ClutchPoints
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.
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...
