The Washington Commanders accomplished something no other team could do during the Wild Card Round. With their 23-20 road win road over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they were the only road team to notch a victory in the round.
The other five winners were the home teams. They were the Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Los Angeles Rams on a neutral field. Washington pulled out to the win thanks to late-game heroics by Quarterback Jayden Daniels. He helped orchestrate a 10-play 51-yard drive to set up a game-winning field goal by Zane Gonzalez. Will the Washington Commanders be able to win a second consecutive road playoff game on Saturday night in Detroit?
Washington Commanders Head To the “Motor City”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a solid team, but the Detroit Lions are a step above them. Detroit clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the NFC Playoffs with a dominant Week 18 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Washington’s path to an upset against the Lions relies on Daniels and the offense continuing to play well. The Washington Commanders are the hottest team in the league winners of six straight contests. Detroit has won three consecutive games as they are also playing well.
Washington’s defense will have a more difficult task on Saturday as they look to ground a high-flying Detroit offense. Led by Quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions had one of the league’s best offenses during the regular season. They were second in the league in yards per game and led the league in points per game by a fairly wide margin. The Commanders’ offense was no slouch in its own right finishing the regular season seventh in yards per game and fifth points per game.
Final Thoughts
Washington will have the toughest test of the week and the betting line reflects that. As a 9.5-point underdog, they have the longest odds of any team in the NFL Divisional Round. Daniels has history on his side as one of only four rookie quarterbacks to win a road playoff game.
The other three quarterbacks Russell Wilson, Mark Sanchez, and Joe Flacco were able to follow it up with a win in their second career playoff game. Daniels will hope to add his name to that exclusive list on Saturday night. Both the Washington Commanders and Detroit Lions have seemingly turned things around following years of heartbreak. Only one team will be able to win and punch their ticket to the NFC Championship Game.
