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The Washington Commanders head into Saturday night's game against the Detroit Lions as massive underdogs. Still, Jayden Daniels and company are riding high after an electric road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs. The Commanders' season, overall, has already been a success. In head coach Dan Quinn's first year, the franchise picked up its highest win total this century and first playoff victory since 2006.
But it goes without saying that Washington's opponent is an absolute juggernaut. From a regular season standpoint, this is the greatest Detroit Lions team ever. Head coach Dan Campbell has revitalized this franchise, which is looking for its first Super Bowl. The Lions are coming off an appearance in the NFC Championship game in last year's playoffs. Despite being up against the odds, the Commanders have no plans for their season to end this coming weekend.
Dan Quinn's team is currently on a six-game winning streak led by one of the best rookie quarterbacks ever. Jayden Daniels' season in the nation's capital has been staggering. The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner threw for 25 touchdowns and only nine interceptions while leading the team in rushing with 891 yards and six scores. Those totals were good enough to give the now 2024 Pro Bowl selection the fourth-best QBR in the league.
Daniels continued his stellar form into the postseason. The Commanders quarterback completed 24 of 35 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns in the 23-20 victory. While Daniels will have to replicate or exceed last weekend's performance to pull the upset, he is not the X-factor on Saturday night. That label goes to a player who was the unsung hero of the Commanders' first playoff win in 19 years.
Dyami Brown is the X-factor for Saturday night's clash
While he might not be known by many NFL fans outside of the “DMV,” Dyami Brown has played four years with the Washington Commanders. A third-round pick out of North Carolina, the wideout only has 59 catches for 784 yards and four touchdowns for his career. 2024 was Brown's best season so far, as he caught 30 passes for 308 yards and one touchdown, ranking sixth in receiving yards on the team.
Despite these limited stats, Brown was one of the main reasons Washington is now in the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs. The Charlotte, North Carolina native played his best game when his team needed him most. Against the Buccaneers, Brown caught all five of the passes thrown his way for 89 yards and a touchdown.
That score came on a ten-yard pass that very much settled the Commanders' nerves after a scoreless first quarter. Jayden Daniels will likely look to target Brown even more now, especially heading into Detroit. And Brown is a player who can play a massive role in the overall key of this game, which factors into the Detroit Lions' ultimate weakness.
The Commanders need to take advantage of the Lions' glaring weakness to avoid their biggest strength
While Dan Campbell's team is elite, it is far from perfect. The Lions have flaws that have occasionally reared their ugly heads throughout the regular season. The standout weakness is the secondary, specifically at cornerback. Detroit is giving up the third-most yards per game through the air.
Specifically, in their most recent loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Lions were shredded by quarterback Josh Allen. The Bills' star threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns, scoring 48 points overall. It is important to note that Detroit's defense has strengths. This unit is one of the best at stopping the run and has two phenomenal safeties, Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph. However, there's only so much safeties can do to contain a passing attack when the cornerbacks consistently struggle in single coverage.
In this matchup, look for Detroit's safeties to key in on players like Commanders wideout Terry McLaurin and tight end Zach Ertz. Brown is a slot receiver, so he'll likely be able to draw attention away from Washington's leaders in receiving yards. Should Dyami take advantage of what should be ideal single coverage situations, it should open up the entire passing attack for Jayden Daniels and company. Olamide Zaccheaus is another player who can also draw this kind of attention. However, the sixth-year player out of Virginia will be on the outside and was targeted less by Jayden Daniels against Tampa Bay.
Overall, Washington likely will not be able to run the ball as successfully as the Detroit Lions will be able to on Saturday Night. The Lions have one of the best ground games in the league and are second in time of possession. Washington let the third rushing most yards in the NFL in 2024. Therefore, Jayden Daniels and the Commanders' offense must stay on the field. If they don't, the Commanders' defense will gradually wear down, and this game won't be competitive.
What's at stake for Washington in this matchup
Washington has not made the NFC Championship game since it won the Super Bowl in 1991. Jayden Daniels is trying to become the sixth rookie quarterback to start in a conference championship game. Only one team that has won 15+ games has lost in the Divisional Round: the 2011 Green Bay Packers. This game will be played in a dome, which should favor a pass-friendly Commanders' offense. Dan Quinn's team, however, will want to limit this showdown to as few possessions as possible. Washington is already playing with house money, but it's time to see if Jayden Daniels put an exclamation point on the fact that he is the best rookie QB in NFL history.
