Lions, Commanders collide in battle of the bold
Detroit claimed the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history, but the Lions are nowhere near the top of their bucket list as the divisional playoffs get underway Saturday night at Ford Field.
“We came into this year ready for games like this,” Lions quarterback Jared Goff said. “If we win, we get another one at home. That’s a big reward.”
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Runners up to the 49ers in the NFC last season, the Lions (15-2) set a franchise record for wins in the 2024 regular season, clinching the NFC North with a Week 18 win over the Minnesota Vikings. That victory secured the only first-round bye in the conference.
While the Lions rested and plotted ways to protect their injury-ravaged defense, the Washington Commanders scored their first postseason victory since 2005 at Tampa Bay, 23-20 behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
A completion percentage of 72 percent with 12 touchdowns in the fourth quarter and overtime helped define Daniels’ stellar rookie season. He threw a game-tying TD pass to No. 1 receiver Terry McLaurin on fourth down at Tampa Bay and, after the Buccaneers tied the game, he calmly connected on three straight passes and ran for a first down to set up the game-winning field goal. Daniels led five comeback wins and helped Washington crash the playoffs with three fourth-quarter touchdown passes to beat the Eagles last month.
Rookie quarterbacks are 5-7 in the Divisional Playoffs since 1950 and 1-4 since 2010. Only Mark Sanchez (2009 with the Jets) and Joe Flacco (2008, Ravens) have won multiple road games as rookie starters.
Daniels, described by his coach as a “killer inside that helmet,” might not fit the description of rookie at this point in the season. He helped the Commanders improve from four wins to a 12-5 finish and was 8-3 in one-score games.
“He does not play the position like a rookie quarterback,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said.
The No. 6 seed in the NFC goes back on the road for the fourth playoff matchup with the Lions, who are 0-3 against Washington in the playoffs. With a win, the Commanders would advance to the conference championship for the first time since they defeated the Lions in the 1991 NFC title game.
“Jayden has such poise in these winning time moments. And that is contagious as well,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said.
Beating Detroit on its home turf is likely to require another clutch showing from Daniels and the Washington defense. The Commanders slowed down Baker Mayfield and the Bucs last week, but the Lions are a different animal.
No. 1 in the NFL in scoring offense (33.2 points per game) and second in total offense (409.5 yards per game) during the regular season, Detroit welcomes the return of running back David Montgomery (1,116 yards from scrimmage, 12 rushing TDs in 2024) after he missed three games with a knee injury suffered Dec. 15. Montgomery was considered a surgery candidate but said rehab has him feeling stronger than he was before the injury.
“He’s a big part of this team. Anytime you get a key player and a guy like him — the way he runs, you really can’t replace it,” Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said. “To have him back, we’re all pretty excited on the offensive side of the ball because he sets a tone for us as an offense. I feel like he gets guys going. We can’t wait to have him out there. I’m excited to see him even go in practice again and then be out there for the game.”
Montgomery practiced Wednesday for the second consecutive day, as did cornerback Terrion Arnold (foot). Offensive tackle Taylor Decker missed Wednesday’s workout for personal reasons.
A key to slowing Montgomery down for the Commanders is middle linebacker Bobby Wagner. A second-team All-Pro in 2024, Wagner injured his ankle on the second-to-last defensive play of the wild-card win last week and didn’t practice Tuesday or Wednesday. The 34-year-old followed Quinn to Washington and topped 100 tackles for the 11th consecutive season. Described as a “heartbeat” presence on defense, Wagner has 17 playoff appearances in the NFL.
