The Detroit Lions went into the NFL playoffs as the top seed in the NFC and hoping to win their first Super Bowl after one of their best seasons ever.
Rather, the Lions were halted before they could even reach the conference championship game. Washington has made a name for itself this season with wild comebacks, but Saturday at Ford Field in Detroit didn’t need another one. With rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and a Commanders defense that forced five turnovers, Washington defeated Detroit 45-31 on the road without losing hope and advanced to the NFC final game for the first time since 1991.
The Commanders will face the victor of the Eagles vs. Rams game on Sunday.
Midway through the first quarter, Washington was behind 7-0, but a quick touchdown run by Brian Robinson early in the second quarter gave them a lead they would never give up. It sparked an exciting second quarter in which the teams combined for 42 points and six touchdowns. Although the Lions would close the gap to three points halfway through the third quarter, Washington responded with back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to increase their advantage to as much as 17 points. At the half, however, the Commanders were still ahead 31–21.
The 45 points are the most Washington has ever scored on the road during the playoffs.
A defense headed by Lions coordinator Aaron Glenn, one of the most sought-after coaching candidates, hardly appeared frightened by Daniels, who passed for 299 yards and two touchdowns and was never fired.
Five turnovers, including three interceptions by quarterback Jared Goff and another by receiver Jameson Williams on a disastrous trick play early in the fourth quarter, put Detroit out of the game offensively. The play, which was drafted by Lions coordinator Ben Johnson, who may be promoted to head coach this week, was meant to give Detroit a boost when they were behind 10 points. Instead, it gave Washington the ball back, and eight plays later, it scored to take a 17-point lead and effectively end the game.
Kansas City defeated Houston 23–14 earlier Saturday to move to the AFC conference championship game for the seventh time in a row. With a season-high 117 yards, including a season-long 49-yard catch, tight end Travis Kelce put on a classic playoff effort. Additionally, Patrick Mahomes added another highlight to his postseason reel when he managed to toss a touchdown pass to Kelce while he was tumbling, evading Houston’s zone defense.
For the seventh straight game, Kansas City had no turnovers, and Mahomes threw for 177 yards. Next week’s AFC title game will pit the Chiefs against either the Bills or the Ravens, who play each other on Sunday.