Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels produced an incredible late rally to help the Washington Commanders stun the Philadelphia Eagles on a Sunday filled with playoff movement in the NFL.
Daniels showed why he could be a huge star in the NFL by ending Philadelphia’s long winning streak, as the Eagles struggled to deal with losing their own quarterback Jalen Hurts to a concussion.
That leaves the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings on a collision course for what could be an epic final week — as the two divisional rivals are locked in a battle for the top seed in the NFC.
But that was the end for the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, and Arizona Cardinals, who all fell out of playoff contention, while the Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons boosted their chances with key wins.
Daniels wins a stunning comeback
Washington’s fifth-ranked Daniels threw five touchdowns to overcome five team turnovers in a thrilling 36-33 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.
Philadelphia fumbled early but Saquon Barkley rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns in a sparkling first quarter.
He would only manage 34 more yards though as Washington’s defense sped up and Daniels showed off his special skills — including adding 81 rushing yards to his five touchdown passes at the state line in either quarter. Beck has never managed before.
It takes something special to produce a 57-yard drive and a game-winning touchdown pass with just six seconds left on the clock — to do it against one of the NFL’s best defenses, as a rookie, is pretty incredible.
“I always believe we can win games no matter what,” Daniels said. “The game isn’t over until the clock hits zero. If you really love the game, you live for those big moments where it gets to the end.”
Daniels’ heroics lifted Washington to 10-5, their best record since the 1991 Super Bowl-winning season, ended Philly’s 10-game winning streak and — as an added bonus for Commanders fans — But – eliminated Dallas from the playoffs as well.
Lions & Vikings battle for NFC top spot
Philadelphia’s loss means they fall a game back in the race for the top seed in the NFC, with Detroit and Minnesota both going 13-2 in a battle that will go down to the wire.
The Lions dominated the Chicago Bears 34-17 and earned 13 wins for the first time in their history, with their 7-0 away record and 493 total points also a team record this season.
The Lions just can’t shake the Minnesota Vikings, though, who came from behind to beat the Seattle Seahawks 27-24 and match Detroit at 13-2 — just the second time the team has held that record.
Quarterback Sam Darnold, who was only seen as a one-year stopgap this season, impressed again with three touchdown passes — two to Justin Jefferson, who had a game-high 144 yards.
The battle could reach a thrilling climax with two games left as the Lions and Vikings meet in Detroit on the final weekend — and, with the No. 1 seed getting a bye and home advantage in the playoffs, the stakes are high. .
The Cowboys and 49ers are out of the playoff hunt.
Last season’s losing Super Bowl side, the San Francisco 49ers, have struggled with injuries all season and were left out of the playoffs before their loss to the Miami Dolphins.
After three 12-win seasons, the famous Dallas Cowboys were also eliminated before their game — but they still dealt a huge blow to the Buccaneers’ playoff hopes by beating Tampa Bay 26-24. .
The Bucs had a four-win streak to lead the NFC South, but a loss at Dallas along with Atlanta’s dominant 34-7 win at the New York Giants meant the Falcons regained top spot and Tampa Bay fell out of the playoff spots.
Atlanta replaced veteran Kirk Cousins with rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and his debut could not have been smoother.
Both sides are 8-7 but only the division winner is likely to advance.
The Los Angeles Rams also took charge of their division after beating the New York Jets 19-9 to move ahead of the Seahawks – Seattle now needs the Rams to lose before their final weekend divisional showdown.
It was also the end of the line for the Arizona Cardinals after an overtime loss at the Carolina Panthers, meaning just six teams remain in the hunt for the four remaining playoff spots.
The Green Bay Packers can take one of the winners against the New Orleans Saints on Monday (01:15 GMT, Tuesday).
The Bills are still alive, chasing the Chiefs and Bengals in the AFC.
The Buffalo Bills were heavy favorites against the three-win New England Patriots but divisional games in the NFL are never that straightforward – and the hosts needed a big defensive effort to pull out a 24-21 victory.
MVP favorite Josh Allen had a quiet game of his own, and his throwing arm suffered late, while cornerback Tyron Johnson’s opportunistic fumble recovery touchdown proved to be the difference.
Miami’s win over the 49ers moved them to 7-8 with the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals – both of whom also won to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
Jonathan Taylor had a monster game, with 218 rushing yards and three touchdowns, as the Colts beat the Tennessee Titans to show why they should have run the ball more all season.
Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase continue to put in stellar performances as the Bengals beat the Cleveland Browns for their third straight win, as they cling on.
Barrow had 250-plus yards and three touchdown passes for the seventh straight game — another NFL record in an extraordinary season he’s produced despite the Bengals’ struggles.
The Bengals, Colts and Dolphins all need to win their final two games and hope the results somehow go their way to clinch one of the AFC’s two wild-card spots.
The Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars are both out of things, but the Raiders at least snapped their 10-game losing streak by beating the Jags.
