Jamin Davis seals Commanders' win with first career interception

Jamin Davis saved the day. In the Washington Commanders’ 24-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Davis recorded his first career interception to seal the game.

With 30 seconds left and the Falcons down 24-16, Davis erased any remaining hope from the Atlanta faithful. The former Kentucky standout jumped a pass from Desmond Ridder on third and one at the Commanders’ 25-yard line.

Davis also added eight tackles and a sack in the contest. The win pushes the Commanders back to an even 3-3 record.

Jamin Davis' first career INT wins it for the @Commanders ‼️ @jamindavis25 | #WASvsATL pic.twitter.com/I7la5EfTkW

— NFL (@NFL) October 15, 2023

The 6-foot-3 linebacker has been off to a solid start for the Commanders this season. In five appearances, Davis has 29 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. This is Davis’ third season. The Commanders selected him with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Davis showed significant growth between his rookie campaign and second season. In 2021, he started in half of the Commanders’ contests, tallying 76 tackles, 3.0 for loss and a sack. Just a year later, Davis started in all but one contest and led Washington in tackles with 106 tackles. He also added 9.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Jamin Davis faces issues in the offseason

Perhaps Davis’ slower-than-normal start to this season can be attributed to offseason issues. During the spring, Commanders head coach Ron Rivera revealed Davis underwent a procedure following the 2022 campaign.

“Jamin Davis is only going through walkthroughs and meetings right now,” Rivera told reporters in May. “He had a minor cleanup procedure on his knee from a lingering issue from last season. He’ll continue to work his way back into the mix, and we’re not worried about this being a long-time thing.”

Surgery wasn’t the only obstacle in Davis’ way this offseason.

“The former Kentucky linebacker was found guilty of traveling 114 mph in a 45 mph at 1 p.m. ET back in March 2022,” according to KSR’s Nick Roush. “He was fined, his license was suspended and he was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

“Davis was in Louden County Circuit Court in Virginia on Monday to appeal the sentence. He entered a plea deal to remain in active incarceration for a maximum of eight days, but the judge rejected that appeal. Judge Stephen E. Sincavage denied the deal because Davis was speeding in a heavily trafficked area in the middle of the day.”

Now, beginning to find his rhythm this season, Davis will look to put his troubles behind him and boost the Commanders to the NFL Playoffs.