The Washington Commanders have reached their first NFC Championship game for 33 years after a shock victory over the Detroit Lions on Saturday night.
Following a dominant regular season in which they secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the first time ever, the Lions entered the playoffs as Super Bowl favorites ahead of back-to-back winners the Kansas City Chiefs.
Yet on a stunning night at Ford Field, Dan Campbell could only watch on as his team fell at the very first hurdle in a remarkable 45-31 defeat to the Commanders, who were nearly double-digit underdogs heading into the Divisional playoff.
Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels inspired yet another Washington win for the ages in an all-time classic playoff encounter which ended 31-21 to the visitors at halftime.
Daniels, who has been a revelation in his debut NFL season, completed 22 of his 31 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns in another masterful display.
Running back Brian Robinson Jr. also had two rushing touchdowns for 72 yards, while receiver Dyami Brown recorded six catches for 98 yards.
The Washington Commanders sealed a shock playoff win over the Detroit Lions on Saturday
Commanders rookie Mike Sainristil had two interceptions, including one on a trick play with receiver Jameson Williams throwing into coverage off a reverse in the fourth quarter. And Quan Martin returned a pick 40 yards for a touchdown.
The upset victory means Washington can now gear up for its first appearance in the NFC Championship game since 1991 – the year they last won the Super Bowl.
Prior to their Wild Card win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Commanders had not won an NFL playoff game since 2006. They had also failed to make it into the postseason in each of the last three seasons, while only doing so once in close to a decade.
Now the nation’s capital will be dreaming of the most unlikely of Super Bowl trips with Daniels at the helm.
Should they make it that far, the 24-year-old will become the first ever rookie to start in the NFL’s showpiece event.
For Detroit, meanwhile, the wait for a first ever Super Bowl appearance goes on.
Jared Goff threw three picks and lost a fumble, turning it over three times in an ill-fated first half for the hosts.
Overall, the NFC’s top seemed doomed its chances by turning it over five times at Ford Field.
Daniels, on the other hand, didn’t turn the ball over once to as Washington inflicted the first major upset of this season’s playoffs.
