Commanders-Lions: Talk heading into NFC divisional round

On By Littum

  • Kalan Hooks, ESPNJanuary 18, 2025, 10:57 AM ET

The NFC divisional round is set for Saturday, when the Washington Commanders will face the top-seeded Detroit Lions.

Washington is coming off a nail-biting 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that was headlined by a stellar performance from rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels threw for 268 yards with two touchdowns — and he also set up Commanders kicker Zane Gonzalez for a walk-off 37-yard field goal to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive.

The victory marked the Commanders’ first playoff victory since the 2005 season and snapped the third-longest active playoff drought, according to ESPN Research.

Under the leadership of head coach Dan Campbell, the Lions are once again a Super Bowl contender.

Last season, the Lions made it to the NFC Championship Game, where they built a 24-7 halftime lead over the San Francisco 49ers. However, a 17-point rally by the 49ers ended the Lions’ chance to appear in Super Bowl LVIII.

The battle for an NFC Championship berth comes with high stakes – and impressive statistics. Here are some notable numbers heading into Saturday’s matchup.

3-0: History will be made on Saturday between the Lions and the Commanders, but this is not their first rodeo. Washington and Detroit have met three times in the postseason, making this weekend’s NFC divisional round their fourth meeting. Washington won all three previous matchups – twice in the wild-card round (1982, 1999) and once in the conference championship (1991) – with Super Bowl victories following in 1982 and 1991.

5: Daniels thrives under pressure. Including Washington’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild card, Daniels led five game-winning drives this season — the third-most by a rookie quarterback since 1950. He joins the ranks of players such as Andrew Luck, who had seven in 2012, and Ben Roethlisberger, who had six in 2004.

927: Daniels doesn’t shy away from attacking holes when under pressure. This season, Daniels has 927 rushing yards, second most by a quarterback. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson leads the position with 996 rushing yards. However, Daniels made history as the first rookie quarterback to rush for 900 yards.

222: The Lions have been dominant all season. Led by quarterback Jared Goff and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, along with the running back duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, Detroit has outscored its opponents by 222 points this season, marking the first time the franchise has achieved +180 points. point difference.

1: For the first time in team history, the Lions secured a No. 1 seed, giving them a clear shot at their first championship since 1957 when they defeated the Cleveland Browns. Only three teams in major sports — the Arizona Cardinals, Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Guardians — have longer active championship droughts.

6: Daniels’ contest against the Lions will mark the sixth time in the Super Bowl era that a rookie quarterback will square off against a team with a share of the NFL’s best record. Of the previous five instances, Joe Flacco remains the only first-year quarterback to secure a victory after leading the Ravens to a 13-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans in 2008.

13: In his rookie season, Daniels has 13 wins with the Commanders this season – the second most by a rookie quarterback in NFL history. He is one win away from tying Roethlisberger, who finished 14th in 2004.

20: Gibbs is one of the best running backs in the NFL this season. He led the league with 20 scrimmage touchdowns in the regular season — three more than Jamaal Williams’ 17 in 2022 and Barry Sanders’ 17 in 1991.

4: With 1,412 rushing yards on the season – fifth most in the NFL – and 517 receiving yards, third most by a running back, Gibbs is the fourth player to record 20 touchdowns with over 1,400 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards.

ESPN Research contributed to this story.