It got a little scary when the Washington Commanders turned things over to the kicker on Sunday night. But Jayden Daniels remained in the zone late in the game. Looking forward, with a Washington Commanders divisional-round playoff game scheduled against the Detroit Lions, a lot of offense will be expected. Ahead of the Commanders-Lions game, we’ll be making our Commanders divisional-round playoff predictions.
The Commanders earned this spot by going on the road and knocking off NFC South division champion Tampa Bay. Washington won 23-20 with a last-second field goal from Zane Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, the Lions enter with a 15-2 mark that tied the Chiefs for the best in the NFL. Detroit lost to Tampa Bay 20-16 in Week 2. Their other setback came in Week 15 against the Buffalo Bills, a 48-42 decision. Both of those losses were at home.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels will account for 300 yards, 3 scores
Daniels reached the yardage total against the Buccaneers, but only accounted for two scores. The Lions have a stout red-zone defense, but may be more vulnerable to bigger plays than the Buccaneers. Certainly the Buccaneers came after Daniels, and the Lions will do the same. But look for the Commanders to finish drives better than they did against the Buccaneers.
Another thing that helps Daniels get good numbers is his persistence. Whatever happens in the game, he keeps pushing. And he has excellent numbers in the fourth quarter. The mentality of the team helps, Daniels said, according to espn.com.
“We’re not going to give up until the clock hits zero,” Daniels said. “We’re going to keep fighting until the end.”
Daniels has earned the praise and respect from teammates like Bobby Wagner, according to nfl.com.
“It’s been amazing, you know,” Wagner said to NFL Network’s Sara Walsh. “Watching his growth and seeing all the work he put in all season. To see it kind of come to fruition right now has been good. It’s been a blessing.”
Quinn said there’s something unique about Daniels.
“I think if he had his heart rate monitor on and mine, they would not be the same in the game,” Quinn said. “His stays pretty consistently good, and sometimes I’m like the duck if you just saw the feet go under the water. But he really is, into that space, exceptional.”
Terry McLaurin said it’s great to play with Jayden Daniels
“I’m fortunate to play with him and see how much he’s grown this year,” McLaurin said. “But that’s who he is. He’s been blessed with unbelievable ability, but his ability to just be ready for any moment that comes his way is definitely special.”
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith gave the Commanders a chance at upsetting the Lions, thanks in part to Daniels.
“We’re raving about Jayden Daniels and how mature he is,” Smith said. “This brother is something special. I give the Commanders a very slight chance because of all the injuries the Lions have suffered.”
WR Terry McLaurin will have over 100 yards receiving
The Lions will take some chances on defense. This should allowed McLaurin to hit at least one big play down the field. Maybe two. Add those plays to his usual workload and he should threaten the century mark.
Quinn said the deep ball works to McLaurin because of his skills, according to Sports Illustrated.
“He’s got a knack on a deep ball of tracking it that not everybody has,” Quinn said. “He has that going for him but his ability to track the deep ball and the connection already with Jayden has been a big one.”
Earlier this season, Quinn talked about the way McLaurin goes about his business, according to commanderswire.com.
“Yeah, early on, it jumped out to me as professionalism,” said Quinn. “He was so squared away and so on his own details. What’s been really cool for me to see is this relationship with him and the entire team build and take place and leading.
“Like I was referring to yesterday of him up and down the different position groups, to the offensive line, to the quarterbacks last week discussing what he was seeing with (backup QB) Marcus (Mariota). And so, I’d say that is probably one of the coolest things to see, is that development of the leader because the professional. It’s there and he’s got very high standards about how he does things. But now to see the extra gear taking place of bringing out in others, that’s the big deal to me.”
RB Austin Ekeler will reach the end zone
Ekeler is still a weapon even though he has battled through injuries this season. He hasn’t scored since November, but the Commanders are easing him back into a bigger workload.
The poor play of Brian Robinson Jr. also gives Ekeler more chances to get the ball. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him get his first receiving touchdown as a member of the Commanders. For the year, he has 35 catches for 366 yards.
