For its regular season finale, the Washington Commanders got Austin Ekeler back on the field. But head coach Dan Quinn pulled Jayden Daniels early. Still, the Commanders got another last-second win, and Terry McLaurin dropped a truth bomb about it, according to a post on X by John Keim.

Terry McLaurin: “We got a flair for the dramatics that’s for sure.”

Marcus Mariota threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to McLaurin with three seconds left, lifting Washington to a 23-19 victory over Dallas on Sunday. The victory clinched the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs for the Commanders.

Commanders WR Terry McLaurin adds to late heroics

Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates after scoring the game-winning touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Jan 5, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) celebrates after scoring the game-winning touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

This was the fourth game the Commanders won in the final seconds this season. They also defeated the Bears on a Hail Mary, held off a New Orleans 2-point conversion with no time left on the clock, and had a game-winning touchdown against the Eagles in a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

What made this victory even more impressive is the fact Mariota authored the comeback. Behind Daniels, the Commanders managed only three first-half points.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said his team enjoyed the late success of Mariota, according to espn.com.

Related Washington Commanders NewsArticle continues below
Jayden Daniels, Commanders
Full Commanders game-by-game predictions after 2025 NFL schedule release
Trey Hendrickson, Bengals
Commanders 2 best trade targets to round out 2025 roster
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) shake hands after an Eagles victory at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles-Commanders schedule quirk that could have big consequences

“He's such a cool teammate,” Quinn said. “It was fun to be able to celebrate him today because of the work that he does behind the scenes. It takes a lot to be ready like that.”

Dan Quinn said Commanders have been on quite a ride

Quinn said the Commanders have found ways to win late, according to star-telegram.com.

“The last four games have just been absolutely wild,” Quinn said. “It really has been. Came right down to the end at New Orleans, at home against Philadelphia and Atlanta, and then back on the road here in Dallas. I thought it took a lot of resilience and a lot of toughness. The guys trained hard for those what we call ‘winning-time moments.’ But you do have to go execute in those spots. So tonight to see those moments, shout-out to Terry, who set a franchise record for touchdown receptions. We’ve been playing football for a long time around here and that’s a big deal.”

Quinn said he hopes the close wins builds character for his team.

“We’ve talked about this a little bit, as you’re building a program, you’d hope you’d be in some really tight games,” Quinn said. “Because that kind of hardness, it didn’t always go our way. I want to make sure I’m clear on that, but to be battle-ready as a first-year group, this has been a lot of end-of-the-game moments. And we knew we’d have to fight for some, and that was no different going into today.”