Dale Earnhardt Jr. Loved What He Saw On Monday Night Football
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and fellow Washington Commanders fans experienced one of the team's best moments in quite some time.
Jayden Daniels enjoyed a massive coming-out party on Monday Night Football. The rookie quarterback completed all but two of his 23 pass attempts for 254 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-33 road upset over the Cincinnati Bengals. He also tallied a team-high 39 rushing yards and another touchdown on the ground.
Up 31-26 late in the fourth quarter, Daniels sealed the victory by firing a perfect strike under pressure to Terry McLaurin for a 27-yard score. The moment vaulted the Commanders to a 2-1 start while providing a long-suffering fanbase hope that they're finally turning the corner behind a new franchise signal-caller.
Earnhardt liked what he saw during the primetime matchup. The NASCAR icon responded to a clip of the touchdown with a fire emoji on social media.
TALLADEGA, AL - OCTOBER 15: Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Mountain Dew Chevrolet, prepares to drive during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Alabama 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on October 15, 2017 in Talladega, Alabama. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Back in May, Earnhardt explained his Washington fandom in an interview with Rich Eisen. He grew up without a football team in North Carolina (the Panthers didn't exist until 1995) and spent time around Washington fans in Norfolk with his mother.
The future NASCAR Hall of Famer got hooked when introduced to a team with a Super Bowl XVII win over the Miami Dolphins in 1983.
Earnhardt witnessed two more titles under legendary head coach Joe Gibbs, but Washington hasn't gotten past the NFC Divisional Round since 1992. They're 18 years removed from their last playoff game, but there's long-awaited hope in D.C.
Finally rid of Daniel Snyder, new ownership implemented a staffing and roster overhaul during the offseason. Perhaps most importantly, the Commanders selected Daniels with the No. 2 pick.
Following Monday's monumental win, Earnhardt may feel his goal from May is now too modest.
"It's a process. It's not gonna happen overnight," Earnhardt said of an organizational transformation. "If they had an 8-8 season, I wouldn't be shocked, but I would be happy with that because that would tell me they're moving in the right direction ... I think this is the first time in a long time that I feel like there's a real chance there can be a new identity created."
