The 2024 NFL Season has been a surprise to fans. Analysts didn’t think the Washington Commanders and the Denver Broncos had playoff aspirations and needed to keep retooling their rosters. Both teams had winning records in the 2024-25’ NFL Season, as the Commanders finished with a 12-5 record with former Heisman trophy winner and number two overall pick from this year’s draft, Jayden Daniels.
Jayden and the Commanders’ Underdog Journey
The rookie has had one of the best rookie seasons by a Washington QB since his fellow former Heisman winner and former number two overall pick in the 2012 Draft, Robert Griffin III, who led his Washington squad to a 9-7 record in 2012, leading them to the playoffs before an injury in the wild card for RGIII derailed what his promising career could have been and leaves him as one of the biggest “what-if’s” in NFL history.
Daniels led his Commanders to a thrilling win against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as he drove down the field in the final minute to get his team into field goal range. Kicker Zane Gonzalez kicked a 37 Yard Field Goal while time expired to win a nail-biting 23-20 game as the Commanders moved on to face the 15-2 number one seed Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round.
The Broncos Falling Short
For fellow Offensive Rookie of The Year contender and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix didn’t have the fortune to keep the Broncos in contention with the #2 seed Buffalo Bills as the Bills proved to be a formidable opponent.
The only lead Denver held was a 7-0 lead early in the opening quarter as the rookie Nix threw a 43-yard Touchdown to former college teammate wide receiver Troy Franklin. And soon after that the Bills scored 31 unanswered points to end the Broncos season as MVP frontrunner Bills Quarterback Josh Allen was efficient completing over 70% of his passes on the day going 20/26 for 272 passing yards and two Touchdowns through the air while having 46 rushing yards. As for Nix the rookie finished his first playoff game 13/22 for 144 passing yards and a passing touchdown and had 43 rushing yards.
The Bills won strictly off a good rushing attack, as Denver’s run defense struggled against the run in an area Denver has been spotty with all season long with Running back James Cook. As Cook, cooked the Broncos defense rushing for 120 yards off of 23 carries and a rushing score.
The Eagle’s Continue their Campaign
The Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles game showed a lot of mistakes for Quarterback Jordan Love as he went 20/33 for 212 Passing Yards and three interceptions and yet the game was surprisingly close. As though the Packers lost by only 12 points and happened to be the more efficient team and looked better than Philadelphia all game long. If Love hadn’t thrown three interceptions one of them being down in enemy territory the outcome of the game would have been much different as for the Eagles their defense won this game.
The Eagles faced the Los Angeles Rams who had beaten the Minnesota Vikings as Vikings Quarterback Sam Darnold who struggled the week before showed the same struggles again as he had a strong season up until week 18 and the Vikings Wildcard game. Darnold regressed to himself when he was on the New York Jets as he went for 25-40 for 245 a passing touchdown and an interception as the Vikings lost 27-9, as Matthew Stafford and the Rams will face Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.
The Chargers Season Ends
In the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans game, the Texans defense dismantled the Chargers in the Wildcard as Texans head coach Demeco Ryans had his defense make Chargers Quarterback Justin Herbert force the ball down the field and make some mistakes Herbert indeed made a lot of mistakes he completed less than half of his passes as he threw four interceptions, two of those went to Cornerback Derek Stingley, Jr. The full statline for Justin Herbert went 14/32 for 242 passing yards, one touchdown and four interceptions in the Chargers loss as Houston won 32-12. The Houston Texans will move on to the AFC Divisional Round to face the 15-2 and number one seed Kansas City Chiefs, as the Chiefs will look to complete a three peat.
Chiefs and Texans Bizarre Outcome
The AFC Divisional Round game between the Chiefs and Texans was controversial due to a roughing the passer call on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. As linebacker Will Anderson Jr made a legal hit on the quarterback and a flag came out on the hit which shouldn’t have, leading to a big conspiracy that the referees rig games for Mahomes and the Chiefs. As for the game itself the game was a defensive game as both teams were at a stalemate and by the third quarter it was a 12-13 score game after a Joe Mixon touchdown run. In the fourth quarter the Chiefs outscored the Texans 10-2, the two points came off of Chiefs punter Matt Arazia running to the back of the Chiefs own endzone to take a safety with eleven seconds left as Houston went home in defeat in a 23-14 loss.
The Ravens Devastating Fall to the Bills
The Bills took on the Ravens at home as it was snowing in Buffalo and home field advantage was a factor as the Ravens took an early 7-0 lead off of a Lamar Jackson touchdown pass to receiver Rashod Bateman. After a fumble by Lamar Jackson the Bills went 14 unanswered after a Ray Davis, and Josh Allen touchdown runs which would end after a Justin Tucker field goal was made to cut the lead to four with 3:43 left in the second quarter before another Josh Allen touchdown run put the Bills up by 11 to make it a 21-10 game at the end of the first half. Baltimore rallied in the third cutting the lead down to two points off of another Justin Tucker field goal and a Derrick Henry touchdown run to then cut the lead to two points and with a chance to tie the game with a two point conversion, which ended up in a incompletion by Lamar Jackson to keep the game at 21-19 Buffalo. The fourth quarter had little scoring as Bills kicker Tyler Bass made two field goals to up the score 27-19. In the final drive in regulation the Ravens attempted to make a comeback in regulation to keep their season alive to take the game into overtime and have a chance to go to the AFC championship game. Lamar Jackson threw a 24 yard touchdown pass to tight-end Isaiah Likely with 1:33 left to make the score 27-25 to keep their season alive they had to go for two as Jackson threw it to tight-end Mark Andrews who inevitably dropped the goal line pass.
The NFC Finals is Set
On the NFC side of things the Commanders and Eagles both took care of business against their respective opponents. As the Commanders upset the one seed Detroit Lions as the Commanders will reach the NFC championship game for the first time since 1991.
Commanders Journey Comes to an End
The NFC Championship marked the end of Washington’s Cinderella season as they got destroyed by the Eagles 55-23. Washington couldn’t stop the run and had costly turnovers which ultimately ended their season in Philadelphia as the Eagles defense capitalized on the Commanders mistakes. As Eagles running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 118 yards on 15 carries and three touchdowns. Quarterback Jalen Hurts had four total touchdowns, one through the air to receiver AJ Brown, and three on the ground being the brotherly shove where the Eagles running backs pushed Hurts across the goal-line. Philadelphia looks to get revenge from Super Bowl XLVII against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans.
A Tight game for the Win
The AFC Championship game was closer than the NFC Championship game and left Bills fans hearts broken. As the Chiefs sent Josh Allen and the Bills back to Buffalo which marks the 32nd year since the last time the Bills made the superbowl. And the 6th time in the Josh Allen era where the Bills fell short in the playoffs. As both quarterbacks had strong performances, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes had two rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown in the 32-29 win over the Bills. As the Chiefs look to three-peat which has never been done in the modern era of the NFL and to continue this dynasty in the 2020’s.
