Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders shocked the top-seeded Detroit Lions, sending them home with a quick playoff exit.
Daniels threw two touchdown passes and rookie Mike Sainristil had two interceptions, helping Washington secure a 45-31 victory on Saturday night and earn a spot in the NFC Championship game for the first time in 33 years, since winning their third Super Bowl.
“It’s a surreal moment,” Daniels said.
The Commanders, seeded sixth with a 14-5 record, entered the game as significant underdogs against the Lions (15-3), who were considered favorites for the Super Bowl. Washington had overcome doubts throughout the season with a new quarterback, coach, and general manager.
“I always believed that we could achieve more than people give us credit for,” Daniels said.
Detroit’s playoff hopes were crushed by five turnovers, ruining their chance of meeting expectations.
“This isn’t the time to talk about what a great year we had and all the wins,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said. “We’re here to get to the show and we fell short. That hurts.”
Sainristil, who won a national title with Michigan last season, intercepted his second pass on a trick play in the fourth quarter. Jameson Williams attempted a pass into coverage on a reverse, which Sainristil easily picked off.
“Mike is somebody that he’s hard to fool,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said.
In the second quarter, Quan Martin returned an interception 40 yards for a touchdown, giving Washington a 24-14 lead.
Jared Goff had a rough game, throwing three interceptions and losing a fumble, with all his turnovers happening in the first half. He finished 23 of 40 for 313 yards, with one touchdown pass to Sam LaPorta that gave the Lions their last lead midway through the second quarter.
Daniels finished the game with 299 yards passing and 51 rushing, and, most importantly, didn’t turn the ball over.
“He has a different poise,” Quinn said. “He’s a rare competitor.”
Daniels became the second rookie quarterback in history to beat a top-seeded team in the playoffs, joining Joe Flacco, who led Baltimore to a win over Tennessee in 2009.
“Nothing surprises me with him,” said receiver Terry McLaurin, who turned a short pass from Daniels into a 58-yard touchdown.
Dan Quinn led Washington to their first playoff win in 19 years last week. The Commanders have now won six comeback games this season, with five of them coming on the final play in regulation or overtime.
Washington, who converted 3 of 4 fourth downs, didn’t let Detroit keep it close for long.
“Give them credit,” Campbell said. “They earned that game and we didn’t.”
In the second quarter, Washington outscored Detroit 28-14, marking the highest-scoring quarter in NFL playoff history, and took a 31-21 lead into halftime.
Daniels had 242 passing yards in the first half, setting a rookie record just one week after becoming the first rookie to lead his team in both passing and rushing yards in a playoff win.
The former LSU star, who was drafted as the second overall pick, was 22 of 31 passing, including the long touchdown pass to McLaurin and a 5-yard touchdown to Zach Ertz in the second quarter.
Running back Brian Robinson ran for 77 yards and two touchdowns.
Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 105 yards and two touchdowns, while Amon-Ra St. Brown had eight receptions for 137 yards.
In the first quarter, Goff fumbled the ball on third-and-1 from the Commanders’ 17-yard line. Washington took advantage of the turnover, and Daniels converted a fourth-and-3 from the Detroit 9-yard line, extending a drive that ended with Robinson’s 2-yard touchdown run.
Three plays after Daniels’ touchdown pass to McLaurin, Goff overthrew his intended receiver, and Martin intercepted the ball and returned it for a touchdown, putting Washington ahead 24-14. Goff was hit hard during the return by linebacker Frankie Luvu and was later evaluated for a concussion.
Detroit’s defense struggled to stop Washington all night, and the Commanders set a season-high in points scored.
The Lions did start the second half strong, forcing Washington to punt for the first time. Detroit responded with a 76-yard drive that took 11 plays, capped by Gibbs’ 8-yard touchdown run, which made it 31-28.
But Detroit’s defense couldn’t hold off Washington for long.
The Commanders put together a 15-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, which was extended when Detroit was penalized for having 12 players on the field on fourth-and-2 from their own 5-yard line. Robinson scored his second touchdown to give Washington a 38-28 lead, and the Commanders never looked back.
