In one of the most shocking NFL playoff upsets in recent memory, rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the sixth-seeded Washington Commanders knocked off the NFC’s No. 1 seed on Saturday with a 45-31 road win over the Detroit Lions. The win sends Washington to its first NFC Championship Game since the 1991 season.
Daniels and the Commanders walked into the Lions’ den facing long odds against a high-scoring team that lost two games at Ford Field in 2024. Washington did not at all resemble an underdog by the game’s end, however.
After falling behind 7-3 in the first 14 minutes, Washington’s fortune appeared to shift after defensive end Dorance Armstrong forced a Jared Goff fumble and recovery late in the first quarter.