Lions fall in major upset to Commanders team with rookie quarterback

The Washington Commanders pulled off the upset of the top-seeded Detroit Lions 45-31 behind 299-yards and two touchdowns from their rookie quarterback Jadyn Daniels. Daniels also had 51 rushing yards. 

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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 18: Amon-Ra St. Brown #14 of the Detroit Lions catches a pass for a first down during the third quarter against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional Playoff at Ford Field on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.  (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Bryan Robinson added two touchdowns on the ground for Washington, leading the team with 77 rushing yards. 

Lions quarterback Jared Goff had 304-yards and a touchdown, but the story of the game was his four turnovers in the form of three interceptions, including one at the end of each half, and a fumble. In all the Lions had five turnovers while the Commanders didn't have any. 

Jahmyr Gibbs, who had 96 yards on the ground in the first half, ended the game with just 105. He added 70 more through the air and had a rushing touchdown. Amon Ra St. Brown had 137 receiving yards to lead the Lions.

Four different Lions threw a pass, including backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was retired and coaching high school football less than a month ago, running back David Montgomery and receiver Jameson Williams. 

Montgomery had 7 carries for 28 yards in his return from a knee injury, and one pass completion for 20 yards. Williams had one catch for 19 yards, and a rushing touchdown that went for 61 yards to go with throwing an interception on his lone pass attempt. 

The Commanders became just the second team to start a rookie quarterback and beat the top seeded team in the playoffs. The other team was the 2008 Baltimore Ravens who beat the top-seeded Titans 13-10 before losing in the AFC championship game the following week. 

The Commanders will travel to take on the winners of tomorrow's Eagles/Rams game in the NFC championship next week. 

The last two times the Commanders beat the Lions in the playoffs they went on to make the Super Bowl. 

Fourth Quarter

•Goff intercepted by Jeremy Chin at the 9-yard line. Washington lines up in victory formation.

•Goff scrambles to avoid a sack, but fails to complete the pass, bringing up 3rd down and 10 with 0:32 to play. 

•Lions facing fourth and one with 0:51 seconds to play. 

•Goff runs for the conversion on fourth down. 

•Gonzales misses the 36-yard field goal attempt, to leave the score at 45-31 Washington. 

•Commanders line up for a field goal with 2:31 left.

•John Bates, a reserve tight end, catches a pass for first down as Washington continues to run the clock.

•Washington takes a timeout on third down with 4:08 remaining. 

•Ertz recovers a bouncing on-side kick for the Commanders as they take possession. 

•Lions kick field goal on fourth and 8 to pull within 45-31 with 5:01 to play. 

•Lions moving the ball easily against a prevent defense, inside the Washington 12-yard line with 5:40 to play. 

•Jeremy McNichols scores from 1-yard out to put the Commanders up 45-28 with 7:31 to play. 

•Commanders convert on fourth and two for the third straight attempt. First and goal from the 1-yard line. 

•Austin Ekeler runs for 35 yards on first down after the Lions turnover. 

•Sainristill intercepts a Jameson Williams pass on a trick play. That is the Lions fourth turnover of the game. Sainristill's second interception. 

•Tim Patrick makes his first catch of the game for a 22-yard gain.

•Robinson scores from a half yard out on second down, giving Washington a 10-point lead at 38-28 with 13:29 to play. 

•Commanders go for it on fourth and two for the second time this drive. The Lions called for a penalty for 12 men on the field giving Washington a first down at the 2-yard line. 

•Washington has second down and two to go from the 6-yard line to open the quarter. 

Third Quarter

•Quarter ends with Commanders driving inside the Lions 10-yard line, up 31-28 over the host Lions. 

•Commanders go for it on fourth and 2 inside the Lions 20-yard line. Jadyn Daniels kept it on a roll out and picked up 3 yards to keep the drive alive. 

•Lions safety Brian Branch is slow getting up after making a tackle to save a first down deep in Lions territory with just under 2 minutes to play in the third quarter. 

•Gibbs punches it in from 8-yards out for his second score of the game, pulls the Lions to within 31-28 with 6:57 to go in the third quarter. 

•Lions have first and goal from the 8-yard line. 

•Goff's first completion of the second half goes for 19 yards to St. Brown on third down. 

•Lions force a punt on the Commanders' opening drive of the third quarter. 

Halftime

Jadyn Daniels had 242 yards and two touchdowns as his Commanders lead the Lions 31-21. Jared Goff has 150 passing yards with one touchdown and two interceptions at the half. 

The teams have combined for seven touchdowns, scored by seven different players.

They combined for 42 points in the second quarter, which was the highest scoring quarter in NFL playoff history. 

Jahmyr Gibbs had 96 yards rushing on 9 carries, and another 38 yards receiving in the half. Jameson Williams had the big run and added 19 more yards through the air. 

Amon Ra St. Brown lead the Lions in receiving yards with 52 for the half. 

Dyami Brown had 96 receiving yards for the Commanders on just four catches. 

Former Michigan cornerback Mike Sainristill had the last interception before the half for the Commanders. 

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DETROIT,MICHIGAN-January 18: Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams #9 carries the ball for a touchdown during the first half of an NFL Divisional Playoff game between the Washington Commanders and the Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Saturday, January 18, 2025. (Photo by Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Second Quarter

•Washington decides to take a knee and go to halftime with a 10 point lead. They will get the ball to start the third quarter. 

•Goff picked off in the endzone with 22 seconds to play in the half. That's three turnovers for Goff in the first half tonight. 
•Goff returns to the game for the Lions, after missing the last drive.

•Zach Ertz catches a 6-yard touchdown pass from Daniels. The Commanders lead 31-21 with 1:46 to play in the half. 
•Another long pass by Daniels to Brown for a 39-yard gain puts the Commanders back within first and goal at the 2-minute warning. 

•On his third snap of the season, Bridgewater contributed a key block to a 61-yard touchdown run by Jameson Williams. The Lions pull within 24-21 with 4:01 to play. Goff returned to the sideline from the medical tent prior to the snap. 

•Goff was hit hard after the interception, and remained on the sideline as the offense retakes the field. Teddy Bridgewater, who just resigned with the team out or retirement is taking his first snap of the season.

•Goff throws a pick 6 for his second turnover of the game. Commanders go up 24-14 after the extra point. Quan Martin had the interception and touchdown. 5:25 to play. 

•Terry Maclaurin catches a short pass and then races past the defense for a 59-yard touchdown. Gonzales converts the extra point for a 17-14 Washington lead. 

•Sam Laporta catches a touchdown on a broken play while Goff scrambles around the backfield and is nearly sacked. Laporta stretched out and snagged the ball with one hand. Bates converted the extra point and put the Lions back on top 14-10.

•Lions try a deep bomb to Jameson Williams that was just a tad long.

•After the injury timeout Gonzales kicked the extra point to make the score 10-7 Washington. 

•Brian Robinson Jr. scored on second down to put the Commanders up 9-7 with the extra point conversion attempt still pending. The Commander's starting right guard was injured on the touchdown. 

•Pass interference in the endzone on first down gives the Commanders a new set of downs on the 1-yard line. 

•Commanders converted on fourth down to have a first and goal to go from the 2-yard line. 

•Robertson has been deemed out for the remainder of the game by the Lions medical staff.

•Second quarter starts with a big play to Dyami Brown, for a 42-yard gain. 

First Quarter

•First quarter ends with the Lions up 7-3, but the Commanders in possession of the ball.

•Jared Goff coughed up the ball on a strip sack. The Commanders recovered on their own 21-yard line. 

•Commanders answered the Lions touchdown with a field goal, pulling within 7-3. Zane Gonzales kicked the 47-yard score. 

• Lions went up 7-0 with 7:36 to play in the first quarter. 
•The Lions marched down the field and scored a touchdown following the Washington turnover on downs. Running back Jahmyr Gibbs scored from 1-yard out to put the Lions on the board first. Jake Bates converted the extra point. 

•On their drive of the game, the Commanders brought in a backup quarterback for a trick play on fourth down, which the Lions stopped, causing a turnover.
•Less than 2 minutes into the game, Amik Robertson left with an apparent arm injury. 

NFC Divisional Round Preview

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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 18: Jameson Williams #9 of the Detroit Lions reacst prior to the NFC Divisional Playoff against the Washington Commanders at Ford Field on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.  (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The winner will advance to the NFC championship game next week against the winner of tomorrow’s Eagles/Rams game. 

Prior to the game, The Lions (15-2) were favored to beat Washington (13-5) by more than a touchdown, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, in the first step toward ending an NFL championship drought that dates to 1957.

"We were the hunters and now we’re the hunted in the lions’ den," All-Pro safety Kerby Joseph said leading up to the game.

Detroit has the best odds to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, according to BetMGM, ahead of the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Buffalo.

Washington, meanwhile, has nothing to lose.

With a new quarterback, coach and general manager, the Commanders were predicted to win about six games.

Jayden Daniels had other ideas.

He had the most comeback wins in the regular season and playoffs when trailing in the fourth quarter by an NFL quarterback since the start of the 1950 season, helping his team rally from late deficits to win six games, including last week’s wild-card victory at Tampa Bay — Washington’s first playoff triumph in 19 years.

Daniels became the first rookie in NFL history to lead his team in yards rushing and passing in a playoff win and the first rookie quarterback to throw at least two touchdown passes in a road playoff victory since Washington’s Sammy Baugh threw for three TDs against Chicago in the 1937 NFL title game.

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DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 18: Fans enter Ford Field prior to the NFC Divisional Playoff between the Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions on January 18, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.  (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Commanders-Detroit Series notes

These franchises last met in the playoffs in the 1999 season. The previous times they played in the postseason (1982 and 1991), Washington went on to win the Super Bowl.

Washington-Detroit season stats

Washington is coming off its first playoff win in 19 years and is aiming for its first NFC championship game since 1991. ... The Commanders have won five in a row, all on the final play from scrimmage in regulation or overtime. Jayden Daniels’ became the fourth rookie in NFL history to win his first career playoff start. Daniels was 24 of 35 for 268 yards passing and two TDs at Tampa Bay. He also ran 13 times for 36 yards to be the team’s leading rusher. ... Commanders RBs Brian Robinson, Austin Ekeler, Jeremy McNichols and Chris Rodriguez have combined to run 85 times for 190 yards over the past five games, an average of 2.24 yards a carry. ... WR Dyami Brown had five catches for 89 yards and a TD in the wild-card win. ... Wagner led the team with 132 tackles and had eight at Tampa Bay. ... The Commanders sacked Baker Mayfield only once. ... Sainristil, a former Michigan star, led all rookie CBs with 14 pass breakups and was second with 90 tackles. ... K Zane Gonzalez made the game-winning, 37-yard field goal as time expired last week by banking his kick off the right upright and in. ... The Lions are the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history and are the conference’s only team in the divisional round for a second straight year. ... They have not won a playoff game in two straight years since 1952-53. ... Detroit won a franchise-record 15 games and back-to-back division titles for the first time. ... The Lions are 37-10, including a 2-1 mark in the playoffs, since Week 9 of the 2022 season and only two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City has more victories during that span. ... The Lions have an NFL-high 151 fourth down attempts under coach Dan Campbell, the first coach to go for it that many times since at least 1991. ... The Jared Goff-led offense scored an NFL-high 33.2 points per game. ... Gibbs ran for a TD in all three playoff games last season and has 34 in 35 career games. ... LB Jack Campbell had a team- and career-high 125 tackles. ... In five home games, DE Za’Darius Smith had four sacks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 


 

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