The top seed in the NFC, the Detroit Lions, is hosting the Washington Commanders on Saturday night for a chance to advance to the NFC Championship. Yes, you’ve never heard that before. The Detroit Lions are the No.1 1 seed in the NFC, coming off of a bye. The rookie-led Commanders are coming off a surprise win in the first round against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jayden Daniels may be facing his biggest task in his young career by entering the hostile environment that is Ford Field against the NFL’s best team. What will the Lions do to slow down Daniels and the Commanders? How does Detroit match up with Washington?
Lions Advantages Over Commanders
The Detroit Lions may have had the best playoff scenario after Wild Card weekend. They had the chance to play one of three teams. Matt Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams are getting hot at the right time. They played the Minnesota Vikings twice this season, and it’s difficult to beat the same team three times in the same season. So, the Commanders were the best matchup for the rested Lions. The team will welcome Daniels into the electric “Den” that is Ford Field. Daniels has shown great poise this season, but how will the rookie handle one of the league’s most hostile home-field advantages?
The Lions enter Saturday as a heavy-betting favorite, and it’s justified. “Knuckles” also known as David Montgomery will be making his return to the backfield with emerging superstar Jahmyr Gibbs. Washington provides a bottom-five rush defense which the duo of “Sonic and Knuckles” should be able to take advantage of. This should be the biggest factor in this game with Detroit having one of the most dominating offensive lines in the league. Although Guard Kevin Zeitler and Tackle Taylor Decker were limited in practice this week, it shouldn’t cause too much concern.
Commanders Add More Motivation For Detroit
As if Dan Campbell and company didn’t need extra motivation for this game, the Commanders were recorded chanting “We want Detroit” after their victory over the Bucs. Do you really? Do you really want to play the best team in the NFL? Do you really want to enter Ford Field on a Saturday night with some of the best fans in the league? Oh, and add that both Lions’ coordinators are two of the most coveted head coaching candidates available for next season.
Offensive genius Ben Johnson and defensive guru Aaron Glenn know this could be the last tour for the band and would want nothing better than to give the city of Detroit not only their first Super Bowl appearance but their first Super Bowl win in franchise history. Glenn seems to be the one to single-handedly break Vikings QB Sam Darnold with his consistent blitzing. I wonder what he’s got dialed up for the rookie.
Final Thoughts
Look for the Lions to try to pound the rock all night against a weak Commanders rush defense. Daniels has been sensational in his rookie season, but will he be mentally prepared for what he is about to face in Detroit? Nationally, Daniels has been getting more praise than Jared Goff, even though Goff is having an MVP-type season.
There is no doubt in my mind that the coaching staff will have this team prepared to take care of business against the Commanders. It’s been a nice rookie season for Daniels, but it is time for that season to end. It will be sad to see the Lions’ coordinators leave, but that is the price you pay when you have an elite team.
