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Lions shocked by Commanders in crushing 45-31 loss to end Super Bowl dreams
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- Lions shocked by Commanders in crushing 45-31 loss to end Super Bowl dreams
The best season in Detroit Lions history died a premature death Saturday, and there's little doubt things will look different next year.
Jayden Daniels threw for 299 yards and two touchdowns and added another 51 yards rushing as the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders upset the top-seeded Lions in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs, 45-31, at Ford Field .
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The Commanders converted four fourth downs to extend touchdown drives, including one when the Lions were flagged for 12 men on the field, and answered a third-quarter Lions touchdown march with a 15-play, 70-yard scoring drive of their own that chewed 8 minutes and 28 seconds off the clock.
Jared Goff had three first-half turnovers — a fumble in Washington territory that led to a Commanders touchdown and two interceptions, including one that was returned for a touchdown; he threw a third pick with 25 seconds to play — and Jameson Williams threw an interception with 12:04 to play on an ill-advised end-around receiver pass.
The Commanders scored 21 points off the Lions turnovers and didn't commit any of their own.
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Daniels, the presumptive NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, completed 22 of 31 passes and mostly had his way with a Lions defense that entered Saturday down five starters and lost two replacement starters — Amik Robertson (elbow) and Ifeatu Melifonwu (hamstring) — to injuries during the game .
The Lions won a franchise-record 15 games this season to get a first-round playoff bye, but were undone Saturday by turnovers and their porous defense.
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They forced one Washington punt, on the opening drive of the second half, and allowed 182 yards rushing.
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While the Lions will return most of the nucleus of this year's team, they could lose both coordinators to head coaching jobs in the coming days.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson interviewed with five teams during the Lions' bye week and is considered a strong contender for jobs with the Las Vegas Raiders , Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars . Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn had four interviews and is a front-runner for jobs with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets .
Now that the Lions' season is over, both coordinators are available for hire.
Washington (14-5) moves onto the NFC championship game next Sunday for the first time since 1991, at either the Philadelphia Eagles or Los Angeles Rams .
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Three thoughts from Saturday's game:
One shot?
Dan Campbell's postgame comments from last year's NFC championship game loss to the San Francisco 49ers never rang more loudly than they did Saturday.
Campbell warned his team after that game, "This may have been our only shot."
"Do I think that? No," he said at the time. "Do I believe that? No. However, I know how hard it is to get here. I'm well aware, and it's going to be twice as hard to get back to this point next year than it was this year, that's the reality."
The Lions did everything right this year. They had arguably the best and deepest roster in the NFL. They benefitted from continuity on their coaching staff. They had homefield advantage in the playoffs. But it still wasn't enough to win even a single playoff game.
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Detroit Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold (0) tackles Washington Commanders wide receiver Dyami Brown (2) during the first half of the NFC divisional round at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025.
The Lions will enter next season as one of the NFC Super Bowl favorites, and their defense should be better with the return of Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill . But it's not easy to win in the playoffs, and their schedule gets markedly tougher with road trips to Kansas City , Baltimore , Cincinnati , Washington and Philadelphia.
Really, it shouldn't be a surprise the Lions didn't advance to the Super Bowl . No NFC team that has lost in the conference championship game has gone on to win the Super Bowl the next season since the Green Bay Packers in 1995-96. Before last year, no NFC team that lost in the previous year's conference championship game had even advanced to the Super Bowl since the 49ers in 2011-12.
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But it was a shocker and Saturday's loss will sting for a while.
The Lions remain the only NFC team to never reach the Super Bowl .
Jahmyr Gibbs rules
David Montgomery got the start in his first game back from a knee injury, but Gibbs left no mistaking this is his backfield going forward.
Gibbs had 96 yards on nine carries and another 38 yards receiving in the first half, scored two rushing touchdowns and gave the offense juice early in the game after a three-and-out start.
Montgomery was understandably rusty. He finished with 28 yards on seven carries, though he did have a couple tackle-breaking runs in the second half. But this is more about Gibbs' star potential than anything Montgomery did or didn't do against the Commanders.
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Gibbs' speed and game-breaking ability put him in an elite tier of three running backs along with Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry . He's a dynamo with the ball in his hands, a threat to score on every carry. And the Lions are at their best when he's on the field.
The Lions still need Montgomery over the course of a 17-game season. At 202 pounds, Gibbs isn't built for 325-plus carries like Barkley and Henry had this year, but he should be the starter and lead back going forward, with Montgomery playing the No. 2 role.
The Lions are loaded with offensive playmakers. Williams scored on a 61-yard end-around, Sam LaPorta made a one-handed touchdown catch and Amon-Ra St. Brown was his usual reliable self with eight catches for 137 yards.
But none trumps Gibbs' ability to both control a game with his legs and bust one open with his explosive ability.
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Jayden Daniels impresses
The NFL teams that have the most staying power are the ones with the best quarterbacks. The Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes . The Baltimore Ravens with Lamar Jackson . The Buffalo Bills with Josh Allen .
And the Commanders with Daniels might be next in that mix.
Daniels showed remarkable poise for a rookie Saturday. He wasn't flawless. He short-armed two passes that should have gone for touchdowns. But he was unflappable in one of the most ferocious road environments in football.
Daniels' legs make him a unique weapon, not quite on par with Jackson and Allen but dangerous in his own way. He looked like a star Saturday and one that will be a thorn in every NFC team's side for a while to come.
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Dave Birkett will sign copies of his new book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline," at 6:30 p.m. Monday at DC Sports in Sterling Heights. Order your copy. Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett .
Stay tuned for the best Lions coverage all year long at freep.com/sports/lions .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions shocked by Commanders 45-31 to end Super Bowl 2025 dreams
