The Washington Commanders are back in the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season.
Washington will face its divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, on Sunday (3 p.m. ET on Fox). The matchup is an accelerated culmination of a rebuild that left the Commanders with the No. 2 pick in last year's draft.
That pick resulted in quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is the sixth rookie quarterback to start in a conference championship game — none of whom have advanced to play in the Super Bowl. Daniels is also the fifth top-two draft pick to start in a conference championship as a rookie since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
Daniels is at the forefront of Washington's remarkable turnaround. The Commanders are the fifth team since the merger to have a bottom-two record and feature in a conference championship game in the ensuing season.
Here's a look at how those other teams fared.
Season result: Loss in Super Bowl LIV
Draft pick: No. 2, Nick Bosa
San Francisco finished the 2018 season with a 4-12 record, good enough to select defensive end Nick Bosa with the No. 2 pick. The pick paid immediate dividends as Bosa recorded nine sacks and won Defensive Rookie of the Year.
With Jimmy Garoppolo under center, the 49ers started 8-0 en route to a 13-3 regular season and the NFC's No. 1 seed. After defeating the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers, a date with the Kansas City Chiefs awaited.
San Francisco held a 20-10 lead going into the final quarter, but squandered it as Kansas City scored three late touchdowns for its first Super Bowl victory since 1970.
Season result: Loss in NFC Championship Game
Draft pick: No. 2, Reggie Bush
A 3-13 season landed the Saints the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft, where they selected
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