Bowl. Sixteen years ago, Flacco was on a similar path. After being picked 18th overall out of Delaware, then in Division I-AA, the rookie beat out 2003 first-round pick Kyle Boller and former Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith to become the Week 1 starter and never relinquished the job (at least until Lamar Jackson came along). Though his numbers were far from spectacular — 2,971 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes, 12 interceptions with 180 yards and two scores on the ground — Flacco’s big arm and preternatural poise helped Baltimore finish the regular season 11-5 and second in the AFC North to earn a wild-card berth. In the postseason, it was the Ravens’ dominant defense led by Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Terrell Suggs, Bart Scott and Haloti Ngata that led the way, intercepting Chad Pennington four times — including a 64-yard pick-six by Reed — in a 27-9 wild-card win over the Miami Dolphins and forcing three turnovers in a 13-10 win over the top-seeded Tennessee Titans in the divisional round. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco became the first rookie to defeat a No. 1 seed when he helped Baltimore defeat the Titans, 13-10, in the AFC divisional round on Jan. 10, 2009. (Staff file)Flacco played a big role in the win over Tennessee, however, throwing a 48-yard pass to Derrick Mason for the game’s only touchdown to give Baltimore a 7-6 lead in the first quarter. A 23-yard pass from Flacco to tight end Todd Heap on third down — despite the play block being expired at the snap — set up the game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter. The nine-play, 51-yard march ended with a 43-yard field goal by Matt Stover with 57 seconds left. “It’s the same as any other drive,” said Flacco, who earned the nickname “Joe Cool” during his career for his calm and stoic demeanor. It sounds like it could be a quote from Daniels, who has received the same praise for his unflappable play that belies his age. When Washington beat Tampa Bay earlier this month on a kick from Zane Gonzalez that bounced off the upright and in, Daniels barely showed any emotion but a wry smile as he watched from the bench. Maybe he knew what was to come. Unlike Flacco, who completed only 11 of 22 passes for 161 yards in that upset win over the Titans, Daniels roasted the Lions’ defense, finishing 22-for-31 for 299 yards and two touchdowns while rushing 16 times for 51 yards. With that brilliant performance, he joined Flacco as the only rookie quarterbacks to defeat a No. 1 seed in the playoffs. “I always believed that we could achieve more than people gave us credit for it, but you got to go out there and put in the work,” said Daniels, who is expected to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year after passing for 3,568 yards with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for 891 yards and six scores during the regular season. This weekend, he’ll try to walk where Flacco and his fellow rookies have stumbled. In the AFC championship game 16 years ago, Flacco completed just 13 of 30 passes for 141 yards with three interceptions in a 23-14 loss to the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, who went on to win the Super Bowl over the Arizona Cardinals. “With a windchill of 15 degrees at Heinz Field, the NFL’s top-ranked defense turned Joe Cool into Joe Cold,” then-Baltimore Sun reporter Jamison Hensley wrote. After becoming the first rookie to win two playoff games, Flacco ran out of magic against a bitter division rival. But it was only the beginning for him and coach John Harbaugh, who four seasons later would hoist the Lombardi Trophy after Flacco put together one of the most impressive postseason runs by a quarterback in league history. “This is our beginning. This is where we start,” Harbaugh said after that loss to the Steelers. “This is not an end by any stretch. We’re excited to go forward and take the next step.” No matter the result in Philadelphia on Sunday, the Commanders will hope this is just the start for Daniels, too. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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