The 6th seed Commanders head to Detroit to take on the 1st seed Lions in one of two NFC Divisional round matchups. Here are previews and a prediction for how this game will turn out:
When Washington has the ball:
The Commanders want to try to establish the run through Brian Robinson Jr from the start. However, Detroit is very solid against the run, and it might force the Commanders to throw a lot of short passes like they did against the Buccaneers. Jayden Daniels seems to thrive with those very quick short passes, which allow for his receivers to make big plays, especially on 1st and 2nd down.
Commanders Pass Catchers:
The two biggest downfield threats for Washington are Terry McLaurin and Dyami Brown. Both have exceptional speed and can take the top off an opposing defense. Where the Lions suffer is their secondary doesn’t always cover very well against those types of big-play receivers. Daniels is going to have to take some shots downfield and hope to get a couple of catches or pass interference calls. If the Commanders insist on running the ball, it may be a long day as the Lions will stop Robinson. Another key player for Washington will be Zach Ertz. Ertz only had two receptions in the game against Tamp,a but he is a huge red-zone threat and also has a presence in the middle of the field. He will need to have 5+ catches for Washington to win.
When Detroit has the ball:
Detroit is expecting to have David Montgomery return from his knee injury. Montgomery’s return allows the Lions to feature both running backs (Montgomery and Gibbs) which makes them even more difficult to stop. Montgomery is the bruising running back who runs in between the tackles, and Gibbs is the running back who runs outside and tries to pull off the explosive plays. Look for Detroit to try to wear down Washington’s defensive line as they run the ball at least 25 to 30 times in this game.
Lions Pass Catchers:
What makes Detroit so difficult to stop on offense is that they’re able to throw short passes to Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta, but also, at the same time, they’re able to challenge defenses deep downfield with the speed of Jameson Williams. If Detroit is running the ball well, they’ll be able to use their play action to their advantage and find Williams on a couple of deep passes, which could really blow the game wide open. If Williams has 5 or 6 catches for over 100 yards, Detroit may win this game by double digits.
Prediction:
Jayden Daniels is a terrific young quarterback who has a very bright future in the NFL, but Washington seems to be a little light on offense. If given time to throw, Jared Goff should be able to pick apart the Commanders secondary.