The Washington Commanders are preparing for just their second playoff game in nine years, but they are not lacking in postseason experience.
Head coach Dan Quinn twice led the Atlanta Falcons to the postseason when he was their head coach, reaching Super Bowl LI in February 2017. He also helped the Seattle Seahawks to back-to-back Super Bowls as their defensive coordinator in 2013-14 (when they won Super Bowl XLVIII) and 2014-15. And there’s also players like veteran tight end Zach Ertz, who signed a one-year deal with Washington last offseason. He has appeared in eight career playoff games and won Super Bowl LII with the Philadelphia Eagles.
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It has been a bounceback season for the 34-year-old, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals at his request and spent time on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad last year. Ertz has more receiving yards (654) and receiving touchdowns (7) than he did in his previous two seasons combined.
And it’s been a late-season surge, as he caught six touchdowns in Washington’s final seven games, including the game-winner to beat Atlanta in a Week 17 overtime thriller that clinched a playoff berth for the Commanders. Speaking to NBC’s Melissa Stark after the victory, Ertz referenced the strong faith in God that has guided him throughout his career, and expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to play with superstar rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
“First of all, glory to God. … It’s been a long couple of years, honestly, and being able to play with [Daniels] at the end of my career is such a blessing for me,” he told Stark.
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With his six-reception, two-touchdown performance that night, Ertz became the sixth tight end in NFL history to record 750 catches and 8,000 receiving yards. He is only the ninth tight end to reach the 8,000-yard mark.
Washington Commanders TE Zach Ertz caught 6 receptions for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns including the game winner in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football.
Ertz became 1 of 6 tight ends in NFL history to record 750-plus receptions and 8,000-plus receiving… pic.twitter.com/9CSPB8d6d9— All-Pro Reels (@allproreels) December 31, 2024
Drafted by the Eagles in 2013, Ertz made three Pro Bowls (2017-19) in his eight-plus seasons in Philadelphia. And his life was forever changed by a moment in a 2016 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He failed to put a block on Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict as quarterback Carson Wentz was scrambling, and people noticed. The backlash from fans and members of the media was severe, calling into question Ertz’s dedication and toughness. But it ultimately led him to completely surrender his life to the Lord.
“I was lying in bed replaying the Bengals game over and over in my head,” he wrote in his book “Focus and Finish.” “I had no peace — none. Before then, football was something I felt I controlled. In the aftermath, I just surrendered everything. I said, ‘Jesus, I’m done … I submit everything to You.’ So as it turns out, my failed block on Burfict led to me fully committing and surrendering my life to Christ. That play was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
Ertz and his wife, former U.S. women’s national team player Julie Ertz, put their faith into action through the Ertz Family Foundation, which aims to “empower others by sharing faith, learning through sports, and advancing education to build supportive communities.”
Talking to Sports Spectrum before Philadelphia’s Super Bowl triumph in 2018, Ertz explained why it’s so important for him to use his platform to share the Gospel.
“Our No. 1 goal on this earth is to make disciples,” he said. “It’s the only job that we pretty much want to do. So faith and football this Sunday is huge. This is a platform to draw people to the Word, to Jesus. It’s not something we take for granted by any means.”
"Our number one goal is to make disciples."
– #Eagles tight end Zach Ertz (@ZERTZ_86 ) at the #superbowl in Minneapolis pic.twitter.com/fZx30D1ull— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) February 2, 2018
After notching 12 wins this season — the franchise’s most since 1991 — the No. 6-seeded Commanders (12-5) visit the No. 3-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7) at 8:15 p.m. ET Sunday night on NBC in the wild-card round. A victory would be Washington’s first in the postseason since the 2005-06 season.
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