When the Washington Commanders needed a big play — on fourth down, trailing in the fourth quarter of a playoff game — Jayden Daniels threw a touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin in the end zone.
This moment highlighted the strong connection between the rookie quarterback and the veteran wide receiver, a relationship that started during the offseason.
Daniels and McLaurin have connected 77 times for 1,033 yards and 13 touchdowns. Their growing chemistry is a key reason why the Commanders have made it to the playoffs and are moving on to the divisional round to face the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.
“They have built through the year, there’s no doubt,” said offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury on Wednesday. “The first couple of games, the ball wasn’t coming to him as much as we would have liked, and we’ve had our ups and downs. … Those two guys are just going to get better and better as they go. They’re two very conscientious players that are team-first guys and work really hard at it.”
Daniels and McLaurin are the first Washington quarterback and wide receiver duo to be selected to the Pro Bowl since Mark Rypien and Gary Clark in 1991, which was also the year the franchise won their last Super Bowl.
This season started with lower expectations, as the Commanders were predicted to win only six or seven games and start building for the future.
Instead, they finished 12-5 with the NFL’s fifth-highest scoring offense, and they beat Tampa Bay to set up another road game against the Lions. McLaurin said he needs to “be ready to make plays for Jayden,” just like he has been doing since September.
“Come game day, you don’t really think about it,” Daniels said. “You just put the ball in the vicinity for Terry to go make a play, and nine times out of 10 he makes them.”
The growth of Daniels and McLaurin hasn’t been smooth, as Kingsbury pointed out. Daniels has thrown to McLaurin as many as 10 times in one game and as few as twice. But even during those times, there was no tension between them, just two athletes pushing each other to be better.
“We’re extremely competitive people,” McLaurin said. “We really put a lot of time and effort into our craft. Good is not good enough, and you’re not just happy being here. I think that is what we have in common. Even the great plays we’ve had, we’ve still focused on the plays that we missed and the ways that we could continue to get better.”
On the field, coach Dan Quinn has praised Daniels for his calm demeanor, despite being just 24 years old with limited professional experience. This was shown by the Commanders winning their last five games in a row, all with the final play from scrimmage. Quinn also credited McLaurin for his ability to track deep passes, which has helped the offense’s success.
“Obviously you have to have speed, but tracking a deep ball is one of the most difficult things,” Quinn said. “He’s got a knack on a deep ball of tracking it that not everybody has because to get some of the plays that he has to get behind people.”
Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has noticed McLaurin’s skills too, comparing him to Detroit’s All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Glenn praised McLaurin for his ability to fight for 50-50 balls and his toughness in blocking and taking hits.
“He does a really good job on 50-50 balls, which you wouldn’t think that he would because of his stature, but he does a really good job of that,” said Glenn. “He will block, he’ll go across the middle, he’ll take hits, he’ll get back up, get back to the huddle, so he’s a gamer. He’s a gamer, so it doesn’t surprise me the success he’s having.”
Off the field, Daniels has learned from McLaurin’s dedication to film study and workouts. The two have also bonded over their faith and had deep conversations about life.
McLaurin, who played through 10 different quarterbacks in his first five seasons with Washington, said he’s “fortunate to play with a young player who’s coming into the league and been so ready right off the bat, where a lot of our communication and conversations are more next level.” The results are clear in their play.
“He makes my job a lot easier when I just know I have to put myself in position to be open,” McLaurin said. “He’s going to put the ball right where it needs to be.”
