NEW ORLEANS — Jayden Daniels’ second game in the Superdome again came down to a play after a touchdown with no time left.
Washington’s rookie quarterback will remember more fondly how this one ended — even if the he wasn’t entirely pleased about the Commanders nearly blowing a three-score lead in the second half.
Daniels threw two first-half touchdown passes to Terry McLaurin, and Washington narrowly held off a rally by fellow rookie QB Spencer Rattler and the Saints, winning 20-19 on Sunday when New Orleans failed on a 2-point conversion.
“It feels good to win by one point,” said Daniels, who lost his LSU debut on the same field in 2022 when Florida State blocked the Tigers’ extra point attempt. “Life comes full circle.”
Daniels, who won the Heisman Trophy last year with LSU, completed 25 of 31 passes for 226 yards in his return to Louisiana. He also ran for 66 yards, highlighted by a first-down scramble on third-and-14 to set up a third-quarter field goal by the recently signed Greg Joseph that put the Commanders (9-5) ahead 17-0.
But Rattler relieved starting quarterback Jake Haener and nearly carried the Saints (5-9) to victory. After Joseph missed a 54-yard field goal with 1:55 to go, Rattler led a 56-yard drive and — after catching a break from officials who mistakenly stopped the clock — threw a 1-yard TD pass to Foster Moreau as time expired.
Interim coach Darren Rizzi went for the win, but Rattler could not complete his pass to tightly covered tight end Juwan Johnson — and the Saints fell to 0-4 without quarterback Derek Carr, who was concussed and injured his left, non-throwing hand a week earlier.
“Just a mixture of emotions because we walk off the field with a loss, but I don’t now if I’ve ever been more proud of the team,” Rizzi said, adding that he didn’t regret, “whatsoever,” going for 2 at the end.
“I don’t think the players regret it. They were all in favor of it,” Rizzi said. “I just thought it was the right thing.”
Washington helped New Orleans stay in the game with what coach Dan Quinn called a “frustrating” combination of penalties (nine for 84 yards) and missed opportunities.
“When you get those, you really put yourself in a bad spot,” Quinn said. “We have lots to clean up, but we’ve been in a lot of close games and been battle-hardened.”
McLaurin had seven catches for 73 yards, but Daniels overthrew him while he was open deep down the middle in the fourth quarter. McLaurin later got his hands on, but could not reel in, a long pass down the sideline.
Rattler passed for 135 yards and a touchdown after replacing Haener, a second-year pro who made his first career start. Haener completed just four of 10 passes for 49 yards and was intercepted.
Rattler led all four of New Orleans’ scoring drives, the first of which ended with receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. passing to running back Alvin Kamara for a 21-yard touchdown that made it 17-7. Field goals of 41 and 51 yards by Blake Grupe cut Washington’s lead to 20-13.
Daniels took eight sacks, although a couple of those came when he ran out of bounds for no gain.
Washington opened the scoring on a play resembling sandlot football, with Daniels rolling left to elude defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, nearly falling down as he ducked away from defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, and then throwing over the outstretched arms of linebacker Pete Werner. McLaurin caught it while running across the end zone and held on while colliding hard with three players — teammate Brian Robinson Jr. and defenders Alontae Taylor and Kool-Aid McKinstry.
“It was a hell of a play,” Saunders said, adding that Daniels is “one of them backyard football-type cats — and I say that with the utmost respect.”
