The Washington Commanders are fighting franchise history as they prepare to face the Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round. Washington is eyeing its first trip to the NFC Championship Game since 1992. The only teams with a longer conference championship drought than the Washington Commanders are the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns at 32 and 35 years respectively.
Rookie Quarterback Jayden Daniels was spectacular late in the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to pull out the victory. He orchestrated a 10-play 51-yard drive to set up a game-winning field goal by Zane Gonzalez. Daniels has been consistently excellent late in games, and Sunday night’s game was no different. It was his sixth win of the season after trailing in the fourth quarter. Will Daniels and the Washington Commanders be able to pull off a huge upset?
Washington Commanders Face An Uphill Battle
Can the Commanders end their drought this weekend? pic.twitter.com/1ryzBaVtoQ
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 15, 2025
Washington has the longest odds of any team in the Divisional Round as they are 9.5-point underdogs. If the Washington Commanders are to upset the Detroit Lions, it will come down to their defense. The Commanders have had one of the league’s best offenses this year. The same thing cannot be said about their defense. They were 13th in yards allowed per game and 18th in points allowed.
The Washington defense will face its toughest test of the season when they travel to take on the Lions. Detroit was second in total yards per game and led the league in points per game by a wide margin during the regular season. Quarterback Jared Goff had a career season and skill players like Running Back Jahmyr Gibbs and Wide Receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown may have a field day against Washington’s defense. Daniels will need to make more magic for the Washington Commanders to keep this game close.
Final Thoughts
Things are turning around for the Washington Commanders franchise after a rough stretch of football. New Owner Josh Harris, Head Coach Dan Quinn, and Daniels have the franchise on the right track. If Washington makes the NFC Championship for the first time in over three decades, everything will have to go their way. It has been a dream season for the Washington Commanders, but it will end on Saturday night. Detroit seems like a team of destiny this year, and Washington will not be able to rewrite history.
