The Washington Commanders head north on Saturday to face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in the divisional playoff round. Last week, the Commanders defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a last-second field goal by Zane Gonzalez, while the Lions rested on a bye as the top team in the NFC.
The Commanders and Lions are not strangers to each other. They have met 47 times,, with the Commanders leading the overall series 31-16. The Commanders have also defeated the Lions in all three postseason meetings.
Still, this year’s Commanders are unlike any other Washington team from the past, and that’s why there’s reason to be hopeful. Let’s take a look at three reasons to be optimistic the Commanders come away with a win this Saturday.
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Commanders’ 4th down efficiency
One of the reasons the Commanders have been so successful this season is because out of 23 fourth-down tries they’ve attempted this year, they’ve succeeded 20 times. That’s an almost 87% conversion rate. Now, their third down conversion rate is only 45.6%, so in order to move the ball this season, they’ve had to convert on fourth down.
The Lions have a stout run defense, so Jayden Daniels will have to pass the ball on Saturday. And there will be times they need to use all four downs because of the Lions’ defense, so the Commanders should be prepared to pull out all the stops on Saturday.
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The Lions poor pass defense
The Lions have the 29th-ranked (third-worst) pass defense in the entire NFL. The Commanders have a solid ground game with Brian Robinson, Jayden Daniels, Austin Ekeler and Jeremy McNichols, but the Lions will be ready for them. Which is why, as mentioned above, Daniels will have to pass the ball on Saturday.
The Lions allow 244 pass yards per game, so you can expect the Commanders to exceed their average of 215 passing yards per game. Daniels must find Terry McLaurin, Olamide Zaccheaus, Zach Ertz, and any other open (and eligible) receiver he can. Daniels has shown us that he is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks around, but this week, he needs to remind everyone that he can throw the ball.
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Commanders’ rookie X-factors
The Commanders drafted really well in 2024. Jayden Daniels, Jer’Zhan Newton, Mike Sainristil, and Brandon Coleman have all immediately impacted this team. They are a huge part of why the Commanders have been so successful. Both Daniels and Sainristil are mentioned on various All-Rookie teams, and Daniels has a solid case for Offensive Rookie of the Year.
The Lions haven’t faced a team like the Commanders this season, so it is entirely possible that they won’t know what hit them.