In one of the wildest playoff games in recent memory, Jayden Daniels and the No. 6-seed Washington Commanders pulled off a stunning upset, defeating the top-seeded Detroit Lions 45-31.
Daniels was nearly flawless in repeatedly staring down Detroit’s blitz-happy defense, completing 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns without taking a sack or throwing an interception. He repeatedly connected with Terry McLaurin, Zach Ertz, Dyami Brown and Austin Ekeler as he methodically moved the team up and down the field.
Washington’s run game was also terrific throughout, helping the Commanders control the clock all evening. They ran the ball 42 times for 182 yards and three scores — two of them by Brian Robinson and one by Jeremy McNichols. As a result, they held the ball for 33 minutes and 59 seconds, keeping the ball away from the team that finished second in the NFL in time of possession.
The explosive and efficient Washington offense was overshadowed only by the defense, which bent several times in allowing an incredible 521 yards and 31 points, but eventually broke the vaunted Detroit offense by forcing five turnovers and even turning one of them into a touchdown. Rookie defensive back Mike Sainristil had two interceptions, one on Jared Goff to end the first half and one on Jameson Williams on a trick play to all but ice the game in the fourth quarter. Quan Martin had the biggest play with the pick six, while Dorance Armstrong had a strip-sack of Goff in the red zone early on and Jeremy Chinn got the game-ender with 25 seconds remaining.
Even before needing to pile up yards down by three scores late in the game, the Lions continually moved the ball up and down the field with relative ease, with Jahmyr Gibbs consistently exploding through the defense, Jameson Williams ripping off big plays and Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta chipping in with their usual contributions. But it was ultimately the turnovers that did Detroit in, along with an inability to get stops in key moments.
Detroit has been remarkably banged up on the defensive side of the ball for weeks now, and things finally boiled over here as Washington averaged over 6.5 yards per play and converted 7 of 12 third-or-fourth-down opportunities. Between those timely conversions and the turnovers, it was simply too much for the Lions to overcome. As a result, Washington is headed to the NFC title game for the first time in 33 years, with Daniels becoming just the sixth rookie quarterback to take his team to the conference championship round.
Why the Commanders won
A stone-cold baller of a rookie quarterback, and a defense that repeatedly stepped up. Daniels was lights out for the significant majority of this game, missing on only a scant few throws His 299 yards and two touchdowns undersell how effective he was as a passer, and his 51 rushing yards belie the impact his legs had on the game.
And while players like Robinson, McLaurin and Ertz made big impacts as well, it was the maligned Washington defense that did the rest. The Commanders yielded in excess of 500 yards and gave up 31 points, but any time you force FIVE turnovers, your team is likely to win. That’s what Dan Quinn’s unit accomplished here.
Why the Lions lost
Turnovers, and an inability to get the big stop. Goff was picked off three times, and fumbled once. His pick six gave Washington its first two-score lead of the game, while his late-first-half interception maintained that 10-point spread going into halftime. Williams threw the ball into triple-coverage on a trick play. And Goff was also strip-sacked early on.
You can’t win with that many miscues. You especially can’t when you allow your opponent to repeatedly convert on fourth down, and to turn all four of its red-zone trips into touchdowns. (They also had multiple key penalties, including a 12-men-on-the-field penalty that gave the Commanders another fourth-down conversion.)
Turning point
With the Lions leading 7-3 late in the first quarter, they were deep in Washington territory and looking to take a two-score lead. On third-and-1, Goff dropped back to pass … and then Dorance Armstrong made his biggest play of the season.
The Commanders would then reel off three consecutive touchdown drives and throw in a pick six for good measure, turning a potential two-score deficit into a two-score lead by halftime.
Highlight play
Make sure you check out the Lions’ outrageous toss-shovel pass, which was unlike anything we’ve seen in quite some time. But because Washington won, let’s highlight this ridiculous throw from Daniels to Brown, which set up an eventual Ertz touchdown to give Washington a 10-point lead.
That is about as perfect a drop-in-the-bucket throw as you’ll ever see, from a rookie who has consistently been one of the best deep-ball throwers in the NFL this season. Just ahead of the two-minute warning, it was a massive play in this game.
What’s next
Washington is headed to the NFC title game. The Commanders will travel to either Philadelphia or Los Angeles, depending on the result of Sunday’s Eagles vs. Rams game.
The Lions are headed home after their remarkable, franchise-best 15-2 season. They will hold the No. 28 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and it seems highly likely that they will use it to fortify their defense.
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