Jayden Daniels will lead the Washington Commanders against the No. 1-seeded Detroit Lions tomorrow night. Head coach Dan Quinn’s team will be up against the odds against a team that is expecting to win the Super Bowl this year. Washington, on the other hand, is playing with house money. This year’s team has recorded its highest win total this century while picking up its first playoff victory since 2006. The Commanders are now looking to reach the NFC Championship game for the first time since 1991.
It will take a herculean effort for Washington to pull the upset here. This Lions squad is their best team in franchise history, led by a balanced offense that likes to chew up the clock. Detroit quarterback Jared Goff put together another Pro Bowl season, throwing for 37 yards to twelve interceptions, giving himself the sixth-best QBR in the NFL. The Commanders, on the other hand, have a defense that has struggled to contain the run, which is not ideal going into this matchup.
Meanwhile, head coach Dan Campbell’s team is already elite at stopping the run. The No. 1 seed in the NFC only gives up 98.4 yards per game on the ground, ranking fifth overall. The Detroit Lions ultimately thrive on dragging their opponents into deep waters and wearing opposing defenses down in the second half. That has been the formula, and Jayden Daniels and company will need to do their best to avoid it. That said, Washington’s superstar quarterback should thrive in this game. And he will, according to our bold predictions for Jayden Daniels against the Detroit Lions.
Jayden Daniels throws for 250+ yards, two touchdowns, and picks up 50+ yards on the ground
It’s a bold stat line projected for the Commanders’ leader under center. However, Jayden Daniels deserves the benefit of the doubt as he continues perhaps the best season by a rookie QB in NFL history. The 2024 Pro Bowl selection looked incredibly poised in his first taste of playoff football last Sunday. Against the Buccaneers, Daniels completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 36 yards on the ground.
The Commanders converted over 50% of their third downs and closed the game on a ten-play, 51-yard drive that led to the dramatic game-winning field goal over Tampa Bay. Daniels must be even more prolific on Saturday night to keep the Lions’ offense at bay. And he definitely can considering Detroit’s primary weakness.
The Lions’ secondary allowed the third most passing yards per game during the regular season. That metric ranks behind the Buccaneers, who struggled to contain Terry McLaurin and the Washington wideout core all day. While Detroit has two of the best safeties in the league, Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch, this team’s cornerbacks have struggled throughout the year in single coverage.
In many instances, Joseph will have to help contain McLaurin, which could open up things for slot receiver Dyami Brown and tight end Zach Ertz. Jayden Daniels can have another electric game if his team gets a lot of possessions. This clash will also take place in a dome, which favors a pass-heavy offense.
On the ground, while the Lions have not faced many dual-threat quarterbacks, when they have, those quarterbacks have generally rushed for more than their season average for those games. Jayden Daniels will also likely have to run more in this game. Detroit’s pass rush is lackluster, but it’s better than Tampa Bay’s, meaning that Washington’s leader under center will have to scramble occasionally.
The Commanders’ offense will hold the fort down regarding time of possession
This is the key to the game—time of possession. The Lions thrive in this category, coming in second overall at 32:06 minutes. This dominant metric is due to Detroit’s explosive run game and clutch quarterback play which both lead to a high third-down conversion rate. However, Washington is also in the top ten in time of possession and completely dominated in this area against Tampa Bay.
Despite only rushing for 82 yards on 33 carries, the Commanders had the ball for eleven minutes more than the Buccaneers. That disparity was absolutely crucial, as Tampa Bay’s offense was not struggling by any means. Whether it’s letting the play clock get close to zero or putting together very long drives, Jayden Daniels needs to keep the Lions’ offense on the sideline. Because the more that unit is on the field, the more likely Washington’s defense will wear down.
This game comes down to who has the ball last
If Jayden Daniels shows out like he can, this matchup should come down to the wire. That is asking a lot of the rookie QB, but he looks to be on a mission this postseason. Plus, the Commanders have only lost by more than one possession once this year, which was to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1.
Overall, this game should be closer than the experts think. The Commanders are not necessarily the best matchup for the Lions in large part due to their franchise-changing quarterback. There’s a good chance that once Saturday night’s game begins, these predictions turn more into a foreshadowing as Washington puts the world on notice that it will be a Super Bowl contender for the next decade.
