Commanders 45 vs 31 Lions summary, stats, score and highlights | NFC Playoffs Divisional Round

After the pick gave Washington great field position again, Daniels and the Commanders put this game on ice midway through the fourth quarter. Jeremy McNichols put the nail in the coffin with this one yard run to stretch the lead out to three scores and advance the Commanders to their first NFC Championship since 1991, which was their last Super Bowl run.
The Commanders will have to wait for the Rams-Eagles game tomorrow afternoon to see who they will meet in the NFC Championship next week.
The Lions were trying everything they could to keep up with the Commanders and this offense. They dug into their bag of tricks, but it came back to bite them when Williams got the end around and tried to throw it to Gibbs, but got picked off by Mike Sainristil who ended the night with two INTs.
After the Lions closed the gap to just three, Jayden Daniels led his team on what was the most impressive drive of the season. The Commanders went on a 15 play, 70 yard drive that lasted almost 9 minutes an Robinson finished off the drive with his second TD of the night. Robinson ended the night with 77 yards and two TDs on 15 carries.
The Lions came out and got a stop to begin the second half, and then Gibbs put the team on his back and carried them into the end zone for his second TD of the night. He ended the night with 105 yards, and two TDs on just 14 carries and had another 70 yards receiving.
There were 42 points scored in the second quarter from Detroit, and Daniels finished off what was a historic quarter of an hour with this TD link up to Ertz.
Before the end of the first half, Daniels took his team down the field and ended the highest scoring second quarter in the history of the NFC. He dropped this dime into the hands of Diami Brown.
The Lions would bounce back, even with their QB on the sidelines. Back up Teddy Bridgewater came on to the field and took a few snaps under center. This was got taken to the house by Jameson Williams who found a pocket of space, cut it back to the inside and housed it from 61 yards out.
Two plays after the McLaurin TD, Goff got picked off by Quan Martin who took it to the house on a pick six that put Washington in control of the game with a 10 point lead. Goff took a big shot at the end of this play and was forced to miss a few plays as he went through concussion protocol.
Back and forth they went like a Stanley Cup Playoff game. Terry McLaurin broke one and took it 59 yards on a WR screen to the flat. On the biggest night of the year, you knew Daniels would be looking for his No. 1 target, and McLaurin delivered with 87 yards and this TD.
The Lions would counter just a couple minutes after thanks to a couple of big plays from Gibbs, and that set up this Sam LaPorta one handed catch in the back of the end zone. This was really just the start of the wild night, especially second quarter, to come.
After the strip sack gave the Commanders great field position, Brian Robinson Jr. punched it in from a yard out for his first of two rushing TDs on the night. The Commanders had a balanced attack of pass and run game that kept the Lions on skate all night. They rushed for a combined 182 total yards on Detroit's banged up defense.
The Commanders got into the red zone again, but were held to a field goal. After getting on the board, the defense injected some juice into the offensive guys with this strip sack on Jared Goff for the first of five turnovers that the Commanders would force.
On a night that David Montgomery returned from a sprained knee, it was still Jahmyr Gibbs doing the heavy lifting out of the backfield. He had a couple TD runs, the first of which put the Lions on the scoreboard first and that seemed to open up the floodgates.
The Washington Commanders stormed into Detroit and shocked the top seeded team in the NFC with another sensational performance from their rookie QB. Jayden Daniels passed for 299 yards and two TDs on 22/31 passing in Washington's 45-31 win over the Lions.
The Commanders showed early on that they could move the ball, but they got stopped on 4th and 1 to open up the game and that allowed the Lions to take the early lead. That was about the only stop that the Lions defense came up with all night.
IT'S ALL OVER FROM DETROIT!!!
Rookie Jaden Daniels leads his team over the top seeded team in the NFC. The Lions are out and the Commanders are heading to the conference championship.
INTERCEPTION!!!
Goff is picked off by Patrick in the end zone and it's Chinn that is going to have the final word in Detroit!
WAS are going on to the next round of the playoffs.
Goff escapes the pocket and looks for St Brown but that pass falls incomplete.
3rd and 10 from the WAS 17.
Short pass to St Brown and he makes the catch for a 13 yard gain.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 17 after Goff spikes the ball.
Pass over the middle for Raymond for 9 yards.
3rd and 1 from the WAS 30.
Goff finds LaPorta over the middle for a gain of 9 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 39.
Goff tucks it and runs to the sideline for a gain of 7 and a first down.
1st and 10 from the DET 43.
Goff finds Gibbs over the middle for a gain of 10 yards but he is short of the first down.
4th and inches from the DET 44 with 1:36 to go.
WE ARE AT THE TWO MINUTE WARNING!!!
Goff finds LaPorta for a gain of 11 yards up the middle.
3rd and 10 from the DET 34.
DET ball from the 34 and Goff is sacked for a loss of 11 yards!
2nd and 21 from the DET 23.
MISSED FIELD GOAL!!!
Gonzalez missed the 44 yard field goal wide left and that will give the Lions a little chance here.
WAS lead 45-31 with 2:26 to go.
Robinson up the middle and he picks up five yards, but he's short of the marker.
4th and 1 from the DET 26.
Daniels keeps it and he picks up a yard. Timeout DET with 3:13 to go, that's their third.
3rd and 6 from the DET 31.
McNicols to the left side and he picks up 3 yards on first down.
2nd and 7 from the DET 32.
Daniels with the play action and he looks for Ertz on the left side and he eels it in for a gain of 20 yards and a first down!!!
1st and 10 from the DET 35.
Robinson to the right side and he picks up 3 yards.
3rd and 5 from the WAS 45. Timeout DET with 4:08 to go. That's their first.
Robinson to the right side and he picks up 2 yards.
2nd and 8 from the WAS 42.
Great onside kick and the Lions had a chance at it, but Ertz finally wrapped it up.
WAS ball from their 40.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Bates hits a field goal, which cuts it to a two score lead, but that's not the score they needed there.
WAS lead 45-31 with 5:01 to go in the 4th.
Gibbs to the left side on the pitch and he gets 2 yards.
4th and 8 from the WAS 10.
Short pass to Gibbs on the right side but that pass was behind the RB with Goff feeling the pressure.
3rd and 10 from the WAS 12.
Goff to the right side and he hits St. Brown right at the marker for a gain of 13.
1st and 10 from the WAS 12.
Quick pass to St. Brown on the slant is incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 25.
Goff to the right side for St. Brown and he makes the catch for a gain of 20 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 25.
Goff to Raymond to the right side and he makes the diving catch for 13 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 45.
Gibbs makes the catch on the right side and he makes a move around a defender and takes it for 12 yards.
1st and 10 from the DET 42.
DET get the ball from their 30 and Goff's pass to Gibbs skipped off the turf.
2nd and 10 from the 30.
The Commanders have given the Lions a taste of their own medicine. Going for it on 4th down deep in the red zone and this time it was McLaurin making the catch and setting up the McNichols one yard TD.
TOUCHDOWN WASHINGTON!!!
McNichols stretches into the end zone to make it a three score game!!!
WAS lead 45-28 with 7:31 to go in the 4th quarter.
Daniels over the middle to McLaurin and he makes the catch and gets 12 yards down to the one yard line!
1st and Goal from the 1.
Daniels pass to McLaurin on the slant was behind the WR and that's going to bring up a 4th and short that is going to be huge.
4th and 2 from the DET 13.
Blitz came and Daniels stood in the pocket and fired a strike for Ertz on the right side for a gain of 10 yards.
3rd and 2 from the DET 13.
After a delay of game on WAS, McNichols gets the handoff up the middle for a gain of 3 yards.
2nd and 12 from the DET 23.
Daniels tucks it and runs with no one open and he spins to the marker for a first down.
1st and 10 from the DET 21.
Ekeler to the left side and he picks up 5 yards on the first down run.
2nd and 5 from the DET 26.
Ekeler gets the handoff to the left side and he finds a hole and explodes for a gain of 35 yards to start the drive!
1st and 10 from the DET 31.
INTERCEPTION!!!
Williams got the end around and looked down field with a pass to Gibbs, but his pass was picked off by Sainristil, and that's the 4th TO the Lions have committed tonight!!!
WAS lead 38-28 and have the ball at their 34 with 12:13 to go in the 4th.
Goff finds Patrick over the middle and he takes it for 22 yards around mid field.
1st and 10 from the DET 46.
DET get it from the 19 and Montgomery gets 5 yards on the first down run to the right side.
2nd and 5 from the DET 24.
The Commanders just went on a 15 play drive that took almost nine minutes off the clock. They converted couple of 4th downs, one courtesy of a 12 man penalty and Robinson punched it into the end zone for a TD.
TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS!!!
Robinson punches it in from a yard out and stretches this to a two possessio game.
WAS lead 38-28 with 13:29 to go in the final quarter.
Robinson to the left side and he picks up a yard.
2nd and Goal from the 1.
A 12 man on the field penalty is going to the Commanders a first down!
1st and Goal from the 3.
Daniels on the play action and he hits Ertz on the shallow out route but he is taken down at the line of scrimmage.
4th and 2 from the 5.
WE ARE HEADING TO THE FINAL QUARTER HERE FROM DETROIT!!!
Ekeler to the right side and he gets a yard on the final play of third quarter.
3rd and 2 from the DET 5.
Daniels to the left side for Ekeler who makes the catch and picks up 7 yards.
2nd and 3 from the DET 6.
Daniels with the play fake and he sprints to the sideline for a gain fo 3 yards to extend the drive.
1st and 10 from the DET 13.
Daniels finds Brown on a crossing route but he was ripped down short of the marker by Branch.
4th and 1 from the DET 16.
Short pass to the right side for Ekeler and he picks up 6 yards.
3rd and 5 from the DET 19.
Quick throw to the right side for Brown and he taken down for no gain. The ball came out late, but bounced out of bounds.
2nd and 10 from the DET 24.
Robinson up the middle and he moves the chains with a 2 yards run. /
1st and 10 from the DET 24.
Robinson up the middle and he is stopped just short of the marker.
3rd and 1 from the DET 26.
Robinson to the right side and he is pushed out of bounds after a gain of 7.
2nd and 3 from the DET 28.
Robinson to the right side and he picks up 5 yards and a flag flies for unnecessary roughness after Paschal crushed Daniels in the head and neck area after the handoff.
1st and 10 from the DET 35.
Daniels felt the blitz coming and he takes off to the right side and he picks up 14 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the WAS 45.
WAS get the ball from their 30 and Daniels keeps it on the run to the right side and he picks up a yard.
2nd and 9 from the WAS 31.
The Lions get a stop, a fortunate face mask call and get into the end zone to cut the lead to three with this Gibbs TD, his second of the night.
TOUCHDOWN DETROIT!!!
Gibbs gets the handoff up the middle and he bundles over a couple defenders for the 8 yard TD run!
WAS lead 31-28 with 6:57 to go in the 3rd quarter.
Gibbs to the left side and he is dropped by Lattimore for a loss of 1.
2nd and Goal from the 8.
What a play there! Goff pitched it to Montgomery who shovel passed it to St. Brown and he takes it for 20 yards and a first down!
1st and Goal from the 7.
Screen to the right side for Gibbs and he follows his blockers for a gain of 11 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the WAS 27.
Goff looking for Gibbs out of the backfield but the pressure got to Goff and affected that throw.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 38.
Stop route on the left side from St. Brown and Goff hit him as he turns and picks up 19 yards to extend the drive.
1st and 10 from the WAS 38.
Gibbs to the right side and he is taken down at the line of scrimmage.
3rd and 11 from the DET 43.
Gibbs to the left side and he is pushed out of bounds for a loss of 1.
2nd and 11 from the DET 42.
Montgomery got blown up by Wagner for a loss of three but a face mask on WAS is going to give the Lions a first down. On the replay there was no face mask, so DET get a break right there.
1st and 10 form the DET 43.
Montgomery up the middle and he fights for 8 yards to bring up 3rd and short.
3rd and 2 from the DET 28.
Goff's pass to the right side for LaPorta falls incomplete.
2nd and 10 from the DET 20.
DET get the ball back from their 9 and Montgomery cuts it to the left side and picks up 11 yards to start the drive.
1st and 10 from the DET 20.
Daniels' pass over the middle for Brown is low and falls incomplete and the Commanders will punt for the first time tonight.
4th and 11 from the WAS 43.
Daniels tried to tuck it with the pocket collapsing but Paschal took him down after a gain of 1.
3rd and 11 from the WAS 43.
Daniels on the QB keeper and he is dragged down for a loss of 2 by Branch.
2nd and 12 from the WAS 42.
WAS get the ball to start the half and Robinson breaks one up the middle for a gain of 14 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 44.
WE ARE BACK IN DETROIT FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!!!
The Commanders took a 10 point lead into the break after this connection from Daniels to Ertz.
The Lions had a few tricks up their sleeves, as Williams took this reverse to the house fro 61 yards out.
Just two plays later it was Martin picking off Goff and taking it to the house to make it 24-14.
Once the second quarter came, the flood gates opened. Daniels hit McLaurin who broke it for a 59 yard TD.
Detroit responded with this incredible throw and catch from Goff to LaPorta who reeled it in with one hand.
Shortly after the fumble, Daniels marched the Commanders into the red zone and Robinson punched it in from a yard out after a 4th down conversion and a PI flag on 3rd and Goal.
The Commanders defense have come up with some massive plays in the first half. This was the first one made by Armstrong who got the strip sack and Luvu made the recovery.
The Lions put the first points on the board thanks to a Jahmyr Gibbs TD. Gibbs got his partner in the backfield back, but it's been all Gibbs so far in DET.
This has been a wild first half of football, but it took a little while for the first points to get on the board. The Lions forced a a turnover on downs on their opening drive as Mariota took the snap and was stopped short.
WE ARE HEADING TO HALFTIME FROM DETROIT WITH THE ONE SEED TRAILING BY 10.
INTERCEPTION!!!!
Goff took a chance to the end zone for Williams who looked open but Sainristil picked it off in the end zone for the third Lions turnover of the half!!!\
WAS take over with a few seconds on the clock!
Goff over the middle for Gibbs and he makes the catch for 12 yards. Timeout DET with 35 to go.
1st and 10 from the WAS 29.
Goff's pass over the middle for Gibbs was tipped at the line and falls incomplete.
2nd and 10 form he WAS 41 with 45 seconds to go.
Gibbs up the middle and he bursts for a gain of 11 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 41.
Goff looking down the middle for the field for Gibbs who slid and made the catch for 11 yards. The play got reviewed and is was reversed to an incomplete pass.
3rd and 3 from the DET 48.
Goff goes no huddle and finds LaPorta on the right side for a gain of 7.
2nd and 3 from the DET 48.
DET get the ball back from their 30 and Goff finds St. Brown for an 11 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the DET 41.
This is just a reminder that Jayden Daniels is a rookie. If you had forgotten while watching this game in which he has looked like the second coming of Patrick Mahomes.
TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS!!!
Daniels finds Erts on the slant to the left side and he makes the catch in the end zone to extend the lead with under 2:00 to go in the half.
WAS lead 31-21 with 1:46 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Daniels rolls right and looks to the right side but had to throw that ball away with no one open.
3rd and Goal from the 6.
Daniels up the middle on the keeper and he gets 2 yards.
2nd and Goal from the 6.
Jared Goff took a big hit on the pick six that the Commanders took back, and had to go to the locker room. Our William Gittins has more.
WE ARE AT THE TWO MINUTE WARNING HERE FROM DETROIT!!!
Daniels with a deep shot to Brown down the right thrown and he put it right on the money for a 38 yard link up!
1st and Goal from the DET 6.
Ekeler up the middle for a gain of 2 yards on first down!!!
2nd and 8 from the DET 45.
Daniels to the right side on the QB keeper and he takes it for 15 yards into DET territory.
1st and 10 from the DET 47.
WAS get the ball from their 30 and Ekeler takes it up the middle for a gain of 8.
2nd and 2 from the WAS 38.
With Goff in the locker room, Bridgewater and the offense come up with a huge play on this 61 yard end around for a TD to cut into the WAS lead.
TOUCHDOWN LIONS!!!
Williams gets the end around to the left side and he takes it down the sideline, cuts it back to the middle, and goes 61 yards untouched into the end zone!!!
It's 24-21 Commanders with 4:01 to go in the first half.
Bridgewater to the right side for Gibbs who moves the chains with a gain of 3 yards.
1st and 10 from the DET 39.
DET take over with Teddy Bridgewater in under center, and after a false start, Gibbs bursts up the middle for a gain of 14 yards.
2nd and 1 from the DET 36.
There have been 21 points scored in the last two and a half minutes. The Washington defense comes up with a big play and takes it all the way to the house. Goff got popped at the end of the play and he's going to have go to the locker room to go through concussion protocol.
PICK SIX!!!! TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS!!!!
Goff goes deep down the left side for Patrick and that pass was over thrown, falling right into the hands of Martin who took it 40 yards all the way back to the house!!!
WAS lead 24-14 with 5:25 to go in the half!!!
DET get the ball from their 17 after a false start and Gibbs is tackled for a gain of 1 on the right side.
2nd and 14 from the DET 18.
The Commanders take the lead back with a quick counter thanks to this 59 yard TD catch and run from Washington's top WR, Terri McLaurin.
TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS!!!!
WR screen to McLaurin on the left side and he breaks through one tackle and sprints to the end zone on a 59 yard TD catch and run!
WAS lead 17-14 with 6:23 to go in the 2nd quarter!!!
Pass to the right side for Brown on the comeback route and he reels it in for a gain of 8 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 41!!
WAS get the ball back from their 30 and Daniels keeps it on the read option to the right side for a gain of 3.
2nd and 7 from the WAS 33.
Back and forth we go from Detroit as the Lions take the lead with this incredible one handed catch from LaPorta in the back of the end zone. And how about Goff hanging in the pocket and taking the hit?
TOUCHDOWN DETROIT!!!
Goff was under pressure and at the last split second, he goes to the back of the end zone for LaPorta who makes a miraculous one handed catch to give the Lions back the lead.
DET lead 14-10 with 7:44 to go in the first half.
WR screen to the right side for Raymond and he follows his blockers and takes it for 15 yards!
1st and Goal from the 3.
Pitch to the left side for Gibbs and he is stopped for no gain on first down.
2nd and 10 from the WAS 17.
Gibbs weaves his way through traffic for a gain of 12 yards and another first down.
1st and 10 from the WAS 17.
Perfect pass from Goff to St. Brown down the right sideline and he makes a sprawling catch for a gain of 34 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 29.
Goff over the middle for St. Brown and he makes the catch for 7 yards.
3rd and 3 from the DET 37.
DET get the ball back from their 30 and Goff goes deep over the middle for Willams, but that pass was overthrow by a few inches.
2nd and 10 from the 30.
After a 4th down conversion and a PI flag on DET on 3rd and Goal, Robinson punches it in to give the Commanders a surprising lead against the top seed in the NFC.
TOUCHDOWN COMMANDERS!!!
Washington takes the lead with a run up the middle by Robinson from a yard out!
WAS are up 10-3 with 10:55 to go in the 2nd quarter.
Robinson up the middle and he is stuffed by Anzalone at the line of scrimmage.
2nd and Goal from the 1.
Daniels with the play action and he goes to the end zone for McLaurin who goes down in the end zone and a flag flies for PI on DET.
1st and Goal from the 1.
Daniels on the keeper to the right side and he is pushed out of bounds by Joseph for a loss of 1.
3rd and Goal from the 4.
Daniles to the air from the 2 and that pass to Bates was behind the TE on the left side.
2nd Goal from the 2.
The offense stays on the field and Daniels goes over the middle for Ertz who makes the catch for a gain of 7.
1st and Goal from the 2.
Daniles looks for Zaccheaus on the crossing route, but that pass to the right side was too far out in front of the WR.
4th and 3 from the 9.
Daniels rolls right and tucks it for a gain of 4 yards.
3rd and 3 from the DET 9.
Daniels on the QB keeper to the left side and he picks up 3 yards.
2nd and 7 from the DET 13.
Daniels goes deep down the left side for Brown on the first play of the quarter, and they connect for a big 42 yard gain!
1st and 10 from the DET 16.
Lions CB Amik Robertson was injured on the first couple plays of this game, and for a defense that's already extremely banged up that is terrible news. Our William Gittens has more.
WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER FROM DETROIT!!!
Robinson to the right side and he is pushed out of bounds afte a gain of 5 yards.
2nd and 5 from the WAS 42.
Up the middle for Robinson and he picks up 15 yards to start the drive.
1st and 10 from the WAS 37.
Forcing a fumble in the red zone is always big, but the Lions were on the verge of taking complete command of this game. If they go up two scores, the COmmanders might have been in trouble, but Armstrong made sure that wasn't going to happen.
FUMBLE!!!
Armstrong comes off the edge and he swipes the ball out of Goff's hands!!! Luvu was there to jump on the loose ball and the Commanders take over after forcing a red zone turnover!
WAS ball at their 22.
Montgomery to the left side and he is dropped after a three yard gain.
3rd and 1 from the WAS 17.
Goff with a sidearm toss to LaPorta for a gain of 6 yards on first down.
2nd and 4 from the WAS 20.
Gibbs to the left side and he breaks it for a big gain of 33 yards down the sideline.
1st and 10 from the WAS 26.
DET get the ball back from the 27 and Goff with a Short pass to LaPorta who turn and takes it for 14 yards and a first down.
1st and 10 from the DET 41.
FIELD GOAL!!!
Gonzalez drills the 47 yard field goal to get the Commanders on the board.
DET lead 10-0 with 3:50 to go in the 1st quarter.
Daniels goes over the middle for Brown who had the first down catch in his hands, but it was knocked out of his grasp by Vildor.
4th and 10 from the DET 29.
Pass down the right sideline for Zaccheaus but the coverage by Branch was perfect.
3rd and 10 from the DET 29.
Quick throw to the flat but Smith broke through and tipped that pass in the backfield.
2nd and 10 from the DET 29.
Robinson break through a couple of tackles and gets a nice chunk of 14 up the middle.
1st and 10 from the DET 29.
Come back route from Crowder and he makes the catch behind the marker for a gain of 12 yards.
1st and 10 from the DET 43.
Daniels finds Ekeler out of the backfield and he is dropped after four yards.
3rd and 10 from the WAS 45.
Pitch to Ekler on the left side and he is blown up by Anzalone for a loss of 4.
2nd and 14 from the WAS 41.
Short pass to McLaurin on the left side and he slides to the ground to make the catch for an 11 yard gain.
1st and 10 from the WAS 45.
WAS get the ball back from their 30 and Daniels keeps it on the read option to the left side for a gain of 4 yards.
2nd and 6 from the WAS 34.
David Montgomery got the first few handoffs but a couple of big gains from Gibbs set the Lions up inside the 5 and he finished off the drive with a 2 yard TD.
The Lions defense came up with a stop on 4th and short, and that opened the door for the Lions to take the early lead.
TOUCHDOWN GIBBS!!!
Gibbs on the counter to the left side and he walks into the end zone from two yards out!
DET lead 7-0 with 7:36 to go in the first quarter.
Montgomery up the middle and he moves the chains with a four yard gain.
1st and Goal from the 2.
Gibbs to the right side and he gets another big chunk for a gain of 9 yards.
2nd and 1 from the WAS 5.
Short pass to Gibbs out of the backfield and he turns it up field and takes it for 23 yards for another first down.
1st and 10 from the WAS 14.
Gibbs with his first carry of the night and he finds a hole on the right side for a gain of 15 yards.
1st and 10 from the WAS 37.
Goff with the play action and he goes deep to the right side for Williams on the deep route for a gain of 19.
1st and 10 from the DET 48.
TURNOVER ON DOWNS!!!
The back up QB Mariotta came in for the QB sneak, but pulled out of the pile and looked like he was going to pitch it back to Daniels, but that play got blown up by the Lions defense!
DET ball from their 29 with 10:38 to go in the first quarter.
Daniels finds Crowder to the right side and he had a lot of work to do, but raced down the right side and picked up 13 to bring up 4th and 1.
4th and 1 from the DET 28.
A false start on DET backs them up 5 yards, and we are at an official timeout from DET with 11:10 to go.
Daniels was under pressure and he had to throw it away on the right sideline.
3rd and 9 from the DET 36.
McNichols to the left side and he gets a yard on the first down run.
2nd and 9 from the DET 36.
Short pass to Ekler out of the backfield and he finds follows his blockers, spins out of a tackle and takes it for 24 yards into DET territory.
1st and 10 from the DET 37.
Daniels finds Brown in the flat to the left side and he picks up 7 yards on first down.
2nd and 3 from the WAS 39.
Quick pass to the right side for McLaurin who races to the marker and gets the first down with a six yard gain.
1st and 10 from the WAS 32.
WAS get the ball from their 20 to start the night and Daniels finds Ertz with a short pass to the left side for a gain of 6.
2nd and 4 from the WAS 26.
The Lions go three and out after Goff's pass over the middle was behind Patrick right at the marker.
4th and 13 from the DET 37.
Handoff to Montgomery and Fowler came streaking in off the edge and blew that play up for a loss of 5.
3rd and 13 from the DET 37.
Montgomery is back in the backfield and he gets the opening handoff to the right side for a two yard gain.
2nd and 8 from the DET 42.
The Lions get the ball to start the night and the kick goes out of bounds so DET will start the game from their 40!
WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM DETROIT!!!!
Get ready to get rowdy
It’s going to be loud in Detroit. This is a city that has been desperate for a Super Bowl run. They are going to act like it tonight from Ford Field which is normally considered one of the loudest and most difficult places to visit in the NFL. Tonight we are expect decibel levels that have never been seen before. The previous record is 134.3 against Tampa Bay last year.
Anthem singer
As always the show before the show is about to kickoff. A special guest will be getting the Motor City ready for this Divisional Round Playoff game. Our William Allen has more.
Star watch: Lions
Jahmyr Gibbs has carried the load, and carried the Lions to the one seed in the NFC since David Montgomery went down with a knee injury in the game against the Bills in the middle of December. In the three games without his partner in crime, he went for 100 yards every outing, averaging 121 yards and he scored five TDs on the ground and had another one through the air. Even when he was splitting time with Montgomery for most of the regular season he went for 1,412 yards (5th in the league) and 16 TDs, with another 517 yards and 4 TDs receiving. The Lions back field duo is back together and that should make this already explosive offense even more dangerous.
Star watch: Commanders
There is no one else we could even consider talking about in the star watch portion of the preview than Jayden Daniels. He was one of two rookie QBs to lead his team to the playoffs, but he is the last one standing after the Broncos lost to the Bills last week. That pretty much solidified his Rookie of the Year award after a season that saw him throw for 3,568 yards, 25 TDs and 9 INTs, while running for another 891 yards and six touchdowns. In the first playoff game of his NFL career he went for 268 yards and two TDs on 24/35 passing and ran for another 36 yards. In the biggest moment of the game, he led his team down the field and set up the game winning field goal to advance the Commanders to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in two decades.
Detroit vs. Everybody
It's not just a slogan. It's a way of life in Detroit. In a city that has been built from the hands up by it's hard working, blue class residents, Detroit vs. Everyone applies on the field and off. No one embodies that spirit like rapper Eminem, but the Lions are quickly becoming just as important in the Motor City. Our Paul Reidy has more.
Knuckles and Sonic back together
The Lions had enough injuries to deal with on the offensive end for the final stretch of the season, but in their only loss since Week 2, David Montgomery went down with a sprained MCL, and was ruled out for the season… The regular season. A sprained MCL is nothing to be messed with, and he was going to need time to heal. The Lions locking up the first round BYE was massive in giving him time to return to the playoffs. Now he has been given the green light for tonight’s game, and that is bad news for the Commanders who have the third worst rush defense in the league.
Season recap: Lions
We knew the Lions were going to be good this year, but the question was how good? They established themselves as an elite team in the NFC last year, and this season they were everyone’s favorite to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. They beat the Rams in OT in Week 1, but then lost to the Bucs the week after. Then they won 14 of their next 15 despite seeing a bucket load of players head to the injury reserve including David Montgomery and Aidan Hutchinson. That didn’t matter. The Loins keep winning, until they met the Bills in Detroit. They lost that game 48-42 but rebounded and won their final three games including a Week 18 win over the Vikings to wrap up the one seed in the NFC.
Season recap: Commanders
The Commanders had a complete revamp of their squad, bringing in a new coach and a rookie QB to a team that was at the bottom of the barrel last year. This year not much was expected from them, but after losing to the Bucs, they won seven of their next eight and were up there with the top teams in the NFC. They lost three straight and their dream season got turned upside down, but Daniels and righted the ship winning their final five games including their final one over the Cowboys to earn the 6 seed and set up a first round match up against the Bucs. They beat the Bucs for their first playoff win in over 7,000 days and now they are on the verge of bringing the franchise back the golden era, but tonight they have their toughest test of the season.
Last game: Lions
The Lions had the biggest game of the year on the last week of the season, hosting the Minnesota Vikings in a battle for the one seed in the NFC. Their defense that has been banged up all year rattled Sam Darnold, pressuring him all night and keeping the Vikings out of the end zone the entire game. Jahmyr Gibbs scored four TDs, three on the ground, in the biggest game of his life to lead the Lions to the win and the one seed in the NFC.
Last game: Commanders
The Commanders went down to Tampa Bay as the 6th seed in the NFC, and took on a veteran team with a veteran QB but it was the rookie QB and the Commanders defense who made the difference in the Wild Card round. After four quarters of back and forth football, in which Daniels passed for 268 yards and two TDs, the game was tied up in the final five minutes of the game. A fumble inside the 20 and a 3rd and short that held TB to a FG left the Commanders with time to build up a drive and score in the final four minutes of the game. Daniels looked like a veteran in his playoff debut. After the Bucs tied the game up at 20-20, Daniels got the ball back and led a game winning drive that set up Zane Gonzalez with a 52 yard field goal that he drilled to send the Commanders to the Divisional Round.
We are live from Ford Field
Hello everyone and welcome to Mo Town where the Lions are coming into tonight rested, refreshed and somewhat recovered from the long list of injuries that they were dealing with at the end of the season. Despite the injuries, this team was at the top of the NFC for the entire season and earned the one seed and a first round bye with their win over the Vikings in Week 18. Now Detroit is trying to get to the Super Bowl for the first tie in franchise history, but a rookie QB and the resurgent Commanders come into town looking to keep their dream season alive under a new coach and a rookie QB. Will there be any surprises in Detroit, or will the Lions get back to the Conference Championship for a second straight year?
Commanders vs. Lions live
The first ticket to the NFC Championship will be stamped tonight from Detroit as the top seed in the conference takes on this year’s NFL darlings led by a rookie QB and a new coach. It’s Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders taking on the top seeded Detroit Lions and Jared Goff and AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from Ford Field.