This matchup had been anticipated since (at least) the day that Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels were selected #1 and #2 overall in the 2024 draft. With both teams playing well and both rookie quarterbacks developing rapidly into polished professionals, the game was flexed into the late-afternoon window to broadcast it to a wider audience.
All of that drama had been put into doubt when Daniels was injured on the first offensive play of the game against the Panthers the previous Sunday. With the injury, Washington went from being a home favorite to a home underdog in one fell swoop.