NFL
By: Rick O’Donnell
The Detroit Lions have yet to play a game in the postseason, but that’s not a bad thing. After a first-round bye the NFC North champions will take on the Washington Commanders Saturday night at 8pm. With a 15-2 record, the Lions have had their way this season after falling short in the playoffs last year. Can this team that has accomplished so much under Dan Campbell finally break their Super Bowl drought?
Let’s take a look at the first challenge for the Lions. Despite their 12-5 record, the Washington Commanders won’t be a rollover team. The Commanders ranked 7th in total offense whereas the Lions finished 20th in yards allowed per game. Statistically speaking, there should be an asterisk for Detroit falling that low in defensive rankings due to the number of injuries they racked up on the defensive side of the football. With that being said, it’ll be a clash of two well-rounded teams pitted against each other. The Lions have, on average, allowed less than 100 rushing yards per game, where the Commanders ranked 3rd in rushing yards per game.
The passing attack will be where Detroit needs to be on their “A game.” Washington might be in the middle of the pack in terms of passing yards per game with a rookie quarterback at the helm, but the Lions fall all the way down to 30th against opponents in the passing game. Again, you have to consider how lopsided most games against the Lions have been in their favor causing opponents to abandon the run and start airing it out a bit more. This has to be the plan of attack on Sunday. In no way, shape, or form can you allow Washington to dominate and get the run game going. From there, the defense needs to establish dominance at the line of scrimmage. If Detroit can win up front and get pressure on Jayden Daniels both physically and mentally, it could throw him off his game. So far, the rookie has handled the big game and pressure situations well, but the Lions need to have the pedal down and not let up until the final whistle.
On the Offensive side of the football, Jared Goff needs to take care of the football. If the Lions have to lean heavier on their run game to do so, then they need to do it. Washington is ninth in terms of turnovers this season and you can’t just go giving away field position. There have been times this season where Goff has not looked his best and Detroit still walked away with a win. However, this is playoff football, it’s the cold of Michigan, and Washington knows how to capitalize. The Commanders are stingy on defense only allowing 189 yards per game on average. If Detroit wants to get into a shootout, it might not work in their favor. Flip the script for Detroit and Washington, when it comes to the run game. The Commanders finished 30th in the league in stopping the run and Detroit finished 6th in rushing yards per game.
The Detroit Lions may have steamrolled the regular season, but these Commanders will not go away easily. Hopefully, the week of rest and recovery can rejuvenate their depleted rotations. If the Lions even hint at taking Washington lightly, it might be another early exit for the Detroit Lions.
