There is some good news for two of the NFL’s best, young quarterbacks and their respective teams.
Both Green Bay Packers signal caller Jordan Love (quad) and Washington Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels (hamstring) are off the injury report, meaning they’ll be under center on Sunday for their Wild Card playoff matchups.
Love’s Packers will be in Philadelphia to face the Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts, who cleared the concussion protocol on Friday, while Daniels’ Commanders are in Tampa to face the Buccaneers in the late game.
Daniels’ rookie season is going so well that it makes sense that he sees Sunday night’s playoff contest as ‘just another game.’
Perhaps Daniels will feel differently once the ball is kicked off as he attempts to lead the sixth-seeded Commanders past the third-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC wild-card game at Tampa, Fla.
The Commanders (12-5) enter the postseason with a five-game winning streak and won 12 regular-season games — just the fourth time in franchise history that Washington has won at least a dozen contests.
Daniels’ Commanders are in Tampa on Saturday to face the Buccaneers in the late game
Love (pictured) and the Packers will be in Philadelphia to face the Eagles and QB Jalen Hurts
That success primarily is due to the multi-faceted quarterback who was drafted second overall. Daniels passed for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns against nine interceptions and also rushed for 891 yards and six scores.
‘It’s exciting, but you got to deal with those emotions,’ Daniels told reporters. ‘At the end of the day, you got to go out there and play ball. A lot of people are going to put a lot of emphasis on it because at this point, it’s really win or go home.’
The Washington franchise hasn’t won a playoff game since the 2005 season when Hall of Fame member Joe Gibbs was its head coach. Coincidentally, that triumph came at Tampa Bay, 17-10 in the wild-card round.
The following week, Washington lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round to start a five-game postseason losing streak.
The most recent playoff loss came in the 2020 season — again versus the Bucs. Tampa Bay won that wild-card matchup 31-23 at Washington.
The two teams met in September in Daniels’ NFL debut. Daniels rushed for two touchdowns but didn’t throw for any in a 37-20 road loss. The Buccaneers had the hotter quarterback as Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
Commanders coach Dan Quinn hasn’t forgotten the way Tampa Bay moved the ball at will. He’s also aware the Buccaneers (10-7) enter the postseason with six victories in their past seven games.
‘I think they’ve just had a fantastic year,’ Quinn said. ‘I think (Mayfield) has always been able to rip it and been aggressive in and outside the pocket. Having the run game balance for them, I think that’s what sets their offense apart this year.
‘The addition of (Bucky) Irving, their run game, the play pass that goes with it that is an impressive thing.’
Jalen Hurts has cleared concussion protocol and will start the team’s Wild Card playoff game
Mayfield established career highs of 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns this season while being intercepted 16 times.
Irving, a rookie, has excelled for the Buccaneers. The fourth-round draft pick has rushed for 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns.
Tampa Bay is in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season and second time under Mayfield. The Buccaneers beat the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round last season before losing to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round.
‘You’re excited to get to the playoffs and you’re excited for the next opportunity and getting to play with this group guaranteed for one more time,’ Mayfield told reporters.
‘That’s the mentality going into it but other than that, preparation-wise you don’t want to psych everybody out. You want to handle it the best way you can but just a little bit more attention to detail and ensuring the fact that everybody is on the same page and can handle things correctly.’
The game could turn out to be an offensive showcase as Tampa Bay ranks fourth in scoring at 29.5 points per game and Washington stands fifth at 28.5.
‘It’s (about) mentality for us, find any way to win, whether the game is a shootout, whether it’s low scoring,’ Mayfield said. ‘Make the plays that matter when it counts.’
Tampa Bay standout safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee) was a full practice participant Wednesday and is expected to return after a four-game absence. Tight end Cade Otton (knee) was limited and could return after missing three games.
Washington hopes to have cornerback Marshon Lattimore (hamstring) back after a two-game absence. He was limited Wednesday, as was center Tyler Biadasz (ankle), who missed the regular-season finale against the Dallas Cowboys.
Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, Hurts returned to Eagles practice after a two-week layoff with a concussion without cameras and social media posts and fans present to dissect his performance.
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, right, scrambles as Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby (0) pressures him on September 8
As the only eyes available, Hurts’ teammates largely praised his comeback.
Hurts was sharp. He was dialed in. He played with energy. It was dope.
They were the kind of encouraging reviews the Eagles needed as they host Sunday’s NFC wild-card game against Green Bay still unsure what to expect from a quarterback recovering from a head injury.
QB concerns ran high in Wisconsin, where Love said his elbow – injured in the regular-season finale – was still sore, adding that he felt pain when he did some limited throwing in practice on Thursday.
The expected marquee matchup between Hurts and Love may come down more to which one can survive 60 minutes in one piece – with temperatures expected in the 20s – rather than one healthy enough to fill a game of stupendous plays.
‘It’s really just him getting back into his daily routine,’ Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith. ‘I think with us, football is football.’
The NFC East champion Eagles (14-3) have played football about as well as any team this season – one that started with a win in Brazil over Green Bay.
Hurts guided the Eagles to 10 straight wins and Saquon Barkley became the ninth running back in NFL history to top 2,000 yards rushing. They boast the No. 1 defense in the NFL – a key reason they are 4 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, left, and Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn greet each other on the field after an NFL football game on September 8
Yes, it’s a different team and a new year, but the Eagles are acutely aware of last season’s playoffs when the Packers pulled off a road upset as a No. 7 seed in Dallas.
The Packers (11-6) are again a No. 7 seed and again hitting the road for the playoff opener. The similarities largely end there for a Packers team that has lost two straight games. Love’s elbow is an issue and wide receiver Christian Watson suffered a season-ending torn ACL last week. Watson had 29 catches for 620 yards and two touchdowns this season.
The Eagles would rely less on Hurts’ running should he be slowed by any lingering effects of a concussion.
Hurts, who played late in the season with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand, threw for 2,903 yards this season with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions. He threw only one interception after the Eagles returned from their Week 5 bye. Thanks to the tush push, Hurts has 14 rushing touchdowns this season.
Thanks to a 17th game, the 25 combined regular-season wins are the most ever in a wild-card game.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who has two 14-win seasons and a Super Bowl trip on his resume, believed his team was playing its best football of the season.
‘You see that through the fundamentals. You see that through the guys being on the same page,’ Sirianni said. ‘You see that with how the guys interact with each other because connecting is such a big deal here. We feel like we’ve continued to get better, but we’ve got to go out and show it.’
Packers backup QB Malik Willis injured the thumb on his right hand on a Bears defender’s helmet during the fourth quarter. He also was limited this week in practice and his status is uncertain for Sunday.
Eagles No. 2 QB Kenny Pickett was limited with sore ribs and could lose the backup spot this postseason to Tanner McKee. McKee got the start in the season finale and threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns. He threw for two TDs on just four pass attempts a week earlier in relief of Pickett in a win over Dallas.
When the Packers played the Eagles in Week 1, Barkley scored three touchdowns. Packers rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper watched most of the game from the bench.
The second-round pick played 11 snaps in his NFL debut. Now, he’s almost an every-down player and arguably the most impactful player on the defense.
Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley plays during an NFL football game, Sunday, December 29
Among this year’s rookie off-the-ball linebackers, he is first in tackles, tackles for losses, sacks and quarterback hits. He leads all off-the-ball linebackers with his 13 tackles for losses. And that’s while starting only four games.
Cooper’s blend of athleticism, instincts and power will be critical in trying to limit the exploits of the Eagles’ 2,000-yard rusher.
‘He’s just running the ball good. That’s it,’ Cooper said.
The Packers’ run defense is playing well, too. It finished third in the NFL in yards allowed per carry.
‘I just listen to the play call and look at my assignment and just try to whoop the man in front of me,’ he said. ‘That’s it.’
The Eagles will have their hands full with 1,329-yard rusher Josh Jacobs.
Barkley rushed for 109 yards and scored three touchdowns and A.J. Brown caught five passes for 119 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown, in Brazil.
Green Bay’s Jayden Reed scored on a 33-yard jet sweep and a 70-yard reception. Reed became the first player to have a touchdown catch of 30-plus yards and a touchdown run of 30-plus yards in a season opener since Hall of Famer Jim Brown of the Cleveland Browns against Washington in 1963.
Last year, the Packers became the youngest team to win a playoff game since the 1970 NFL/AFL merger.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, last year’s team was the youngest by weighted age to make the playoffs since 1980. This year’s Packers are the second youngest.
The Packers might be young, but they’re not inexperienced. Last year as the No. 7 seed, they routed the second-seeded and NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys in the wild-card round. On Sunday, they’ll try to do it again against this year’s NFC East champs, the Eagles.
Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on against the Chicago Bears
How much will that experience help?
‘We’ve got new people and new pieces. I just think it’s about trying to not make the game bigger than what it is. Yes, it’s a playoff game,’ coach Matt LaFleur said. ‘We all understand that.
‘But this is the same thing that these guys have been doing for 18 weeks now and, really, their whole career. So, it’s another football game. Obviously, we know the margins are razor thin in this league, and you’ve got to be at your best when your best is required and, certainly, against one of the premier football teams in this league.’
Last year in his playoffs debut vs. the Cowboys, Love had a perfect passer rating until throwing a late incompletion.
Now, he has the experience needed to possibly take the Packers deeper in the playoffs.
‘Man, it’s just about doing your job,’ Reed said. ‘Age is nothing but a number. It’s about how you carry yourself, how you be a pro.’
