Detroit Lions vs. Washington Commanders: Keys to the Game

The Detroit Lions (15-2) will host their third-ever playoff game in Ford Field versus the Washington Commanders (12-5), who won their first playoff game since 2005 last week.

The Lions head into this game with the best record in the NFC for the first time in history. The NFC runs through Detroit, and the Lions are looking to capitalize and go to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history.

The Commanders, on the other hand, are looking to capitalize on a huge franchise-defining playoff win and carry their momentum to the NFC championship. The Lions are currently 9.5-point favorites. 

Detroit Lions vs. Washington Commanders Matchup History & Excerpts

The Washington Commanders lead the series 31-16 but the Lions have won the last two matchups.

The Commanders’ offense has made leaps forward this year with offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and rookie quarterback and offensive rookie of the year front runner, Jayden Daniels. Dan Campbell knows what kind of test it is to defend the Commanders offense.

When speaking to the media, Campbell had a lot of praise for their rookie quarterback.

“[Jayden Daniels] dangerous,” began Campbell. “He poses a major threat. He does not play the position like a rookie quarterback. He’s composed, he understands how to progress, he sees the field well, he can buy time with his legs, he’s a dangerous runner, and he’s smart. You can tell he understands how to run that offense, what they’re asking him to do. And then he’s got weapons around him. I mean, his receiver is pretty damn good. [Terry McLaurin] is a helluva player. He’s got a good back, he’s got more than one receiver. [Zach] Ertz at tight end. They’ve got weapons. O-line plays hard. So he’s a difference-maker.”

The Washington offense is dangerous and can break off explosive plays. It will undoubtedly be a difficult task for the battered Lions’ defense.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is in his first year with the Commanders but his second stint as a head coach. The former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator has revitalized this Washington team and has them playing with energy they haven’t seen in years. The Commanders have struggled a bit on defense, and Dan Quinn this to say about the potent Lions’ offense.

“As far as the challenges go, quite a bit , just in terms of the way they play—the style, the attitude—they’re high-flying and scoring offense, but they’re also, in the run game, one of the very best at that. They’ve generated a lot of explosive plays this year, and that alone, we had just talked about that, of being able to work the ball down the field, that’s difficult. Whether it’s speed and ability at wide receiver or the running back tandem, the quarterback who can rip it, an excellent o-line, defense plays a lot of man-to-man that plays aggressive. So, we’ll have our work cut out for us.”

Washington will have to be playing in their most important and toughest game yet. Their preparation and game plan will be critical if they want to win.

Key Players for the Lions

Quarterback Jared Goff will be key for the Lions. Last week, he had two costly interceptions. While the defense prevented those from being game-altering, he will have to do a better job protecting the football. He has been efficient all season, and this game should prove to be no different.

Running back David Montgomery will make his highly anticipated return this week, reuniting the fan-favorite backfield of “Sonic and Knuckles”. Montgomery makes the Lions’ rushing attack even more dynamic with the added presence of Jahmyr Gibbs.

Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams should be in for a big day against a mediocre Washington secondary. With the absence of Kevin Zeitler, Christian Mahogney will be making his second career start. He was outstanding in his first start and will look to build on that performance.

Defensively, the return of Alex Anzalone proved to be vital for the Lions’ defense. They got their leader back, and rallied behind him. They played their best defensive game since they started the Buffalo game.

Terrion Arnold also avoided a major injury in Week 18, which is huge for this defense. Amik Robertson also played a great game and will look to continue his steady performance this week. Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph will be critical in capping the Commanders’ ability to create explosive passing plays.

The Lions defense found a way to succeed, and that is by sending heavy blitzed to get to the quarterback before the secondary broke down, and it worked. It will be interesting to see if the Lions continue that strategy or if Detroit will change their defensive gameplan.

Key Players for the Commanders

Quarterback Jayden Daniels has been a sensation, and Commanders did a quality job of surrounding him with talent. Daniels is a prolific rushing quarterback who has been efficient as a passer, too.

Running back Brian Robinson Jr. has also been another valuable rushing threat that makes their offense dynamic and challenging to defend.

Before Daniels’ arrival, Terry McLaurin was stuck in Washington with lousy quarterback play that couldn’t truly showcase his talent. However, with the emergence of Daniels, McLaurin has benefited significantly. The Washington offensive line has been a strong suit for them, significantly improving from past years where they struggled.

Defensively, they are led by Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen, two long-time Commanders. Linebacker Bobby Wagner has had a complete career resurgence in his 34 season, being awarded second-team All-Pro honors. He is supported by another All-Pro linebacker,  Frankie Luvu, who is breaking out in his own way this season.

In the secondary, mid-season acquisition, Marshon Lattimore shored up their secondary. Rookie slot cornerback Mike Sainristil has also been a solid player for the unit.

Keys to Win the Game

Contain Jayden Daniels as a Rusher

The Lions have struggled to contain rushing quarterbacks since Aaron Glenn took over as offensive coordinator. For all the strengths stopping the run, they struggle with rushing quarterbacks.

Containing Daniels will be key to shutting down the Commanders offense. If the Lions can contain him as a rusher, it forces the Commanders to drive less efficiently down the field. The Lions absolutely cannot let Daniels get into rhythm, or the offense will need to score virtually every time they have the ball. 

Run The Ball Early and Efficiently

Washington has the 27th-ranked rushing defense by EPA/play, while the Lions rank fifth in rushing EPA/play. If Detroit can run the ball efficiently early, it will set up the rest of the Lions passing game to succeed.

Detroit can build off it with the play-action passing game and the screen offense. Establishing the run game will set up the offense for success throughout the game by keeping their Commanders’ offense off balance.

Stop Terry McLaurin

Outside of McLaurin, the Commanders don’t have a prolific passing threat. McLaurin is sensational and was a second-team All-Pro this season. Keeping him under control won’t be easy, but if the Lions can do so, it forces the other Commanders’ receivers to pick up the load on offense – which they have occasionally struggled to do this season against better teams.