Following the Washington Commanders’ 24-21 victory over the New York Giants, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels orchestrated his fifth career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime, earning a striking new nickname from one of his teammates.
The “Baby Kobe” Moniker
Stefon Diggs, who secured the game-winning 32-yard touchdown reception with just 57 seconds left on the clock, praised Daniels during his media session by calling him “Baby Kobe” in honor of the late Los Angeles Lakers icon.
The young quarterback built his reputation for delivering in high-pressure situations during his debut campaign, steering four late-game comebacks during the regular season to help Washington achieve a 12-5 record.
That strong momentum extended into the postseason, where Daniels directed two fourth-quarter scoring drives. This included a 10-play possession consuming the final 4:41 of regulation that ended with Zane Gonzalez kicking a walk-off 37-yard field goal to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20.
Overcoming Injuries and Securing a Vital Division Win
The Thursday night matchup marked Daniels’ first fourth-quarter or overtime game-winning drive since that playoff victory against Tampa Bay. The interruption was largely driven by injuries, as he appeared in only seven games last year and sat out two contests this season due to a dislocated elbow.
Earlier in the season during Week 6, Daniels nearly engineered a late comeback against the San Francisco 49ers, though those efforts fell short in a 23-17 loss.
Securing Thursday’s win proved essential for the Commanders. A defeat would have pushed them four games behind in the loss column for the NFC East lead while handing the head-to-head tiebreaker to the Giants.
Washington now holds the tiebreaker advantage and sits within two games in the loss column of the division’s top position. Furthermore, the Commanders boast the easiest remaining strength of schedule among all NFC East contenders, facing only three teams with winning records down the stretch.
Conversely, the Giants face a challenging stretch with three of their next four games scheduled against the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, and Seattle Seahawks.
The Commanders prepare for what could be their toughest remaining test against the Cincinnati Bengals in a Monday Night Football matchup on Nov. 23.
