The Washington Commanders ended a 20-year playoff drought with a dramatic 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Game. It took every second, but Zane Gonzalez’s 37-yard field goal, which bounced off the right upright and barely cleared the crossbar as time expired, secured the win and sent Washington to the NFC Divisional Round against the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions.
For rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the term “bloody” wasn’t just figurative—it was literal. Early in the second quarter, television cameras captured Daniels bleeding heavily from his cheek before trainers cleaned and bandaged the wound. Social media users were quick to compare his look to rapper Nelly’s iconic face band-aid.
“Jayden Daniels got the Nelly Band-Aid,” ESPN’s Myron Medcalf posted on X.
“Jayden Daniels out here winning games looking like Nelly from the Hot in Herre video,” wrote X user The Real Larry D.
“Jayden Daniels with the Nelly bandaid might be hard to beat,” added X user Andrew Joseph.
Despite the injury, Daniels delivered a stellar performance in his playoff debut, completing 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
According to ESPN, “Daniels, playing with a bandage beneath his right eye after his face was bloodied, became the third rookie quarterback in three years to win a playoff game.”
Daniels a Favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Daniels appears to be the frontrunner for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. After leading the Commanders to a 12-5 record, he shattered the NFL rookie rushing record previously set by Robert Griffin III, the last Washington player to win the award in 2012.
Drafted No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft after winning the Heisman Trophy at LSU in 2023, Daniels has exceeded expectations. In a December 25 re-draft episode of The McShay Show, Todd McShay bumped Daniels to the No. 1 overall pick, dropping Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams to No. 3 with New England and moving Drake Maye up to No. 2 with Washington.
“I don’t know that Jayden Daniels would have a whole lot more success than Caleb Williams (in Chicago), but I think after just about a full season in the NFL, Jayden Daniels feels like the right decision here,” McShay said. “It was really close coming into the draft between Daniels and Caleb, and Jayden has just outplayed him this year.”
Daniels Adds to Postseason Honors
Daniels, already named a Pro Bowler, was recognized as Pro Football Talk’s Offensive Rookie of the Year on January 7.
“(Daniels) also led the Commanders to a playoff berth in a year that was supposed to be a rebuilding season, adding 891 rushing yards (a record for rookie quarterbacks) and six touchdowns,” wrote PFT’s Mike Florio. “As we close in on inaugurating a new president, Daniels already has been crowned the king of D.C. And there’s no reason to think he won’t keep getting better and better.”
