DETROIT - Washington Commanders receiver Terry McLaurin walked off the podium after his postgame press conference and exclaimed about how far this franchise has come in 33 years.

"Woohoo!" McLaughlin said, waving his fists, smiling and disappearing out the door.

That sentiment followed Washington's 45-31 victory over the Detroit Lions, sending the team to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season. It was the longest drought in NFC history, a shame that now belongs to the rival Dallas Cowboys (1995).

"We're not done yet," McLaughlin said.

Joyous sounds could be heard inside and outside the Commander's locker room, with dignitaries including former Washington coach Joe Gibbs, minority owner Magic Johnson, NBA star Kevin Durant and award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright celebrating.

General manager Adam Peters embraced many players in the locker room during his first season. Team co-owner Mitch Lars clapped and hugged the players as they entered the locker room, giving McLaurin a longer hug.

Owner Josh Harris told reporters from Team980 and Athletic, "I'm happy for the DMV... We're a team of destiny."

Tonight belongs to a team that was 4-13 a year ago and will now face the Los Angeles Rams or Philadelphia Eagles in next week's championship game. This fanbase hasn't been going through a bad period, it's been through bad decades. The organization won three Super Bowls from 1981-91 and captured its fourth Super Bowl title.

However, from 1992 to 2023, Washington had the fourth-worst winning percentage in the NFC.

"I'm excited not only for myself but for my team, especially the guys that have been here the last few years and were on a not-so-good team just to go through this," running back Brian Robinson said. "marvelous."

Yet here they are, in what should be a rebuilding season under first-year coach Dan Quinn. He prefers the word "recalibration," but a better word now is "reenergization."

"It's crazy," said Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner, who was born in 1990, 19 months after the organization's last Super Bowl title.

Safety Jeremy Reaves, who has been with the organization since 1990, was responding to a question about teammate Mike Sainristil, but he was thinking about the moment. got the answer.

"Man, this is so cool," said safety Jeremy Reaves, who has been with the team since 2018. "I can't even fathom this. No one thought we'd be here. Here we go Bar!"

But part of the reason they're here is because of Jayden Daniels, who became the sixth rookie quarterback to reach the championship game. The other five lost; but Daniels has proven to be the difference all year. That was the case again Saturday night, as he completed 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran 16 times for another 51 yards.

He threw two consecutive fourth-down passes to sustain the touchdown.

"He's so calm, so clutch," running back Austin Ekeler said. "Every week I say, man, this guy is really good. I know to expect this, but he continues to show time and time again that, hey, he's got a huge clutch gene, and it keeps showing up."

Washington players embraced Daniels from the start, noting the effort he put in every day — ahead of any player every day — and the talent they saw on the field. They are still in awe of him and they know what he means to the team.

"I knew Jay was going to be ready from day one," Robinson said. "I know he's ready not only for everything he's done this year, all the great things, but also for the playoffs and the big moments."

Wagner appeared in two championship games with Seattle, winning both times. He feels like this team has a chance to exceed expectations during a three-game losing streak that dropped its record to 7-5.

“I don’t see anybody wavering, I don’t see anybody with their heads down,” Wagner said of the losing streak. "Everyone is still relaxed coming in. We've had our ups and downs and our moments where we're not winning. Everybody's become more responsible."

Washington hasn't lost since and has won seven in a row. Daniels wasn't the only rookie to contribute. Sean Ristier, a second-round pick, started the year as a nickel but left when the team needed more help. He solidified his position and intercepted two passes on Saturday.

The leadership and contributions on the field from veterans such as Wagner, Ekeler and tight end Zach Ertz, who caught five passes for 28 yards and a touchdown, were invaluable. They had a great receiver in McLaurin, who ran for a 58-yard touchdown, his 14th of the season. There are also a lot of players who understand their roles and fill the gaps.

Players have been talking about their connection since the spring, which was strengthened over the previous five games, when they won every game at the last second or last scrimmage.

"We're heavyweights, we're ready, we're confident," Wagner said. "We have a belief in each other that's not easy to find."

Quinn, meanwhile, wants to focus on the present and not get caught up in what Saturday's win means.

“There will come a time when I will look back and reflect,” Quinn said, “but I’m not there yet.”