Following a much-needed first-round bye, the Detroit Lions will host the Washington Commanders at Ford Field this Saturday at 8 PM. Although both teams have history with each other, over the last few decades, both franchises have been relatively quiet, with playoff heartbreaks and instability. Now, both the Lions and the Commanders have put the past behind them as they head into a prime-time divisional game.
Jared Goff and the Lions look to repeat their success from last season as the surprise Commanders team, led by rookie Jayden Daniels, seeks to make a name for themselves. The Detroit Lions firmly established themselves as a juggernaut this season, but Washington has exceeded expectations, and knocked out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wildcard round. With an NFC Championship Game berth on the line, who has the edge?
Commanders at Lions: The Basics
- Who: Washington Commanders at Detroit Lions
- When: Saturday, January 18th, 8:00 PM Eastern
- Where:Â Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
- TV and Streaming: FOX
- Betting:Â Spread Lions -9.5, Moneyline Lions -550, Over/Under 55.5 (ESPN BET)
Lions Keys to Victory:
Run the football. The Detroit Lions’ game plan typically revolves around their running game, and this is no different. The ground game that revolves around Jahmyr Gibbs and the returning David Montgomery was among the most potent in the NFL, with almost 2,200 yards and 28 touchdowns between the pair. Detroit used their strong running game in combination with their elite offensive line to wear down interior defenses and run over them in the second half, which helped create one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history.
Unfortunately for the Commanders, during the regular season, they had the 30th-ranked rushing defense in the league, and against a fresh Detroit team, this will be a problem. Following a close call against the Buccaneers, Detroit enters with a far superior ground game and will exploit this against a scrappy Commanders team.
Get to Jayden Daniels. Detroit has had issues against mobile quarterbacks this season, but if they can find a way to keep pressure on Daniels, this could change their fortune. It’s not about containing him as much as it is about Detroit’s defense being aggressive and either sacking or hitting Daniels. Daniels is an exceptional talent for his experience, but Detroit does have counters for his talent.
Without a strong rushing attack aside from Daniels himself, Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn will design plays specifically targeting Daniels and collapsing the pocket. Much of Daniels’ successes came from him extending plays, but Detroit’s secondary has been elite all season, which keeps the ball from going downfield as often. Realizing he must will the offense alone, this could play right into Detroit’s favor.
Commanders’ Keys to Victory.
Jayden Daniels. The Commanders are not a bad football team. A team doesn’t win a playoff game as a fluke, doinking in a field goal aside, but the team succeeded because of Daniels, not because they were the best of the best. Daniels lead the team in passing yards, rushing yards, and had 31 touchdowns on the year, and he’s going to have to elevate against the Lions to win.
The Commanders will need Jayden Daniels to play the game of his life in order to beat the Lions. Detroit is a team that will put points on the scoreboard, and Jayden will have to carry the team’s offensive load to a superhuman effort to keep the team in the game. As mentioned earlier, the Lions have struggled against mobile quarterbacks, so Daniels will need to be the best version of himself, which may be asking too much of the rookie.
Keep the game close. This is much easier said than done, but the Commanders have a knack for pulling out close victories. Whether on a flea flicker against the Bears, or the late game heroics in the playoffs, Daniels has come up clutch time and time again. The Commanders has a way of making the right play at the end of the game to win.
Though the ball tends to move the right way with Daniels in the clutch, Washington must do enough on both sides of the ball to keep the game close, which is a tall task against the Lions. Detroit has beaten many of the top defenses in the NFL with their variety of weapons on offense, but if Washington could either go blow for blow against the Lions or slow them down enough to keep the ball in Daniels’ hands, Washington could luck their way to a victory.
Verdict.
Detroit will have an interesting task against a scrappy young team like Washington, but it’s hard to see the Lions losing this game. It won’t be a pushover game, but the Lions will have a comfortable victory. 38-24 Lions, as they march to a second straight NFC Championship appearance.
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