Three days after the Washington Commanders’ 45-31 upset win over top-seeded Detroit in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, a pregame video of Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin is going viral.
In the video, McLaurin, a Pro Bowl selection for 2024, is seen inside the tunnel with his teammates, providing passion and inspiration for a team that entered as 9.5-point underdogs.
"Be who you say you are."
— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) January 21, 2025
Scary Terry had the @Commanders ready to run through a wall 😤 pic.twitter.com/uHyIzp7W3Q
“Everything you’ve got inside of you, you got everything you need to be successful,” McLaurin tells his team. “No reason to be fearful. No reason to have anxiety. Because everything you need is inside you.”
McLaurin pointed to Saturday night’s contest as a signature game — a legacy-defining moment for the Commanders, which made the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
“We live a great life, but listen here, when this money gone, when this fame gone, the only thing you really got is your name and your reputation,” McLaurin emphasized. “What are they gonna say about your name? What are they gonna say about your reputation? What are they gonna say when they turn that film on? I know what they gonna say about me. They gonna say we some dogs, man. Let’s get it! Be who you say you are, man!”
Commanders now one game from Super Bowl
The speech clearly paid off, as Washington’s offense piled up 481 yards and 45 points on a Detroit defense that stifled Minnesota and quarterback Sam Darnold in its previous game, holding the Viking offense to only nine points.
The Commanders now find themselves one game from their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1991 season. To get there, Washington must handle the veteran Philadelphia Eagles, who are only two years removed from their last Super Bowl berth.
Washington split the season series with Philadelphia, dropping a Week 11 contest 26-18 at Lincoln Financial Field before rebounding for a 36-33 Week 16 victory at home. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels dazzled in the latter contest, rallying the Commanders from a 27-14 deficit with five touchdown passes. The last, a nine-yard score to Jamison Crowder with six seconds left, ended up being the difference.
The Commanders will look to shore up their ball security this time around, as five Washington turnovers in the Week 16 matchup almost proved too much to overcome.
Washington is currently 6.5-point underdogs according to Vegas, but the Commanders — pushed by leaders like Terry McLaurin — continue to defy the odds.
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