Washington's dynamic duo: Why Jayden Daniels & Kliff Kingsbury are a perfect match

Dan Quinn arrives before dawn most days at the Washington Commanders facility in Ashburn, Va., and no matter how early he shows up, he knows Kliff Kingsbury's car will already be there. And his offensive coordinator isn't usually alone, either. Later in the week, Jayden Daniels' car will be there too.

And on practice days, long before the rest of the team arrives, Daniels and Kingsbury will be out together and alone on the practice field, walking through the next game plan so they can soak it all in and visualize it all. Together they can see just how everything will work. And they can imagine who it might not work, too.

"Like I said, the best lesson in life is failure," Daniels said recently. "So I get to fail in those type of situations and move forward. So by the time game time comes, I'm not thinking about (it). (I'm) just going out there and playing."

That is the whole plan devised by Kingsbury, the wizard behind this year's magical Commanders offense, and Daniels, the rookie quarterback who has proven so far that he can handle it all. They have been relentless in their preparation together since their first minicamp in May, bonding over both their football brains, laser-like focus, and tireless approach to getting ready for each game.

And the results, of course, have been amazing. Daniels, just 24 years old, is suddenly one of the most exciting young quarterbacks in the game. He is the likely NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns with just nine interceptions this season while running 891 yards and six touchdowns, too. He has led the Commanders to their first NFC Championship Game in 33 years, against the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday.

And Daniels is now just one win