The 2024 NFL season has reached its climax, and the Divisional Round of the playoffs is now in the history books. The story of the four-game weekend was unquestionably the Washington Commanders. They upset the NFC top-seed Detroit Lions on enemy territory to punch their ticket to the conference championships despite being arguably one of the worst teams in the league last season.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels was unquestionably the star of the show. He threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns to complete a remarkable victory over Dan Campbell’s men, one that was completely unexpected headed into the game. The visitors to Ford Field were huge eight-point underdogs, but they managed to upset the bookies with a stunning 45-31 victory. The result completed perhaps the greatest one-season turnaround in NFL history, but which other teams have enjoyed similar resurrections? Let’s find out.
Washington Commanders
There is only really one place to start, and that’s with the 2024 Commanders. The capital city side has long been plagued by mediocrity and last season was one of their worst ever, winning just four games all season, the third lowest of any team in the league. However, the drafting of Daniels number two overall last summer changed the trajectory at Northwest Stadium once and for all.
The former LSU standout is being heralded as perhaps the greatest rookie in NFL history, and with the campaign he’s just had, it’s clear to see why. Many thought that it was Caleb Williams who was the star of the 2024 draft class. He was duly selected first overall by the Chicago Bears, but it’s clear that it is Daniels who was head and shoulders clear of the rest.
He threw for over 3,500 yards throughout the regular season, masterminding victories over some of the league’s more illustrious names such as their divisional rival Philadelphia Eagles, the Cincinnati Bengals, and the Dallas Cowboys. But it’s their displays in the postseason that have taken the world by storm.
They were underdogs on the road in the wildcard round, only to defeat the fourth-seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers thanks to a last-gasp field goal, marking their first playoff victory in 20 years. Now, their shocking upset of the Lions has left them within one game of the Super Bowl, a quite remarkable transformation.
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But for Daniels and the Commanders, they will be firstly concentrating on the task at hand. They still have work to do in the ongoing playoffs as they aim to bring the Lombardi back to Capitol Hill for the first time since 1991. Whether they are up to the task and can complete the greatest comeback ever remains to be seen.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals were the very definition of an underdog story in 2021. A perennial basement-dweller in the AFC North, Cincy managed just four wins during the previous season, and a paltry two wins the season before that. But everything began to change when second-year quarterback Joe Burrow reached peak fitness and was supported by rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase – Joey B’s primary target at LSU.
The drafting of Burrow as the first overall pick in 2020 was supposed to be the turning point. However, he suffered an ACL injury in his maiden season, forcing the comeback to be delayed by a season. Once he returned, he rebounded in dramatic fashion, throwing for over 4,600 yards and 34 touchdowns as he helped his side to the playoffs for the first time in six years. His chemistry with Chase quickly turned into one of the league’s most dangerous passing combinations, with the wideout recording over 1,400 receiving yards en route to Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
But, as is the case with this season’s Commanders, the Bengals truly turned heads once the playoffs got underway. Their wildcard round victory over the Las Vegas Raiders marked Cincy’s first postseason win in 31 years. And they weren’t done there. They went on to defeat the Titans in the Divisional Round, before upsetting Patrick Mahomes and his reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs to seal a spot in the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, that was as good as it got. Despite leading for a long spell, the Bengals succumbed to Cooper Kupp’s late touchdown in the Big Game, handing the Los Angeles Rams the victory. In the years since Cincinnati has remained a heavyweight, but a poor defense saw them miss the playoffs altogether in 2024. They will be aiming to bounce back next term.
