Every week, FOX Sports NFL Insider Peter Schrager opens his notebook and opines on three of the biggest storylines around the league. Here are his takes heading into Week 18, including the Washington Commanders‘ resurgence, why the New York Giants cost themselves dearly with a win and how the Los Angeles Rams relied on help from some old friends to make the playoffs.
Washington’s Amazing 2024
What a season it has been in the nation’s capital for the hometown football team. After decades of pockmarks, embarrassment, changing coaches and quarterbacks, and negative headlines — the Commanders have emerged as one of the feel-good stories of 2024. The bold name is Jayden Daniels, of course. Daniels has had as impressive a rookie season as any we’ve seen in recent memory, and he’s done so in dramatic fashion. Consider this: The Commanders finished the year with a 7-2 record at home, and those games included a Hail Mary win, wins over the Eagles and the Giants, and an OT walk-off win in primetime over the Falcons. The Commanders have also won 11 games for the first time since 1991, the last year the franchise captured a Super Bowl.
Daniels is clearly the Offensive Rookie of the Year and will get all his accolades, deservedly so. But I do love that the cast of characters around him are performing well, too. Because their stories deserve love, too. General manager Adam Peters might have finally jumped from San Francisco (he’d been a coveted GM candidate for many years before the Washington gig was his in 2024) at the right time, and in his first season as a GM, came in with an approach to bring veteran players in at each position group via free agency. Bobby Wagner has been tremendous. Frankie Luvu has played at an All-Pro level. Olamide Zacheus was the go-to guy in the biggest game of the season in Week 17. Down the stretch, it was Jeremy McNichols making a huge fourth-down conversion. Whether it’s Marcus Mariota or the two former Chiefs offensive linemen — Alegretti and Wylie — the veterans have all played big roles.
If Washington has to travel to Philadelphia, they’re game. They’ve beaten the Eagles this season already. If they have to go to L.A., they won’t be scared, either. It’d be a homecoming for the rookie Daniels, they’d be playing in weather and elements that suit his game, and they have enough veterans on the roster who’ve been there and done that to not be the slightest bit intimidated.
Cool year. It might not be done just yet.
Giants’ Disastrous Win
The New York Giants’ win on Sunday very well could set the franchise back for four years. I mean that. I know the game meant a lot to the players, the organization’s leadership and some fans who didn’t want to see the team lose nine games at home — an NFL record — in one season. But, gosh, for a franchise that’s so desperate for a blue-chip quarterback, the win totally turned their April plans upside down.
As of right now, the New England Patriots own the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft heading into Week 18. Content with Drake Maye, they won’t be taking a QB and likely would be willing to trade back to a QB-needy team. But at what cost? Would it cost New York their first-rounder this year and next? Or, perhaps multiple first-round picks and more. Tennessee has the No. 2 pick. If the Titans benched Will Levis for Mason Rudolph multiple times this season, I can’t imagine they’re 100 percent tied to Levis. At the very least, after taking offensive tackles in back-to-back years, they’d consider taking a QB. Cleveland (projected No. 3 pick) just re-did Deshaun Watson’s deal, and he’s on the books for two more years, but there’s no guarantee he’s the QB1 in Cleveland. Just because he’s making the money, doesn’t mean he’ll be taking the snaps. The Giants don’t want the third quarterback in this draft, just as they didn’t want the fourth quarterback taken last year.
But in a matter of 60 minutes, they went from having a clean and tidy first overall selection to now a complicated situation in April. Things can happen in Week 18. The Patriots could beat the Mitchell Trubisky-led Bills. The Titans and Browns could notch wins. But that means the Giants (projected No. 4 pick) have to rely on help from others. Whatever fun and satisfaction that was for the Giants players and coaches on Sunday — and I don’t fault them at all — that win certainly did put a wrench in the Giants’ future plans. And Colorado star QB Shedeur Sanders — Giants cleats and all — just went from dreams of being in NYC or Las Vegas the last two months, to thoughts of Cleveland and Nashville this morning.
Rams Get Help From Old Friends
The Los Angeles Rams needed a wild combination of three of five teams to win games on Sunday in order for them to clinch a playoff berth and a division title. Well, they got it. Three teams — the Vikings, the Commanders and the Bills — all won, ensuring that Los Angeles didn’t have to beat the Seahawks next Sunday to capture the NFC West. And in each of those three games, the Rams got some help from some old friends.
Dante Fowler Jr., previously a Rams pass rusher for two seasons, was all over the field for the Commanders on Sunday night in their playoff-clinching win over the Falcons, recording six tackles and two sacks for Washington. Von Miller, a Super Bowl winner and big acquisition for the “F Them Picks” Rams of 2021, notched a sack in Buffalo’s blowout over the Jets. Most dramatic was the contributions of Cam Akers, a Super Bowl winner and key piece to multiple Rams teams of the era, not only scoring a touchdown but making the big game-sealing reception on third-and-2 for the Vikings against the rival Packers. If you want to go one step further, there were multiple coaches from the Sean McVay coaching tree — Zac Taylor (Bengals head coach), Kevin O’Connell (Vikings head coach) and Wes Phillips (Vikings OC) — who played big roles in landing the plane for the Rams this week, as well.
Stat of the Week
Bills QB Josh Allen has scored 40 touchdowns this season. He’s the first player in NFL history with 5 consecutive 40+ TD seasons.
Peter Schrager is an NFL Insider for FOX Sports and a host of “Good Morning Football” on NFL Network. You can follow him on Twitter at @PSchrags.
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