It took almost the entire extra period, but the Washington Commanders clinched their first playoff spot since 2020. Their 30-24 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night was clinched when rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels zipped in a touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz. After the victory, StatMuse posted an absurd feat that Daniels accomplished during Sunday's win on X, formerly Twitter.

“Jayden Daniels tonight: 24/36 354 Total Yards 3-1 TD/INT Joins Josh Allen as the only rookie QBs with 225+ passing yards and 125+ rushing yards in a game,” posted the popular stats account on the social media platform.

The most important part though: the Commanders are going back to the playoffs. In Daniels' rookie season, no less. The 2024 number two overall pick has teamed up with new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and head coach Dan Quinn. It's also reminiscent of the Houston Texans' turnaround last season, when they went from the number two overall pick to the playoffs. The former LSU standout has revitalized the nation's capital and has helped get Washington back to the playoffs. Can they make a deep run come January?

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Commanders clinch playoff spot for first time since 2020

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) celebrates while leaving the field after the Commanders' game against the Atlanta Falcons at Northwest Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Next weekend's matchup against the Cowboys in Dallas will be a key one for the Commanders. If they win, then they lock in the NFC's sixth seed. That will lead to a Wild Card road trip to either Los Angeles (to play the NFC West champion Rams) or Tampa Bay (to square off against the Buccaneers, a rematch from Week 1 of this season). Lose that matchup against the Cowboys, and you're likely locked into playing the Philadelphia Eagles, their NFC East rival.

They lost to Dallas 34-26 in November, their last loss this season. At 11-5, the Commanders look to finish this year and move into the postseason with 12 wins. If they hit that mark, it will be just the fourth time in franchise history, and the first since 1991. During that season, the Commanders (then known as the Redskins) won their last Lombardi Trophy. Can this season's squad make a run to rival that one? With Daniels, Kingsbury and Quinn at the helm, backed by a deep roster, anything can happen come Wild Card Weekend and beyond.