Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn. Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Watch: Commanders surprise Eagles with fake punt

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jan 26, 2025 4:24 PM ET

Late in the first quarter of the NFC Championship Game on Sunday, Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn took a huge gamble, but it worked.

On a 4th-and-6 at Washington's 31-yard line, the Commanders called a fake punt, even though they were trailing the Philadelphia Eagles 14-3. Commanders punter Tress Way quickly fired a pass to rookie tight end Ben Sinnott for a 23-yard gain.

Fake punt? What a pass by Tress Way!

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— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2025

The Commanders didn't score a touchdown, but they did capitalize off the fake punt. At the end of the drive, Washington kicker Zane Gonzalez made a 46-yard field goal.

It shouldn't be surprising that the Commanders are being aggressive in the NFC Championship Game.

According to Pro Football Reference, they went 20-of-23 on fourth down in the regular season, finishing first in the NFL fourth-down conversion percentage (87 percent).

While the risk-taking may make some Washington fans cringe, it's one key reason the team has pulled off an incredible turnaround in Quinn's first season with the club. This season, Washington snapped a 33-year NFC title game drought.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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