Yahoo Sports Commanders-Lions preview: Will Detroit's Super Bowl dreams be derailed by Jayden Daniels?
Years from now, when we think back on the 2024 NFL season, it's possible the first two things that come to mind will be the Detroit Lions winning their first Super Bowl and Jayden Daniels' unbelievable and historic rookie season.
The Lions are the favorite to win the Super Bowl, via BetMGM's odds, after securing the NFC's No. 1 seed. Their first matchup is against the Washington Commanders, led by Daniels. Daniels has led some incredible, dramatic wins, including a walk-off victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round.
The atmosphere in Detroit should be electric in Saturday night's divisional playoff matchup. We'll see if Daniels can quiet down the crowd a bit.
The matchup
No. 6 Washington Commanders (13-5) at No. 1 Detroit Lions (15-2)
Ford Field, Detroit
8 p.m. ET
How to watch Commanders at Lions
The game will be broadcast on Fox.
Betting odds
The Lions are the biggest favorite of the divisional round. They'e a 9.5-point favorite at BetMGM. This game also has the biggest total of the round, at 55.5. The Lions had a lot of hype coming into the season and still beat market expectations, posting a 12-4-1 record against the spread that tied for the best mark in the NFL, according to Action Network's standings.
X-factor
Among the many Lions injuries this season, it seemed like running back David Montgomery was headed to season-ending surgery due to a knee injury. But the injury wasn't as bad as first feared and the Lions are confident Montgomery will play Saturday night. Montgomery was a huge part of the Lions' offense, providing a 1-2 punch with the explosive Jahmyr Gibbs. Montgomery had 775 yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 carries over 14 games this season. It's really hard to stop the Lions' rushing attack when both backs are at full strength. Will Montgomery look like his typical self? That would be bad news for a Commanders defense that was 28th in the NFL in yards per run allowed.
How the Commanders can win
We'll keep this simple. This is the Commanders' hope:
The Commanders are overmatched in this game, but Jayden Daniels gives them a chance. It's hard to believe a rookie quarterback could have that kind of impact, but he has. The Lions' defense has struggled at times due to injuries. We've seen Daniels put up five touchdown passes against a much better Eagles defense in Week 16. Washington has one path to victory, and it's Daniels taking over the game. He's capable of it.
How the Lions can win
The Lions should score plenty of points. They had the highest scoring offense in the NFL this season. The Commanders were 18th in points allowed and 13th in yards allowed. That's not bad, and Washington head coach Dan Quinn is a sharp defensive mind, but the Commanders don't look like the type of defense that can slow down Detroit's diverse attack. The Lions don't want to have Jared Goff throw a bunch of interceptions, or give up a ton of points to Jayden Daniels — mobile quarterbacks like Kyler Murray, Anthony Richardson and Josh Allen had success on the ground against Detroit this season — but as long as their offense plays to its normal level they should be fine. This could be a game in which David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs dominate a Commanders defense that has given up a lot of rushing yards this season.
Prediction
Jayden Daniels is already in that rare category of quarterback who scares the heck out of opponents, no matter the situation. Has there ever been another rookie quarterback who you'd trust more in a road playoff game against a No. 1 seed? Even if Daniels has a huge game, the Lions can outscore just about anyone if they have to. The Commanders have had a fun season but other than Daniels, this is a good matchup for the Lions. If Detroit loses as a big favorite at home, it would be beyond devastating for the Lions fans praying to see their team make the Super Bowl for the first time. Lions 34, Commanders 24
