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Terry McLaurin called his shot on Commanders’ clutch fourth-quarter TD
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin. Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Terry McLaurin called his shot on Commanders’ clutch fourth-quarter TD

By Jeff Smith  |  Last updated Sep 24, 2024 9:47 AM ET

With the Washington Commanders leading the Cincinnati Bengals by five with just over two minutes remaining on Monday night, they faced a 3rd-and-7 from Cincinnati's 27-yard line. 

A field goal would have given Joe Burrow and company a chance to force overtime, but Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin knew precisely what to call to all but seal the critical road victory.

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury dialed it up: rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels delivered the perfect pass, and McLaurin finished the job with a stellar grab in the end zone's back corner. 

After the game, McLaurin explained how he asked Kingsbury to call the game-winning route and detailed why he knew it was the right play, as Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post revealed.

"It was a go route called. I went up during the timeout, I said, 'Kliff, give me a go route to the boundary for the game,'" McLaurin said. "And I went up to Kliff and Jayden and was like, throw me this ball for the game."

"And for them to have this kind of trust me, I think that's one of the first times in my career where, the game's on the line, and I got to go up there and call that play and we executed it at a very high level."

As impressive as McLaurin's knowledge of the situation is, the 29-year-old wideout and the 2024 No. 2 overall draft pick executed the play stellarly. 

Daniels absorbed the contact and floated a perfectly-timed pass that was placed perfectly where only McLaurin, who hauled it in while remaining inbounds, could get it in the corner of the end zone.

While the duo of Daniels and McLaurin had a quiet first two games, with the wideout totaling eight catches for just 39 yards, they broke out in a big way at an ideal time in Week 3. McLaurin finished the night with four catches for 100 yards and the pivotal touchdown, while Daniels broke the NFL rookie record for completion percentage in a single game.

The former Heisman Trophy winner completed 21-of-23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns while tacking on 39 rushing yards and an additional score to lead the Commanders to a 2-1 start to the season. His 91.3 completion percentage topped Dak Prescott's previous rookie record of 88.9 percent.

Daniels and McLaurin are hitting their stride, and suddenly, a franchise that hasn't won double-digit games since 2012 and has made the playoffs only once in the past nine years looks more than talented enough to push for a postseason berth. 

Tack on the fact that the rest of the NFC East looks shaky at best, and the Commanders are well-positioned to make a run at the division crown.

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith has extensive experience as a sports writer and editor, including stops at ESPN, FOX Sports, CBS Sports, USA TODAY SMG, and Heavy. Jeff's passion for sports content starts and finishes with writing and he's grateful to be able to work in that field on a daily basis.

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